Life in Michigan
Pingree was a cobbler by trade and, following the war, moved to Detroit and briefly worked for H. P. Baldwin & Company. He soon moved on to join Charles H. Smith in a produce business, but when H. P. Baldwin & Co. closed their doors and sold their machinery, an opportunity presented itself. In December 1866, with Charles H. Smith, he established the Pingree and Smith Shoe Co. with the used machinery. Although the original operation was small, it grew steadily year-by-year, eventually having sales of over $1,000,000 per year.
In 1883, Smith retired from the firm and J. B. Howarth and Pingree's son Joe joined the partnership. In March 1887, a fire destroyed the entire plant, yet they were able to recover. By the 1890s, the firm had become the West's largest shoe manufacturer. When Pingree became governor, the company branded one of its styles "Governor."
In 1872, Pingree married Frances A. Gilbert of Mount Clemens, Michigan. They had three children – Joe, Hazel, and Gertrude, who died in 1894 of tuberculosis at age 19.
Read more about this topic: Hazen S. Pingree
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