Chapman, the son of a farmer, was part of the out-migration of New England Yankees that dominated Milwaukee's pioneer period. He opened a small dry goods store on the east side of the river in 1857. Business flourished and in 1872 he opened a four-story building on Wisconsin Avenue Between Milwaukee and Jefferson streets which was said to be the largest dry goods store in the region. In 1884 a fire destroyed the entire store. Undaunted, Chapman, who was then in his 60's, rebuilt the store in an elegant style and T.A. Chapman's survived as a symbol of the city's upscale retail trade until it was razed in the 1980's. Chapman was famous for his personal attention to the quality of his store and his merchandise and especially for his personal contact with customers. The store remained in family hands until 1983. [Wisconsin Business Gallery, UWM Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business website]