Silas Armstrong
Silas Armstrong | |
|---|---|
 Daguerreotype of Armstrong, c. 1850 | |
| Head Chief of Wyandotte Nation | |
| In office 1858 – December 14, 1865 | |
| Preceded by | Matthew Mudeater |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 3, 1810 Near Upper Sandusky, Ohio, US |
| Died | December 14, 1865 (aged 55) |
| Resting place | Huron Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas, US |
| Children | 13 |
Silas Armstrong (January 3, 1810 — December 14, 1865) was an American Wyandot merchant and politician.
Biography
[edit]Armstrong was born on January 3, 1810, near Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and was raised in a Bear Clan community. In 1832, he married Sarah Preston. His family's farm, known as the "Armstrong Bottom", was run by Armstrong.[1]
In 1843, Armstrong and his family moved to the Town of Kansas. There, Armstrong began trading in a rented building in modern-day Westport. He worked as a merchant, sawmill operator, land speculator, and farmer, later forming a partnership with Hiram Northup.[2] He also worked as an interpreter for Nathan Scarritt.[3] He was president of the Wyandott Town Company. The town of Armstrong, Kansas was named after him. It later merged with Kansas City, Kansas.[4]
Armstrong served as Head Chief of the Wyandot Nation from 1858,[5] until he fell ill and died in office[6][7] on December 14, 1865.[8] Over 1000 people attended his funeral at Huron Cemetery.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Silas Armstrong" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "Hiram Northrup". www.wyandot.org. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "Image 29 of The Methodist missions among the Indian tribes in Kansas". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "Armstrong, Kansas – Absorbed by Kansas City – Legends of Kansas". Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "The centuries-old fight to save a piece of the Wyandot tribe's history in Kansas". 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "Silas Armstrong". Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "How Was the Non-River State Line That Divides KCK and KCMO Selected? Your KC Q Answered | Kansas City Public Library". kclibrary.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "Silas Armstrong Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.