Wednesday Western- The Stetson

"Boss of the Plains"

The first western hat John B. Stetson fashioned was for himself and it was during an expedition to the west. He found the elements out west warranted the need for a hat with a wider brim and higher crown, so he fashioned such a hat for himself from a beaver pelt. The wider brim shaded and staved off the rain while the higher crown was better for insulation. Many laughed at his hat but he could not only wear it he could also use it to carry water.

It's been rumored that a as cowboy upon seeing Stetson wearing that first hat, rode up to him, took the hat, tried it on, and handed Stetson five dollars.

Stetson was the son of a master hatter so it wasn't a fluke that he knew how to make a hat and a good one at that. He returned to the east and with $100 dollars he rented a room, bought tools and $10 worth of fur and started the John B. Stetson Hat Company. A year later he was mass producing the "Boss of the Plains". This was a hat with a flt brim, straight sided crown and rounded corners. It was lightweight and waterproof.

By 1886 his Philadelphia based company was the largest hat manufacturer in the world

Today the factory is on nine acres in Garland, Texas where they produce over one hundred varieties and colors of hats.

Do you own a Stetson or any cowboy hat?