Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 913
HARVEY V. ARMSTRONG

Harvey V. ARMSTRONG, an enterprising farmer located on section 5 of Union Township. He ranks among the early pioneers of this county, coming here in the month of June, 1854, and entering a tract of land ay Six-mile Grove, Jefferson Twp, the same consisting of one hundred and sixty acres. After a sojourn of one month he returned to Illinois, his former home, and returned to this county in 1856. This claim was purchased from Mr. THORPE, living in Jeddo, paying $20 for what he called his interest in a half section of land.

Upon this he built a log cabin, the roof of which was made of clapboards, while the floor was puncheon. This cozy house was provided with a fire-place, the chimney of which was built on the outside in good old primitive style, and was doubtless a better means of ventilation than the modern air-tight, hard-coal stove, fancy house. Their bedstead was made by boring holes in the logs of the house and inserting legs in the same. This land was part timber, there being ninety-five acres of prairie. The first year he broke about 15 acres, and the remainder in 1857. Subsequently, he erected a hewed log housem which had a shingled roof. He remained on this farm about 8 years, when he purchased land on section 5 of Union Twp, compromising his present farm of 330 acres. Here our subject and his family have passed 26 years of their lives.

Our subject was born in Gallia County, Ohio, October 9, 1824, the son of Andrew and Hannah (RAY) ARMSTRONG, who reared seven children, of whom our subject was the third. The children's names are as follows: Nancy, Ezra (deceased), Harvey V, Robert C (deceased), John W, Louden J (deceased).
Mr. ARMSTRONG lived in Ohio until sixteen years of age, when he, in company with his parents, moved to Know County, Illinois, where they engaged in farming. When our subject was twenty years old his father gave him his time, after which he worked on a farm by the month, and then rented a farm which he worked for seven or eight years. After this he bought an 80 acre farm in Warren County, Ill., upon which he removed to Harrison County, Iowa.
Mr. ARMSTRONG was married August 9, 1844, to Virginia (ROWE) ARMSTRONG, daughter of Joseph and Betsy ROWE, natives of Virgina, who reared nine children, of whom our subject's wife was the seventh child. The following are their names: Polly, Peggy, Berthia (deceased), Rice (deceased), Caroline, James P, Virgina, E. Winchester, Joseph D (deceased). Mrs. ARMSTRONG's father was a farmer, and removed from Virginia to Kentucky and from there to Indiana, and from there to Illinois.

Our subject and his wife are the parents of the following children: Bettie C, born June 13, 1845; Joseph A, June 28, 1847; Emma J (deceased), born August 18, 1849; Flora E, August 1, 1852; Louisa F, November 3, 1854; John W, June 9, 1856; William D, August 26, 1858; Ettie W, Novemmber 7, 1860; James H (deceased), born July 21, 1863.

Politically, he is identified with the Democratic party. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and took an active part in the erection of Bethel Church, which stands on land adjacent to their farm, and which was built in 1891.

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