​Looking Back: The Holloways

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society​

     Since I’ve been driving around the northern edge of Sni-A-Bar Township, I decided to research a bit more about the namesakes for other roads in the area. Most of them, like Little Road, (Valley News, Jan 5, 2023) only go for a short distance, probably to the house and farm of the people who lived there. I believe most got their names in the mid to late 1800s. It probably went something like this.
     “So, you are looking for old Will Holloway out north of Grain Valley. Take the Buckner Road north to Spring Branch Road (Truman). Turn east a couple of miles to the Murphy School Road. Go north towards the school about a half-mile to the first road going east. At the top of the hill, about four-tenths of a mile, is the St. Clair place. The family cemetery is near the road. You can’t miss it. Just over the hill you will see the Holloway place commence on the north side. Their homestead is nearer the bottom of the hill where the road curves back to the south and meets up with Spring Branch Road.”
     As years passed, all 1.3 miles of it became Holloway Road. William Holloway was born in Tennessee around 1815. I found no information about him until the 1860 US Census. By that time, he was married to a widow, Toletha Nowlin Payne (local names) and was living in Sni-A-Bar Township. Their post office was listed as Pink Hill. The 1870 US Census listed Napoleon as their post office. I’m guessing they did not move but the Civil War moved their post office.
     The Holloways had five children, two sons and three daughters. The oldest son, George William Holloway was the only one to remain in the area. George married Rosa Burnley (another local name). They had no children. By the 1910 US Census, George and Rosa were living on North Broadway in Oak Grove. He was a blacksmith, but by the 1920 and 1930 US Census, he was a carpenter and Rosa a housewife.
     William Holloway died in 1898 and his wife Rosa in 1906. They are buried along with their son James (1866-1885) at the Oakland Cemetery.
     We can only guess that the farm was sold at that time --but Holloway Road lives on.

Tombstone for William, Letha, and James Holloway at the Oakland Cemetery. 
Photo credit: Marcia Napier