David Armstrong

ARMSTRONG, WATERHOUSE, MCGEE

Posted By: Geo Clinton (email)
Date: 2/24/2012 at 10:45:00

July 28, 1896 - Dubuque Daily Herald - Died, at his home in Dyersville, Iowa, at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, July 20, of paralysis, David Armstrong, Sr., aged 80 years.

David Armstrong was born in County Down, Ireland, March 28, 1810. He emigrated to New York in 1850 and removed to Dubuque, Iowa, in 1854, and with the exception of a short residence in Independence, Buchanan county, and at Osage, Mitchell county, where his work as contractor warranted his taking up his residence for the time, he has been closely identified with Dubuque county ever since. Mr. Armstrong was a contractor and builder, and in his day took many large contracts in Dubuque and other counties.

Among them was the furnishing of the cut and polished granite stone used in the state capitol building at Des Moines, the building of the first wing of the asylum for the insane at Independence, the Dubuque county jail, and many of the largest bridges and super-structures in northeastern Iowa. He built many of the large buildings in the early days of Dubuque's history and has lived to see the city he loved grow from a small hamlet to a city of 40,000 inhabitants.

Many of our old settlers will recall the rugged character that helped build up Dubuque in its younger days. He was an honest man, generous to a fault and a man who had many friends and very few enemies. He has lived to a ripe - old age, and after a useful and well spent life, has gone to join the host of old setters gone before. Peace to his ashes.

Mr. Armstrong's wife died February 14, 1881, during their residence at Independence, and his remains will be laid beside hers in the Independence cemetery. Funeral from the house to the Illinois Central depot at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 26th, thence by train to Independence, where interment will take place.

Mr. Armstrong leaves behind to mourn his loss three sons and three daughters: James and Thomas, of Dyersville, and David H. of Farley; Mrs. George Waterhouse and Mrs. George McGee, of Farley, and Miss Maggie, of Dyersville, who has ministered to him in his declining years. In religion Mr. Armstrong was a Presbyterian and in politics a democrat but never sought office of any kind, prefering his active business life. He was a great reader and one of the oldest subscribers to the Herald, having taken it ever since coming west in 1854. Thus they fall, one after the other of the pioneers, like leaves of Autumn.