My Genealogy Hound

A. L. ARMSTRONG is one of the first settlers of Armada precinct, Buffalo county. He is a native of Genesee county, N. Y., and was born Nov. 5, 1831.

His father, Aden Armstrong, was a Canadian by birth, but emigrated to New York in an early day, where he met and afterwards married Lydia Aldrich. In 1833 the senior Armstrong moved to Michigan, and located in McComb county. He was one of the first settlers in that county and was for many years one of its most prominent citizens. He held various local offices and was active and influential in the political affairs of the county. He died in 1854.

Aden L. Armstrong, the subject of this sketch, was one of twelve children, and, being reared in a new country, did not enjoy the common school privileges accorded the youth of to-day. At the age of eighteen he began serving an apprenticeship at the carpenter trade, and worked about ten years in McComb county, Mich., at his trade after learning it. He then moved to Kalamazoo county, and engaged in farming for a few years. When the war broke out, Mr. Armstrong threw all his influence on the side of the Union and in April, 1862, was commissioned by the governor of Michigan as a recruiting officer. He traveled over the state and used every means in his power to induce men to enlist and save the Union. August 15, 1864, Mr. Armstrong enlisted in the New Third regiment Michigan infantry, was promoted to duty sergeant before leaving the state and saw considerable active service until the war closed. He participated in the engagements at Decatur, Ala., and Franklin and Nashville, Tenn. He was taken sick at Jonesborough Tenn., and sent to the hospital at Nashville, where he remained two months, and was mustered out July 15, 1865. He had served as orderly from November, 1864, until he was mustered out.

In 1869 he went to Mills county, Iowa, and worked at his trade about four years, and in the spring of 1873 came to Buffalo county, Nebr., locating, as above stated, in Armada precinct. He selected his homestead on the banks of Wood river and was one of the first to settle in that fertile valley. The country was of course new and wild and neighbors were few and far between.

Mr. Armstrong was married Feb. 19, 1853, to Miss Amelia Rice, a native of Connecticut, born Feb. 19, 1833. To this union were born seven children, as follows — Elias (deceased), Elmer (deceased), Rose, Lenettie, Stella T., Comer C. and Earnest. Mrs. Armstrong died Feb. 11, 1883, and Mr. Armstrong married for his second wife, June 6, 1883, Miss Mary E. White, who was born in Illinois in 1861.

Mr. Armstrong caused to be established the Armada post office in 1876 and was appointed postmaster. He was located then about three miles east of the present village of Armada. In order to get the office established, Mr. Armstrong paid for carrying the mails from Kearney once a week for six months out of his own pocket. He has held various local offices and has always affiliated with the republican party. He is a member of the Masonic, G. A. R. and Good Templar fraternities, and is an ardent temperance man, not having tasted a drop of liquor in his life, and has always been actively identified with temperance movements. He has 320 acres of land located in the Wood River valley, 200 of which are under a good state of cultivation.