Armstrong, Illinois

Armstrong is an unincorporated community in Middlefork Township, Vermilion County, Illinois.

Armstrong
Unincorporated community
The Armstrong post office
The Armstrong post office
Vermilion County's location in Illinois
Vermilion County's location in Illinois
Armstrong is located in Vermilion County, Illinois
Armstrong
Armstrong
Armstrong's location in Vermilion County
Coordinates: 40°18′23″N 87°52′40″W
Country United States
State Illinois
CountyVermilion County
TownshipMiddlefork Township
Established1876
Elevation
212 m (696 ft)
ZIP code
61812
Area code217
GNIS feature ID0403620[1]

History

Armstrong was laid out in 1876 on land owned by Thomas and Henry Armstrong; it was on the route of the Havana, Rantoul, and Eastern narrow-gauge railroad (which later became the Illinois Central Railroad).

On October 2, 1908, a fire destroyed many important buildings in Armstrong, including the general store, the harness shop, the blacksmith shop, the lumber yard, the opera house, the post office, and the grain elevator. Water was pumped by hand by residents to try to fight the fire, and water was also brought by rail from over a mile away; the town had no fire equipment.[2]

Geography

Armstrong is located in the northwestern part of the county, just northeast of the intersection of U.S. Route 136 and Illinois State Route 49. It is about four miles west of Potomac.

Looking north into Armstrong across the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River

References
  1. "Armstrong". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  2. Stapp, Katherine; W. I. Bowman (1968). History Under Our Feet: The Story of Vermilion County, Illinois. Danville, Illinois: Interstate Printers and Publishers, Inc. p. 39.


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