A.
M. Armstrong, attorney, San Francisco, was born in Lake City, Minnesota, June
9, 1861, and when he was ten years of age his parents emigrated to this State,
settling in San Francisco. He attended
the common schools of this city, and finally graduated at the State University
at the age of twenty years, in the class of 1882. From the time he was twelve years of age he paid his own
expenses, refusing parental aid. From
1875 to 1878 he was a newsboy, selling evening papers after school hours on the
corner of Sutter and Kearny streets.
After
graduation, although prepared to commence the study of law, the failure of his
eyesight caused him to abandon temporarily his chosen profession and enter on a
brief career as an educator, which finally comprised a period of six years,
being principal of the St. Helena public school, of the St. Helena Seminary and
of the Colusa Normal Institute; and while engaged in educational work he
contributed many educational articles to the press, and prepared and had
published two schools books—“The California Teachers’ Examiner” and “A Key to
the California Series of Arithmetics.”
Then, after two years’ study of law, in 1888, he was admitted to the
bar, and since then he has been steadily engaged in the practice of his chosen
profession.
He
is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and prominently identified with the
order of Odd Fellows, passing the chairs of Fidelity Lodge, No. 222. He is not the Chief Patriarch of Wildy
Encampment, No. 23.
J.
L. Armstrong, father of the above, was a native of New England, and removed to
Minnesota, where he became a prominent member of the Territorial Legislature;
and represented his district in the State Senate six years, and held other
offices. He was a grain merchant for
many years. His death occurred here in
San Francisco, in 1888.
Transcribed by Donna
L. Becker
Source: "The Bay
of San Francisco," Vol. 1, page 623, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2004 Donna L. Becker.