*Residents of 753 Atwood and the address are in red font throughout the post*
1922-1923 & 1933-1935: ARMSTRONG - Ernest & Jennie (Suggitt) and son Charles
Ernest Oliver Armstrong was born August 8, 1869 in Saginaw, Michigan to Oliver and Anna (McIntosh). He was the youngest out of his three brothers. The information about Oliver and Anna (Ernest's parents) is very scarce.
The only US Census record I can find of Ernest's parents is from 1870. Ernest's father stated he was born in Canada, but in later census records, Ernest stated that his father was born in New York. However, Ernest's mother, Anna, information is consistent that she was born in Canada.
The next record I can find on Ernest comes when he married Jennie Suggitt on September 13, 1892 in Petoskey, Michigan.
Jennie Suggitt was born in March 1875 in Sand Lake, Michigan to George and Azuba (Lewis). Jennie was the third oldest out of her nine siblings.
George Suggitt (Jennie's father) was born in 1844 in Canton, Michigan. Both of his parents (Jennie's grandparents) immigrated from England to Michigan in 1831. George was raised on the 80 acre farm in Canton that his parents bought after they immigrated. They are considered one of the first families that settled in Canton.
When George (Jennie's father) was 17 years old, he enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. He served as a Private in Birge's Western Sharpshooters (66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry). George re-enlisted in 1863 and served until the war ended in 1865.
After he returned from the war, he married Azuba Experience Lewis (Jennie's mother). Azuba was born in 1849 in Orwell, Ohio and her parents were born in New York and Ohio.
I'm not sure how Jennie's parents met, but after a couple years of marriage, sometime in the early 1870's, they moved north to Petoskey, MI and were one of the first pioneers of the city. George (Jennie's father) owned a saloon in Petoskey. They eventually had 9 children - all of them raised in that area. George passed away in 1892 and a few years later, Azuba and many of her children moved south to Grand Rapids.
Azuba (Jennie's mother) lived in Grand Rapids for about 25 years until she died in 1934 at her house - 12 Highland St.
As mentioned above, Ernest Armstrong married Jennie Suggitt in September 1892 in Petoskey, MI.
At the time of the marriage, Ernest was working for the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad (GR&I) and because of his work, the couple moved quite a few times. After a year of marriage, while they were living in Petoskey, they moved to Mackinaw City (which was the beginning and/or the end of the GR&I RR). Few years later, according to the 1900 census, they were back living in Petoskey.
From the above 1900 US Census, the boarding house that was run by Jennie's mother in Petoskey was located at 102 Lewis St. The GR&I RR Depot of Petoskey (built in 1899) was right next door which was very convenient since Ernest worked as a brakeman for the railroad.
"Trainmen, or brakemen, also report to the trainmaster, but follow the instructions of the conductor and of “others with proper authority.” They’re responsible for the caboose identification markers, or the electronic end-of-train device. They also have responsibility for protecting the train, which means, “flagging” behind and ahead whenever the train is exposed to collision.
The trainmen handle throwing switches, coupling and uncoupling cars and engines, and setting and releasing hand brakes when cars are set out or picked up (that is, subtracted from, or added to, the train). While the train is moving, they keep a lookout for potential hazards on the train itself: “hotboxes” (overheating journals), dragging equipment, or shifting loads.
When a caboose was used, usually the senior trainman rode in it. Historically, he was called the flagman or rear brakeman. The other trainman, the “brakeman” or “head brakeman,” rides the engine." - https://trn.trains.com/railroads/abcs-of-railroading/2006/05/the-people-who-work-on-trains
In addition to working for the railroad, Ernest also worked with his brother-in-law, Lewie Suggitt, in the cigar manufacturing business.
Along with the cigar business, Ernest also co-founded and served as chairman of the New Era Rug Co in Petoskey. Not sure if he took a few years off from working for the railroad, but he did work at New Era Rug for a couple years at least. The company was operating until the 1970's if not later.
Around 1903, Ernest and Jennie moved 90 miles south to Cadillac, Michigan and Ernest still worked for New Era Rug Co as he attempted to expand their market.
In December 1909, while in Cadillac, Jennie gave birth to their only child, Charles Richard Armstrong. According to the 1910 Census below, Ernest was once again working for the railroad, but this time as a conductor. Their address was 44 Cass St which was just a block from the Cadillac GR&I Depot Station.
