The History of Stetson Hats
Stetson hats are as needful to the American cowboy as the horse. How the Stetson hat is a story that fits right into the American dream. Because of the quality and pride that go into each Stetson hat made, these hats are still being made today and are worn by not only cowboys but by men of all different walks of life. Does this Spark an idea?
Inventor of the Stetson Cowboy Hat
John B. Stetson created the Stetson hat after he moved out West to pan for gold and was tired of the cold, rainy weather soaking him to the bone. While panning one day, he saw a family of beavers and noticed that the water was repelling off their pelts. He captured a few of those beavers, made fur felt from their skins and used them as a tent. It worked--he stayed warm and dry. And since he came from a family of hat makers he decided to try his new idea in hats.
The Stetson Hat Design
The Stetson hat was purposely designed with tall tops to create a pocket of empty space on the inside for warm air to sit, helping keep its occupant warm. The wide brim was there to protect and keep out the wind, sun and rain. The design of the hat was made to be waterproof from the inside so that the top of the hat where it cups made it handy to fill up with water and then use that water to drink or wash with. Though this sounds silly, it made perfect sense to John B. and all the frontiersmen who wore it.
The hat quickly found a nickname of "10-gallon hat," though the most one has ever been known to hold is 1/2 gallon.
Manufacturing the First Stetson Hats
Now that John B. had the original design figured out, he needed to make the hats and get them introduced to the public. But in 1865, he only had $100 in capital. So he returned to his home in Philadelphia and rented a small room, bought $10 of fur to make into felt and began the process all on his own.
What the Public Thought About the Stetson Hats
John B. Stetson had no extra money to advertise, so he wore his hats everywhere he went. This provoked many questions and sparked curiosity. The Easterners thought the hats were silly and made fun of John B. for coming up with such a strange design. But the hats were widely accepted in the West. John B. didn't give up on the Easterners. He altered the designs to accommodate professional businessmen. Soon the hats were accepted among all different professions and lifestyles.
"Stetson" In Gold
John B. was careful with the detail of each and every hat and was very particular about the appearance of his hats. Needless to say, he had great pride in the hat that he created. Each hat was stamped with a 14-karate gold leaf on the inside that read "Stetson."
The Stetson Hat Today
Today the Stetson Hat Company is in Garland, Texas. It has lines of Western hats, dress hats and caps all made from rabbit and beaver fur.
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