Mention Carhartt to most Michigan residents and they may give you a thumbs-up sign of approval. Carhartt work clothes have been a staple of the Michigan worker since 1889.
The man responsible for these clothes was Hamilton Carhartt, born in Macedon Lock, New York, on August 27, 1855. His family moved to Michigan when he was a child and he grew up in Jackson. At 21, he went into the furnishing business where he excelled in promotion and advertising. As his success grew, he added the extra “T” to his last name in order to stand out from any other business or businessman with the name “Carhart”.
Hamilton moved to Detroit in 1884, and in 1889 started up Hamilton Carhartt & Company, now making work clothes for the working man. His first item was heavy-duty denim bib overalls, with railroad men in mind. From that humble beginning, his organization grew to include more mills, sewing plants, and even cotton plantations in order to grow his own material – these popped up not just in Michigan, but also in other states, Canada, England, and France.
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In April 1910, Carhartt dabbled in the automobile biz, creating the Carhartt Automobile Corporation. It began very well, manufacturing and selling a good number of cars; but by 1912, he realized the liabilities were too much, compared to what they actually had in their account. He dropped the car biz and went back to concentrating on his clothing company…