Below: Photos of the Cadillac Depot
The city directories for Cadillac and Petoskey are very limited online so I am unable to confirm where the Armstrong family lived between 1910-1920. I'd assume they stayed in Cadillac because on the 1920 census, Ernest is still working as a conductor for the railroad but their address is 117 Holbrook St.
Below: 1912 GR Press and Petoskey Newspaper Archives
After spending their entire life in Northern Michigan, the Armstrong family moved to Grand Rapids in 1922. I'm not sure of the reason for the move - it could have been because of Jennie's mother, Azuba. As mentioned above, she was living in Grand Rapids at this time and in 1922, she would have been about 75 years old.
Or they could have moved because of a new job opportunity in a larger city for Ernest. Ernest was still working for the GR&I RR, but now in Grand Rapids, he was promoted to an Assistant Station Master for the Union Station downtown.
Their first home in Grand Rapids that the Armstrong family lived in is this house-
753 Atwood St.
An assistant station master (now it is just called a station master) was in charge of running the entire station's operation from its trains to employees. The position was elite in the railroad industry and provided a higher salary but it was also safer since riding trains wasn't a requirement of the job.
The Union Station that was downtown Grand Rapids was about 1.5 miles west of 753 Atwood St. at 61 Ionia Ave SW. It was built in the 1890's and had seven tracks. The original station closed in 1958 and was demolished.
Below: Grand Rapids Union Station via GRPL Archives
When the Armstrong family moved to Grand Rapids, Ernest and Jennie's son, Charles, was about 14 years old and a freshman at Central High School.
In 1924, after just two years living at 753 Atwood St, the Armstrong family moved to 7-9 Goodrich Ave SW - which was an apartment building downtown, right off of Division St.
Not sure why the job at Union Station didn't last, but at 58 years old, in 1924, Ernest was once again a railroad conductor - which was the last job title he held in the railroad industry.
In 1926, Charles graduated from Central High School. Below is his senior picture from the 1926 yearbook, the organizations he was involved with, and a quote. I'm not sure if Charles wrote that quote or the yearbook editors did - but here is the definition of a Beau Brummel.
I don't know if Ernest owned or rented the house at 753 Atwood, but for some reason, Ernest, Jennie, and their son Charles moved back to 753 Atwood for three more years from 1933-1935. Again, I'm not sure why they moved out and then moved back into 753 Atwood a few years later or what their situation was.
After they moved out of 753 Atwood for the second time, Ernest, Jennie, and Charles lived at 649 Fountain St NE (which is only two blocks north from 753 Atwood St).
Then in June 1937, Ernest and Jennie's son, Charles, married Hilda Hummer Pantlind.
Hilda Pantlind was born in April 1911 in Grand Rapids and grew up in the Heritage Hill neighborhood. Her grandfather, James Boyd Pantlind, founded the prestigious and wealthy Pantlind Hotel in 1913. Today, the Pantlind Hotel is the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids.
Hilda's father, Fred Z Pantlind, became the manager of the Pantlind Hotel when his father passed away in 1922. Then six years later, Fred passed away - Hilda was 18 years old. Hilda loved to dance and travel - she took many transatlantic trips and spent summers in Europe. Hilda was a graduate of Central High School and Briarcliff College in New York.
A few years after Charles married, Ernest and Jennie Armstrong were on their own. On the 1940 Census, they were living at the Hotel Cody which was on the corner of Fulton and Division in downtown Grand Rapids.
The next year, 1941, Ernest passed away at the O'Keefe Sanitarium due to heart failure.
Charles and his wife Hilda were very active in Grand Rapids - they volunteered in the Rotary Club, Junior League, Women's City Club, and UNESCO. They lived at 562 College and Charles worked for the H R Terryberry Co. (H R Terryberry is still around today, but it's known as just Terryberry).
At 92 years old, and 27 years after Ernest passed away, Jennie Armstrong died in 1968 in Grand Rapids.
Later on their life, Charles and Hilda Armstrong moved to Arizona for a few years. Charles continued to work in the jewelry manufacturing business and also hosted a local Arizona television show. Charles passed away in Mesa, AZ in 1987.
Hilda moved back to Grand Rapids and lived another 19 years before she passed away in 2006.
Charles and Hilda Armstrong had two children - Charles Jr and Susan. Both children graduated from East Grand Rapids High School and both eventually moved to California. Charles Jr passed away in 1990 and Susan in 2013.
