John and Elizabeth Tallman facts for kids
John and Elizabeth Tallman were early settlers in Colorado. They moved to Pine Grove, which is now Parker, Colorado, in 1866. John worked as a cattle rancher and also helped run a sawmill. He was also a county clerk and a businessman. Later, John and Elizabeth ran a hotel called the Elizabeth Hotel. Elizabeth also wrote about her experiences with Native Americans and about conflicts between different tribes like the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Utes.
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Who Were John and Elizabeth Tallman?
John Tallman's Early Life
John M. Tallman was born on April 25, 1837, or 1838, in Wyoming County, New York. His parents were Polly Maxon Tallman and Lymon Tallman. Around 1840, his family moved to Michigan. When John was 22, he came to Colorado. In 1859, he was the only person living in Pine Grove. He also owned land in Denver.
Elizabeth Tallman's Early Life
Elizabeth Jane Pennock was born on July 14, 1841, in Livingston County, New York. Her parents were Oliver P. Pennock and Caroline Rowell Pennock. Sadly, her mother died in 1854. Her father joined the army in 1861 during the American Civil War and died in 1863.
Elizabeth had many brothers and sisters, and several of them also moved to Colorado. Her sister Mary came in 1860 and married Horatio M. Foster. Another sister, Ellen, lived in Colorado Springs. Her brother Charles came to Colorado in 1865 after serving in the Civil War. By 1864, Elizabeth was an orphan. She moved west to live with her sister Mary and brother-in-law. In 1865, Elizabeth married John in Russellville, which is now Elizabeth. They had two children: Mary Ellen and Charles Strafford.
How Did They Interact with Native Americans?
Important Events in 1864
In 1864, John Tallman was one of the first people to arrive at the site of the Hungate massacre. He was part of the 1st Regiment of Colorado Volunteers. He served under Colonel John Chivington during the Sand Creek massacre.
Visitors at the Ranch
Native American tribes, including the Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Ute, often camped along Cherry Creek during the winter. In the spring, they would pass by the Tallmans' cabin as they went hunting on the Eastern Plains.
Elizabeth wrote stories about her early years on the ranch. She described visits from Ute Chiefs like Colorow, Ouray, and Washington. These chiefs traveled along Sulphur Gulch. Utes sometimes came to her cabin asking for biscuits. Chief Washington once even tried to trade for her red-headed son. Elizabeth also wrote about conflicts between the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Utes.
What Were Their Careers?
John Tallman raised Hereford cattle. He also ran a sawmill with H.M. Foster near the town of Elizabeth. They made wooden shingles for the very first house in Denver that had shingles. Mary and Elizabeth often drove a wagon to Denver to get supplies.
In 1878, the Tallman family moved to Castle Rock. This was because John was elected as the Douglas County Clerk. After that, he ran a grocery store in Franktown with Ed Krakaw. He also grew alfalfa hay on five fields near Cherry Creek with a partner, F. H. Allison. John helped plan the building of a new County Court House around 1888 and 1889.
In the late 1890s, John and Elizabeth bought the Elizabeth Hotel in Elizabeth. The hotel was in poor condition when they bought it. However, the Denver Hotel Bulletin newspaper said that they managed the business very well.
Elizabeth Tallman was interviewed in 1936 for an article called "Pioneer Experiences in Colorado." This article was published in The Colorado Magazine. She also wrote her own article, "Early History of Parker and Vicinity," which appeared in the same magazine in 1946.
The Tallman–Newlin Cabin
John Tallman is believed to have built the two-room cabin and a large barn on their 160-acre ranch in 1866. The barn was built without nails, using a special method called mortise and tenon construction. Their ranch was located east of Pine Grove, near where Mainstreet and Dwyer are in Parker today.
In 1878, the ranch was sold to William G. Newlin. In 1900, the log cabin was covered with wood siding. The Newlin family had a cemetery next to the house.
To save it from being torn down, the cabin was moved in 1977. It was moved to Callaway Road and Canterberry Trail. The Parker Area Historical Society restored the cabin and has owned it since 1996. It is the only log cabin left in Parker. It shows what pioneer life was like in Colorado. Elizabeth Tallman mentioned the cabin in an article she wrote in 1936.
Later Years and Passing
John and Elizabeth lived in Kansas City for a short time. In 1918, they moved to Colorado Springs. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on December 1, 1925. John passed away eight days later, on December 9, at their home. He was the oldest member of Masonic Lodge No. 5. Elizabeth passed away in 1941. Both John and Elizabeth are buried at Parker Cemetery in Parker, Colorado.
