John B. Armstrong was born in a log cabin in the Township of Downe, County Perth, St. Mary's, Ontario, Canada, January 29, 1861. When six years old he began school and had to learn English for Gaelic (spoken by the Highland Scotch) had been his language. Often sixty pupils attended the one-room brick building. At 15 he had completed the sixth reader. (The fourth reader corresponded to the eighth grade.)
He was employed by an uncle William Armstrong on the home place until he was twenty-one. Since exchange of labor was frequent these years, it included work on many neighboring farms. Most of the days went into "man power" labor - sawing logs, splitting rails, chopping firewood "in the bush," plowing sod and "root" ground. His diary mentions taking milk to the cheese factory, grist to the mill, ditching for drainage of the swamp acres, shearing sheep, roadwork and hoeing turnips and carrots. Potatoes were SCUFFLED - thistles were SPUDDED. Church was regularly attended. But there were diversions such as singing school, parties in the homes, a literary club, traveling library and barn raising - some worthy of note because nobody was hurt.
Uncle Adam Armstrong was in North Dakota Territory so John's plans turned to the United States. Friends tried to dissuade him, but when their warnings did not deter him, he was provided with hand knit socks and underwear in quantities to last a lifetime in a "wild and threatening new land. April 3, 1885 found John Armstrong in Fargo. There had been four feet of snow on the ground when he left Ontario. Now no snow. The mixed train went north from Sanborn only when there was a load. He debarked at a place marked Hannaford. Sitting on a corner of his trunk he was the total population, but looking at the waving grass he decided "it was good" and that he had come to a cattleman's paradise. Uncle Adam arrived after he saw the smoke of the train on its way to the county seat Cooperstown. For the first year he made his home with Uncle Adam.
In 1889 he filed Declaration of Intention to become a citizen, took out an option on a quarter of land in Bartley Township and with a team of oxen borrowed from Jim Campbell (a brother-in-law to be) he broke twenty acres of land, the average amount that a homesteader could break the first year. In order to show establishment of residence he put up a twelve by sixteen foot shanty, but shortly a terrific blizzard made firewood of it.
In 1890 Mr. Armstrong bought his first machinery - a binder, a plow and a harrow. He put in 12 acres of flax, which yielded fourteen bushels to the acre. This year, too, saw his citizenship papers granted, and the purchase of another quarter of land.
Five years passed in the proving up on the claim. A deed to the property was issued by the Department of the Interior and signed by President William McKinley.
On November 14, 1894 he was married to Anne Campbell of Wellington County, Ontario. She had come to Dakota Territory at the age of sixteen to keep house for her brother Donald Campbell. O. D. Purington, Clerk of Court and a Baptist minister, was to marry the couple but he forgot he had a court session at the same hour. Less than an hour before the ceremony, he secured the Methodist minister to perform the ceremony. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Armstrong. The oldest son, Mervin, died in the Argonne Forest offensive of World War I on July 22, 1918. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The American Legion Post of Hannaford was named in his honor since he was the first boy of the community to die in WW I. The youngest in the family, Morris Campbell Armstrong, died in the fall of 1920. The mother's death occurred in 1934. Of the four daughters, two survive in 1975. Erma, (Mrs. H. L. Taylor) retired teacher and widow of a Presbyterian minister, Mandan, and Thelma Armstrong, Director of Social Services in Morton County, Mandan, North Dakota Mary Armstrong, Assistant Director in the Morton County Office died March 1974. The youngest daughter, Donelda, Mrs. Oscar Palm, mother of 2 sons and a daughter, died in Tacoma, Washington, October 1964.
The story of many pioneer heads of families is not restricted to their own personal interests. John Armstrong served on the Township Board for over 40 years, was elected as the first clerk of the Bartley School District and served for many years. He was a County Commissioner for one term. When the Presbyterian Church was organized in 1900 he was chosen as one of the trustees and served as an elder. His name appears on the boards of the Farmers Elevator of Hannaford, the Creamery Company, Telephone Company and the Griggs County Fair Association. Among his personal priorities were books, trees, Shorthorn cattle, Clydesdale horses, and education of his family. His personal philosophy was, "Let each man do the best that he can with what he has in his own time and place
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 Page 215