A study of Jackson County, Missouri, history will lead you to the name Smallwood Noland many times: (1) early settler of Jackson County; (2) active in acquiring and disposing of Jackson County property; (3) farmer; (4) politician; (5) hotel owner; (6) involved in Mormon struggle in Missouri; (7) slave holder; (8) among first members of Methodist Church in Independence; (9) bidder to build the first Jackson County Courthouse and purchased after it was no longer used by the county; (10) trader on the Santa Fe Trail; (11) gold miner; (12) owner of house now on the national registry of historic places; (13) Noland Road possibly named after him; and (14) probably others.
What many Jackson County historians do not take into account is that there were two Smallwood Noland's in Jackson County at the same time and both were prominent in their own way. Smallwood Turner Noland is generally referred to simply as Smallwood Noland. Smallwood Valentine Noland is generally referred to as S. V. Noland or Smallwood V. Noland. The U. S. Census in 1840 shows both Smallwood Noland and S. V. Noland with different family information. It is clear, however, that my ancestor is Smallwood Turner Noland.
According to the research I have done so far, it appears to me that Smallwood Turner Noland was the farmer and hotel owner. Smallwood Valentine Noland was the politician. Smallwood Turner Noland's descendants remained in Jackson County for the most part. Although there are conflicting reports, it appears that Smallwood Valentine Noland died in Holt County, Missouri, and his wife and family moved to Oregon, probably on the Oregon Trail.
It should be noted that census data does show a third Smallwood, but he cannot be confused with the other two. The census of 1860 shows a Smallwood Noland who was a lumber merchant and 22 years old. This Smallwood probably is the son of Edward Turner Noland (son of Smallwood Turner Noland). My genealogy information shows Edward's son, Smallwood, being born in 1837, so that would make him about 22 or 23 in 1860. Both of the earlier Smallwood's had died by 1860.
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Last revised on August 16, 2023.