 Tallman Jacob Trask, 1852-1894 Pioneer Grocer Trask is buried in Porter Cemetery, Block 6, Space 6 (Stock image courtesy of Pinterest) Tallman Jacob Trask was born 1852 in Vassalboro, Maine, one of eleven children born to William Chase Trask and his second wife, Sophia Winslow. By 1860, the Trask family had moved to Concord, Illinois.
When he was 17, Tallman, or T.J. as he was known, went to work for Abel Gum as a clerk in Gum’s dry goods store. T.J. roomed with the Gum family while he learned the ins-and-outs of the mercantile trade. Around 1876, young Trask traveled west to Pueblo, Colorado, where he became the head clerk in the grocery store of John D. Miller. It was there that he met Laura E. Cooper, whom he married in July of 1877. The couple had two children born between 1878 and 1879, but both died in infancy and were buried in the Odd Fellows section of the Pueblo Pioneer Cemetery. In 1879, T.J. and Laura moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to start a new store with Lyman Putney, a business man from Lawrence, Kansas. The store, which specialized in wholesale groceries and exotic fruits from California, was located in downtown Albuquerque on Railroad Avenue, opposite the train depot. T.J. and Laura had a tumultuous relationship, with Laura spending much of her time with her family in Pueblo and Kansas. In the spring of 1884, T.J. filed for divorce on the grounds of desertion. It was granted in October of 1884. In December of 1884, he married Lizzie Strother of Ohio, thought by some to have been “an adventuress." T.J. dissolved his business interests with his partner Lyman Putney and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he opened a store with his new brother-in-law, Emory Kays. Still later, in 1892, T.J. opened another store with Charles Kessler and T.J.’s brother Alonzo. Located on Washington between modern-day Central Ave and 1st Avenue in Phoenix, the Trask-Kessler wholesale grocery soon became one of the largest grocery stores in town. As he prospered, T.J. took on many civic duties, becoming president of the Arizona Industrial Exposition Association and territorial fair. His most notable exhibits were a pagoda made from grains grown on his farm, and a display of hanging tea cups and saucers from his wholesale grocery store that spelled “Trask-Kessler." He also served as president of the Immigration Union, vice president of the Business Chamber of Commerce in Phoenix, and was on the board of the Phoenix and Prescott Toll Road Company. T.J. died on December 8, 1894, from an intestinal ailment which he had fought for eight months. He was laid to rest in Porter cemetery. His headstone is of an unusual Moorish design and describes him as an “upright businessman." © 2017 by Valleri Wilson. Last revised 22 December 2017. This December, we will commemorate 12 pioneers from our historic cemetery who passed away during this month. Through this countdown, we honor their contributions to our community, reflect on the challenges they faced, and remember the impact they had during their time. While some of their stories are somber, they are an important part of our history, reminding us of the resilience and humanity of those who came before us. If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!
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