Thomas Armstrong

    Thomas Armstrong, one of the respected citizens of Jackson Township, where he is engaged in farming and shipping stock, was born in Butler County, Ohio, December 23, 1842, a son of William and Eleanor (Kennedy) Armstrong. The father was born in Maryland, March 21, 1800, and when a year old was taken by his parents to Hamilton County, Ohio, where he was reared. The mother was born in Ohio December 23, 1804.

    When our subject was six years old they removed to Decatur County, Indiana, and four years later, in 1854, came with their six children to Blackford County, and settled one and a half miles south of Trenton, where the family was reared. The father died March 24, 1876. The mother is still living, making her home at Bluffton, with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Ransom. The names of their children are as follows -Andrew M., living in Trenton; Maria, wife of John H. Dailey; Priscilla, wife of Benjamin Slack, living near Fort Scott, Kansas; John K., a farmer of Jackson Township; Thomas, our subject, and Mrs. Elizabeth Ransom.

    Grandfather Armstrong was born in Maryland, and died in Hamilton County, Ohio, age sixty years. He married Priscilla White, and her father's family are among the first settlers at Cincinnati, locating along the banks of the Ohio River about 1760 and 1765. She died in La Fayette, Indiana, aged eighty-two years. The great-grandfather Armstrong was a native of Ireland, coming to America when a young man, locating in Maryland before his marriage.

    Thomas Armstrong, whose name heads this sketch, was in his fourteenth year when he came with his parents to Blackford County, where he grew to manhood on his father's farm. He was first married November 2, 1860, to Miss Mary L. Alfrey, a native of Indiana, born in October, 1841. She died March 3, 1866, leaving two children -Nancy, born September 11, 1862, and Edward, born September 14, 1864. Mr. Armstrong was again married September 30, 1866, to Miss Rebecca Havens, born in Blackford County, Indiana, April 29, 1844, a daughter of Seely and Elizabeth (Stall) Havens. To this union have been born six children -Cora, born August 9, 1867; Arthur, July 3, 1868; Lee, born May 6, 1871; Wilfred, January 8, 1873; Elmer, August 11, 1878, and Emory, February 5, 1883. Mrs. Armstrong's father was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, August 4, 1815, where he was reared, and in 1837 came with his parents to Harrison Township, Blackford County, Indiana. He was married in Blackford County to Elizabeth Stall, a native of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, born June 19, 1819, and to them were born five children -Benjamin Franklin, a farmer living in Blackford County; Rebecca; Jacob Calvin died in 1877, aged twenty-six years; Sarah E., living with her mother on the old homestead, and Pierce, who is also living on part of the homestead. The father died September 3, 1878. He was a son of James and Phoebe (Dyson) Havens, both of whom died on th3e home farm where they first settled in Blackford County.

    Mrs. Armstrong is a member of the Protestant Methodist Church. Mr. Armstrong is a member of Trenton Lodge, No. 405, A.F. & A.M. He is an active and public-spirited citizen, and is always interested in any enterprise for the advancement of his township or county. The first saw-mill in Jackson Township was built at Trenton by Mr. A.M. Armstrong, Daniel Landon and David Creek. The father of our subject built the first frame school-house in Jackson Township, on section 24, and the same year, 1856, he also built the school-hose at Converse.

Source: Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford County, Indiana. The Lewis Publishing Co., 1887, page 891-892.