Reference: History of Page County, Iowa, also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county, Lewis & Kinbar Publishers, 113 Adams Street, Chicago, IL 1890.

Jerome Bonaparte Armstrong was born upon the banks of the Ansaba [spelled wrong] River in northern New York, July 4, [date wrong] 1832.  His father was Dr. Daniel [first name wrong] Armstrong, a native of Vermont; he was a physician of the old school and was a graduate of the Middlebury University.  His family came from Connecticut where the great-grandfather [Martin] had settled upon his emigration from Ireland in 1750.  His mother was Sarah M. Treadway, also a native of Vermont.  Both parents died in Michigan, where they had settled in 1849.  Of a family of nine children Jerome B. is the oldest.  When he was sixteen years old the family removed to Parma, Michigan, and there he soon entered a dry-goods store, where he was employed six years as salesman.  At the expiration of that time he went to Galesburg, Illinois, where he first found employment in a grocery store.  About this time, by a special act of the Illinois Legislature, the , the police court of Galesburg was made a court of original jurisdiction in cases not exceeding $500; and he, being an unusually dexterous penman, was recommended by his employers as clerk..  Judge A. C. Wiley was the presiding officer and in him and the attorney of the court, J. P. Frost, he found warm supporters.  He attended the duties of the court four years, and a part of this time he was clerical Deputy United States Marshal under Captain Pollock, who was also chief of police.  Having opportunities to become familiar with legal proceedings he was urged by his friends to enter the profession of law, but he was deterred by what he considered a limited education.  He resigned his clerkship to accept a position with the Geneva Nurseries, and for two years was their traveling salesman through eastern Iowa.

Mr. Armstrong was united in marriage July 25, 1860, to Miss Louisa Hoay, at Parma, Michigan.  She is a daughter of James and Levissa Hoay.  After his marriage he turned his attention to agriculture, but having suffered sunstroke he was compelled to abandon this industry and return to Parma, Michigan.  His eyesight was almost destroyed by the sunstroke, and for two years he was nearly blind.  However, in June, 1862, he went to Corunna, Michigan, and engaged in the harness business with an experienced workman named Norman Philips.  He learned the trade of this man and continued there in business for eight years.  In 1870 he returned to Illinois and settled near New Windsor where he opened a shop; the following spring he started for Emporia, Kansas, and came through Page County in making the trip.  The beauties of the valley of the Nishna made such an impression upon him that he bought 160 acres of land two and a half miles from Shenandoah, deciding that whatever attractions Kansas might possess they could not excel or surpass those of Page County, Iowa.  That same season, 1871, he began to improve his farm, but after he had spent one summer there he returned to New Windsor, and resumed his old business.  In 1878 he again came to Shenandoah and opened a shop; he lost everything he possessed in the most disastrous fire in the history of the town.  His spirit was not daunted, however, and in thirty six hours he had another building erected and seven workmen at the bench.  In 1887 he opened business at his present stand, where he has a good trade.

Mr. Armstrong devotes but a small portion of his time to the harness business, his inclinations being toward a more active life.  He early began to secure Page County real estate, and he has improved several farms, and is even now farming quite extensively.  He has one farm near town where he breeds and feeds large numbers of cattle and hops each year; he also has a farm of 240 acres in Hamilton, County, Nebraska, and another valuable tract in Box Butte County.  He has one of the most desirable residences in Shenandoah and takes much comfort and delight in his home and family.  There have been born to the parents seven children: Carrie, Grace, Orah, Mary, Jerome B., Jr., Carl, and Louisa.  Carrie is the wife of Frank Williams; Grace is a graduate of the Western Normal College, and is a teacher at Emerson, Iowa; Orah was also graduated from the college, and has since paid special attention to the study of music, in which she has unusual talent; she has been a student at the Conservatory in Chicago, and has taught one year at San Saba College, Texas, where she won an enviable reputation as a teacher.

Mr. Armstrong early became a member of the I.O.O.F., and has been an active member, having passed all the chairs.  He has given much attention to collecting a cabinet of relics and bric-a-brac; among other things he has a complete collection of all the paper scrip issued by the Government.