Hazen Pingree from the Detroit Historical Society

Born in Denmark, Maine in 1840, Hazen Pingree would go on to become one of the great mayors in American history. His election signaled the beginning of the Progressive Era, a major period of reform that attacked problems created by rapid urban and industrial growth. 

Born on a rocky farm in Maine, he came to Detroit after serving in the Union army during the Civil War. In 1866, he teamed with Charles Smith to start the Pingree and Smith shoe company By the 1890s, the company was the largest show manufacturer in the American West. 

As he prospered, Pingree became part of Detroit’s elite. He was not, however, politically active. It was, therefore, somewhat a surprise when his Republican friends nominated him for mayor in 1889. He won, taking office in 1890.

Once in office, Pingree recognized the need for significant reforms. With unexpected energy and a ferocious temper, he fought corruption and special interests. He fought on behalf of the working poor and was known for creating “potato patches” and vegetable gardens to help feed families during the 1893 Depression.

In 1896, while he was still serving as mayor, he was elected as Governor of Michigan. He tried to hold both offices, but when forced to choose he resigned as mayor and moved to Lansing. He served two terms, leaving office in 1900. 

Hazen Pingree died in England in 1901, at the age of 60.


Living History: Hough, Before & Beyond ’66 (Video) July, 2016 Ideastream

Living History: Hough, Before & Beyond ’66 (Video) July, 2016 Ideastream

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Published on Jul 12, 2016

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the Hough riots, also known as the Hough rebellion, or the Hough uprising. The unrest began on the night of July 18, 1966 on the corner Hough Avenue and East 79th Street, and lasted about a week.

While the unrest of ’66 may first come to mind when thinking of Hough, few Northeast Ohioans know the rich history of the Hough neighborhood. Millionaires inhabited Hough before WWI, middle, workingclass immigrant residents populated Hough in the 1930s and 1940s and by 1960, the populace was predominantly African American. Additionally, not many people know the stories behind the local and national policies that led to the unrest of 1966, the fires that burned through the 70s, or the neighborhood Hough became from the 80s through today.

On Thursday, July 7th, 2016 ideastream® held an illuminating and wide ranging panel discussion on the history on Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood at The Happy Dog at The Euclid Tavern, moderated by ideastream reporter/producer Nick Castele The nearly hour long Q&A session that followed was equally illuminating.

Coughlin and Cleveland

Masters of Arts Paper by Karen G. Ketchaver, John Carroll University, 2009

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Father Charles E. Coughlin was one of the most prominent, and most controversial, figures in the United States in the 1930s and in the early years of the 1940s. This Canadian-born cleric rose from the life of an ordinary parish priest to becoming one of the leading radio phenomena of his day, masterfully using the new medium to command a vast audience. Coughlin began his radio career addressing religious subjects, but he expanded into the realm of politics by the early 1930s. His views became more and more extreme, and, by the latter part of the decade, he became increasingly anti-Semitic, stridently anti-communist, a fervent isolationist, and an admirer of European fascism. While millions of Americans were enthralled by the man who came to be known as “the Radio Priest,” others viewed him as a dangerous demagogue. The city of Cleveland, Ohio, figured prominently in Coughlin’s career. His radio broadcasts were highly popular throughout the Cleveland listening area, and the priest made a number of high-profile appearances in the city throughout the 1930s. In particular, two of Coughlin’s speeches in Cleveland in 1936 received wide national attention when the priest’s Union Party aspired to influence that year’s presidential election. However, it was not only politicians who struggled with the appeal of the Radio Priest. The increasingly controversial Coughlin became a thorny problem for the leader of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Bishop Joseph Schrembs. This thesis examines the Cleveland connections of Father Charles E. Coughlin. The first part describes Coughlin’s origins, his rise to prominence, and the reaction he garnered. The second part reviews the way three Cleveland newspapers reported on and editorialized about Coughlin. The complex Coughlin-Schrembs relationship as revealed through diocesan correspondence from 1928 to 1940 is explored in the third part. The thesis concludes with an analysis of the part Cleveland played in Coughlin’s career and the impact he had on the city.

Teaching Cleveland Digital