Howard County IN Archives History - Books .....Armstrong-Landon Company 1909 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 15, 2006, 10:10 pm Book Title: History Of Howard County Indiana THE ARMSTRONG—LANDON COMPANY. A corporation engaged in the mercantile business including hardware and farming implements and also manufacturers of all kinds of building material, are the successors, or rather a continuation of a business started by A. F. Armstrong in the year 1855. Their place of business is the oldest in the city of Kokomo, and those engaged in the conduct of it are recognized as the only merchants now in business when the present proprietors became interested in it. The present officers are: George W. Landon, president; Thomas C. Howe, vice-president; W. A. Easter, treasurer; H. McK. Landon, secretary; and Harry L. Moulder, assistant treasurer. As above stated, A. F. Armstrong was a partner in business with Dr. J. A. James, one of the pioneer physicians of the city, and Mr. Armstrong continued as the principal head of the business until the day of his death, in September, 1903. George W. Landon, the present president of the corporation., purchased an interest in the business in November, 1873, and became actively interested early in March, 1874, and he has been actively identified with the business from that date up to the present time, having been a member of all the succeeding firms and corporations. Thomas C. Howe, vice-president, married Mr. Armstrong's only daughter, and since Mr. Armstrong's death, has represented his interest in the business. Mr. Howe is well known as the president of Butler University at Irvington. W. A. Easter, treasurer, became identified with the business as a clerk early in the year of 1874. and has grown up with the business until at the present time he occupies one of the most important places in its conduct, having charge of the mercantile part of the business at the corner of Sycamore and Main streets, and is well known to almost every farmer in Howard county, coming more directly in contact with them than any other man in the conduct of the business. The secretary, H. McK. Landon, lives in Indianapolis, is the son of the president and is otherwise engaged in business in that city. Harry L. Moulder, assistant treasurer, began employment as a clerk in 1898 and has grown up until he now has charge of the office work of the corporation, and has the confidence of all of the officers connected with the corporation. Thomas H. Penn is the superintendent of the manufacturing part of the corporation, whose factory is located on East Monroe street, where it crosses the Panhandle Railroad in the said city. He has been so employed since 1903, and is recognized as competent and efficient as a superintendent in the management of their manufacturing interest, and also as a skilled artisan, and is used largely for the purpose of assisting contractors in the supervision of plans and in the superintendency of the construction of buildings, and is of very beneficial assistance in this class of work to all of the corporation's customers. HARDWARE INDUSTRY. The mercantile interests of the Armstrong-Landon Company are conducted from their place of business at the corner of Main and Sycamore streets on the south side of the public square at Kokomo, Indiana. Their business room is constructed of brick and stone, covering a space of sixty-six by one hundred and thirty-two feet, a three-story and basement building, and is well suited and located to carry on the business for which the building was constructed. The business is of a wholesale and retail character, the trade extensions of both branches covering all the adjacent territory in this portion of the state. A computation of the different lines carried would involve a catalogue of many pages. Suffice it to say that for years this corporation has been the backbone of the agricultural and implement business of the surrounding counties. Outside of the hardware, stove and implement business, covering all classes of farming implements, as well as carriages, buggies, surreys, etc., they keep at this place almost all classes of building material outside of lumber, such as cement, sewer pipe, etc. BUILDING MATERIAL. At the factory and in their yards, this corporation carries one of the largest stocks of all kinds of lumber used in the manufacture of building material in this part of the state, and there is nothing used in the construction of a building in the way of wood material but what they are at all times able to furnish and supply in the promptest manner. The quality of the work which they perform is fully recognized and demonstrated by the fact that as a corporation they have constructed more public buildings and more first class residences in this city than all other dealers or contractors in this line of business. Their work not only covers the furnishing of ordinary building material, but includes all classes of interior finish, stairs and stair work, office work, counters, show cases, etc., and the quality of the hard wood lumber carried for this purpose is unexcelled, and is so well known that many dealers engaged in similar lines of business in other cities in the state purchase such material from them. Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA BY JACKSON MORROW, B. A. ILLUSTRATED VOL. II B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (circa 1909) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/howard/history/1909/historyo/armstron26ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/infiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb