Farm on Piper Road

Piper Rd.  Eagle,WI

Lillian Armstrong-owner of Armstrong farm
Lillian Armstrong
Armstrong farm on Piper Rd.
Aerial view of Armstrong farm- late1940’s

Lillian Armstrong purchased this farm in 1940, after previously renting the land. She purchased the 160-acre dairy farm on her own for 5,680 dollars, as her husband, Clarence, had gone bankrupt earlier. Lillian purchased the land from the Supita family, and the Frayer family owned the farm prior to that. The Armstrongs had had previous experience with farming in Ottawa. Clarence continued a blacksmithing business in Eagle after they sold the farm.

Clarence Armstrong stands left, in front of his blacksmithing business
Clarence Armstrong, left, at age 41
A check paid to Clarence Armstrong for shoeing horses
A check paid to Clarence Armstrong

Arrowheads found on the land by the Armstrongs are on display at a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) office.

The Armstrong Arrowhead collection at the DNR
The Armstrong Arrowhead collection on display at the Department of Natural Resources

Lillian Armstrong ended up selling the farm to the Armstrong siblings. Dick and Evelyn Armstrong then rented it from them and were responsible for the daily operation. In 1969, the farm was sold to the DNR at an auction for 500 dollars per acre; they offered the best price at the time. The farm is no longer operating.

Auction of Armstrong farm on October 11, 1969
Auction of Armstrong farm on October 11, 1969

Photos below appeared in the Waukesha Freeman (early 1970’s) as part of an article about the loss of farms in Waukesha County.

Old newspaper photo of granary steps
The Granary Steps- circa 1970
Waukesha Freeman photo of a barn beam- circa 1970
Waukesha Freeman photo of a barn beam- circa 1970

**information obtained by Carolyn Rosprim from informants Dick and Evelyn Armstrong

3 thoughts on “Farm on Piper Road

  1. You are a walking/LIVING museum, Vix–and I mean that in the best, most positive way possible! Just when I think there can't be anything more unusual or unique in the vintage clhintog/accessory field, you come up with it!

  2. Hello,
    My name is Miranda Michaelis (nee Armstrong). My grandfather was Richard Armstrong. He went by Rich for the most part, he very rarely went by Dick so it’s weird to see. I LOVE THIS ARTICLE. I would sit with my grandparents (Rich and Evie) and make them tell me stories over and over again. My dad is their oldest son and he grew up on this farm. It’s amazing that we can still hike here and my dad gets to tell me stories about every square inch of this property. My grandma’s flowers still bloom where the house use to be too. Thank you so much for sharing this for everyone to see. It means a lot to me and the family.
    Thank you kindly again,
    Miranda Michaelis

  3. Miranda,
    Thank you for your kind remarks regarding our article about the “Farm on Piper Road”. Your response is what makes our many volunteers enjoy the work of sorting, cataloging and making Eagle history available for all to read. We hope you find many more items here to pique your interest.

    Mike Rice
    Historian

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *