John B. Stetson Company

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Stetson Hat Company, founded by John B. Stetson in 1865, is the maker of the Stetson cowboy style hats[1] [2].

[edit] History

The Stetson Hat Company was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1865 when John B. Stetson decided to mass-produce the modified sombrero he had fashioned for himself out of necessity during a lengthy Western expedition. Stetson's "Boss of the Plains" model, with its high, creased crown and wide, molded brim, became the prototype for all other cowboy hat designs. Now located in St. Joseph, Missouri, the Stetson hat factory there and its second factory in Galveston, Texas, continue to turn out the "Boss of the Plains," along with over 100 variations for men and women.[3]

Reportedly, the Stetson has become "a symbol of Western pride and bravado, this modified sombrero, with its large crown and wide brim, has graced the heads of America's most treasured Western heroes, from old-time favorites like actor John Wayne, Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger, and country singer Gene Autry, to modern-day popular artists like Garth Brooks and Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing on the television series Dallas." [3] J.R.'s hat is now displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's contemporary Americana exhibit. Furthermore, the Stetson hat has also been worn by prominent country singers from Dale Evans to Trisha Yearwood, spurred on by legendary female maverick Annie Oakley, proving "that females can carry off this most essential Western look, too" [3].

The Stetson hat factory in Garland, Texas is one of the largest in the country and produces a line of hats in hundreds of different styles and colors. In spite of this size, however, classic styling and premium quality remain as the driving forces behind each and every hat. As a result, Stetson hats are the most well known hats in the world.

Reportedly, "the old John B. Stetson Co. founded by John Stetson 135 years ago, no longer exists as a maker of hats. The name still exists, though, and companies pay good money for the right to use it on their products. Nowadays, Stetson hats are made by a company with the very '90s name of Hatco Inc. Hatco also makes the popular brand of today's cowboy hat, Resistol. Hatco hangs its hat in Garland, Texas. The Stetsons are made at the company's Stetson Hat Co. factory in St. Joseph, Mo."[4]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jeffrey B. Snyder Stetson Hats and the John B. Stetson Hat Company, 1865-1970 Schiffer Publishing (1997)ISBN 0-76430211-6
  2. ^ Stetson Company Home Page
  3. ^ a b c Kristin Palm Stetson Hat MadeHow website Retrieved August 7, 2007.
  4. ^ Stetson hats have new maker, but no archive. Staff. The News Journal (Wilmington, DE). LIFE & LEISURE; Pg. 3D. December 6, 2000.