	Frederick Vogel emigrated from Wurtemberg, Germany to Milwaukee. In 1848, he founded a tannery on Milwaukee's Menominee River. Having also emigrated from Wurtemberg in 1845, Vogel's cousin Guido Pfister opened a shoe store on nearby West Water Street. They joined forces as the Pfister & Vogel Leather Company in 1853, and their company thrived, becoming one of the largest leather producers in the country. August H. Vogel was vice-president of the company until his death.