FROM MINING AND SMELTING TO FABRICATIONG STEEL: ABRAHAM MARKOSIAN MOTIVATED BY THE PAST

by Lisa Boghosian


When Nishan Markosian arrived on Ellis Island in 1919 from Istanbul, he was happy to put the tragedy, which for some reason unknown to his family forced him to change his name from Melkonian to Markosian, behind. Having escaped and survived the Armenian massacres, he, along with thousands of other Armenians crossed the Atlantic with the hope that they could start their life over again. Many settled in the East, joining family and friends. Others made their way out West, where they understood the land and climate was close to the home they left behind. A few like Nishan ended up in Utah as laborers for the country's largest mining operation- the Bingham Copper Mines.

Brokers for the mines came to New York to solicit cheap labor from the immigrant population, agreeing to arrange for their jobs in the mines for a fee from the soon-to-be laborers. The immigrants paid the brokers to secure their jobs for them because most needed the wages to support their families. Thousands of young men came to Utah via labor brokers in the early 1900s- including young Nishan, who had been working as a dishwasher for a New York City restaurant since he first arrived in America.

Today, though Nishan is no longer living, his courage and drive still remain a part of the Markosian tradition, especially for his son Abraham. "I never knew why my father changed his name, but I've always admired him because he was so dedicated to his family, and was such a hard worker," says Mr. Markosian. "Mining is a dangerous business. We were always thankful when dad came in the door at the end of the day because many men died in mine accidents. He also worked on the charge floor of the American Smelting and Refining Company. He worked long hours to earn enough money to support my mother and nine brothers and sisters. And when he died, even though he was a laborer all his life, he had saved enough money to buy properties on half the street we lived on."

It is because of this that Mr. Markosian says he has been motivated to do more. "My first job was in Long Beach at the Ford Motor Company as a billing clerk," says Mr. Markosian. "Then Pearl Harbor came, and Ford closed. So I went to work for Bethlehem Steel on Terminal Island in Long Beach. There I helped build destroyers for the Navy. Since I was then of prime age for the military, I joined the Navy and was assigned directly to one of the destroyers we built- the USS Laub (DD613). Because of the urgent need for personnel I was placed aboard, without boot camp training, starting as yeoman, third class. Our ship was rushed into service, guarding convoys under ruthless attack by German submarines in the North Atlantic. After that, I was selected for officer candidate school, was sent to Tulane and Harvard Universities, and was commissioned Ensign at the conclusion of my training. Then I was assigned to the supply depot at Saipan and remained there until released from service after World War II."

Upon return to Utah, Mr. Markosian started work for the Lang Company, Utah's first electric welding shop. After moving up the ranks to assistant plant manager there, in 1960, Mr. Markosian left the firm and began a series of jobs in the steel industry. In 1968, Mr. Markosian founded Mark Steel, the largest custom fabricator in Utah, with three separate locations in Salt Lake City. The company ships an average of 1,000 tons of fabricated metal products per month, and markets aggressively throughout the world. "See that large vessel over there," says Mr. Markosian, "that's going to Kuwait. See this over here- it's an oil refinery processing vessel made of 100 percent stainless steel. That machine in the corner rolls the steel into a cylinder. A few years ago, we built an entire ferry boat in our yard. Once it was built, we had to disassemble it and haul it over 300 miles, where we assembled it and placed it into service on Lake Powell. Most of our profit has been put back into the business. That's helped us stay on top of the market and survive in the industry- that, plus a lot of hard work."

But it wasn't just his father who influenced Mr. Markosian. "We were raised in a very small house in Murray, just south of Salt Lake City," says Mr. Markosian. "There were times when my mother would cry because she was unable to feed us more than oatmeal, madzoon (yoghurt), or bread and milk. But that was mostly during the depression when we couldn't qualify for relief because we were property owners. But my parents, being Armenian, knew how to make their dollar stretch, and taught us to do the same. They also taught us to be generous. Mom was known among the hobos who rode the freight trains in the area for her sandwiches. Even if we had minimum rations, she'd make sure they were fed- she never turned one away."

Remembering that, Mr. Markosian sent in a check to the AGBU this fall to support student scholarships for the American University of Armenia (AUA). "I am very proud of my Armenian heritage, and the 'ian' at the end of my name," says Mr. Markosian. "I've always been interested in Armenians. One of the biggest thrills of my life was to see Armenia become independent. When we were growing up, Murray was a hub of Armenians. There were many different Armenians in the area-some Mormon, some not-but the community was so spread out and different, that my parents never were part of an 'Armenian community.'

"Also, because there wasn't an Armenian Church, they often attended the Greek Orthodox Church. So I never was very exposed to Armenian life outside of my own home. A few years ago, I tried to support an Armenian school. I paid for the rent of the school for nine months, but didn't continue for lack of support. So I gave the money this fall where I knew it would be used-Armenia. I've also been active on the board of the Salt Lake City Community College Foundation, and donated money to build a new library on the campus." Today, that library is named after him.

"It's not that I wanted to have a library named after me," explains Mr. Markosian. "But I wanted Utah to see the name of an Armenian on the side of the building. It gave me great joy to see that happen. And my entire family, from my grandchildren, who are a quarter Armenian, to my children, who are half Armenian, to my wife, Arline, who is not Armenian at all, is as proud of it as I am.

Today, while in the transition of retirement, Mr. Markosian splits his time between his business, his family and his hobbies. If you can't find him at home or in the office, then he's probably on the slopes skiing, or in the air flying high above the Great Salt Lake.