Stetson hat history

Stetson hat - its history

Stetson and John B. Stetson Company hats are American icons. No American hat brand is more recognized around the world than Stetson.

Founded in 1865, John B. Stetson's biography is like a Horatio Alger tale. Although most associate a Stetson hat with a Western felt or cowboy pattern, in fact Stetson makes hats and caps in a wide variety of patterns and fabrics. John B. Stetson was born on May 5, in East Orange, New Jersey in 1830. His father, Stephen Stetson was a hatmaker who ran the No Name Hat Company.
The company was known for its high-quality hats, and John B. learned the trade at an early age. It is said that the No Name Compagny made hats for George Washington.

In the 1860s; like many Americans, John B. headed west to recover from tuberculosis, which he had developed as a young man. He decided to try his luck on Pike's Peakto seek his fortune in gold.
In the desert, John used primitive felting techniques to create water-repellent blankets and his first hat to protect him from the elements.
This original model is the "BOSS OF THE PLAINS 1870"; a hat that had a high cap and long flat brim to protect it from the elements. Stetson didn't find his fortune as a gold miner and so headed east to start a hat-making business .With only $60 loaned by his older sister Louise, he bought tools and fur, rented a small room in Philadelphia and hired two workers .

This orientation worked out rather well for Stetson, which at the beginning of the 20th century owned the largest hat factory in the world.

For more information on Stetson, take a look at our collection of Stetson hats.