This company primarily belonged to his father and was based in Easton, Pennsylvania.
For 22 years, he worked as the superintendent of mines in his father's company and was based in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.
He was the founder of the Pardee Brothers Company, which was his most significant source of wealth.
[1] The Pardee Brothers Company was primarily developed to exploit coal mines near Lattimer.
He was eager to restart his mines and was "disgusted"[6] that his superintendents were unable to get his collieries to resume their running.
[6] He was also strongly opposed to increasing his miners' wages shortly before the Lattimer Massacre.
[7] In April 1861, Pardee joined the Union Army in the American Civil War.
The couple had nine children: Estelle, Alice, Calvin, Alfred, Ario, Ellie,[note 1] Olive, Howard and Helen.
Near the end of his life, he enjoyed traveling to distant places including the Far East, Russia, Egypt, and Europe.