The senior Mack valued education, and knowing that there was little opportunity in such a remote frontier village, he had his family remain in Vermont. The younger Mack would later pursue for himself a level of education uncommon for his time, and when he had children of his own, he was very active in procuring for them the best educational opportunities. Stephen Mack, Sr. was the first English-speaking merchant in Detroit. He entered into a partnership which was known as Mack & Conant which remained in business until 1821 when it was bought out by its chief competitor The American Fur Company. In 1812 he became a trustee of the village of Detroit and later he was the founder of the city of Pontiac