Noah C. McFarland was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1822.

[1] He attended Washington College as a member of the class of 1844, but did not graduate.

[2] He moved to Bucyrus, Ohio in 1846, studied law, and was admitted to the bar.

[1] In 1881, McFarland was appointed Commissioner of the United States General Land Office, and served until 1885.

[1] McFarland died at the Copeland Hotel, Topeka, Kansas on April 26, 1897.