Isaac Trumbo

Who was Isaac Trumbo?

Isaac Trumbo was a prominent California businessman and a colonel in the California national guard. He was born in Nevada but grew up in Salt Lake City. Although not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints himself, his mother was a Mormon, and he had good relationships with the Mormons. It became his dream to see Utah become a state. He became the most important lobbyist for this cause, and it was mainly through his efforts that Utah finally did become a state.

After the statehood question was finally resolved, Trumbo and his wife moved to Salt Lake City in 1895 and took up residence in the Gardo House, a large mansion originally built by Brigham Young for one of his wives, and later the official residence of the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He became active in the Utah Republican party and became identified as an advocate for the Free Silver doctrine. Trumbo believed there was an understanding in place that he would be offered one of Utah's two seats in the United States Senate as a reward for his statehood efforts. However, this did not occur, in part because Utah's non-Mormons were concerned that Trumbo was too closely aligned with Mormon interests. The Trumbos returned to San Francisco, although they maintained a close relationship with church president Wilford Woodruff, who died in 1898 at Trumbo's home while visiting San Francisco.