Stetson
 | This article possibly contains original research. (August 2008) |
Stetson hats or Stetsons are a brand of hat manufactered by the John B. Stetson Company of St. Joseph, Missouri. The Stetson sometimes used as a genericized term for a cowboy hat, though the company makes other styles of brimmed hat, it has become most associated with the cowboy style. When not specifically referring to the brand of a hat, reference to a Stetson hat most commonly implies a cowboy hat.
There are two versions of the history associated with the Stetson hat. The first is the most widely held belief. This version states that in the 1860s Stetson created a rugged hat for himself made from thick beaver fur felt while panning for gold in Colorado. According to legend, Stetson invented the hat while on a hunting trip while showing his companions how he could make cloth out of fur without weaving. Stetson made an unusually large hat from fur-felt he made from hides collected on the trip, and wore the hat for the remainder of the expedition. Although initially worn as a joke, Stetson soon grew fond of the hat for its ability to protect its wearer from the elements. It had a wide brim for protection from the elements, a high crown to keep an insulating pocket of air on the head, and a waterproof lining so the hat could be used to carry water.
Studies have shown[citation needed] however that in fact, there is evidence to show that the Stetson hat was actually originally designed by Christy's Hats from Frampton Cotterell, Bristol, England.
Bristol University lecturer John Moore, said: "Few people know that the ten gallon hat was invented in Frampton Cotterell but it's well documented in the records of the hatmakers who built and owned the factory last century J. B. Stetson fought a long patent case with Christy's - and lost. The result was that he had to pay a licence fee to market the famous Stetson hat."[citation needed]
Stetson might have lost, but he won in the long term. That style of hat is known universally as a Stetson, and Christy's role is nearly forgotten.
Christy's famous hat factory in Park Lane, which once employed a quarter of Frampton Cotterell residents, is now a listed building and a spacious house. Christy's built their factory in 1812 in an area where hatting was already a major cottage industry The main business was trading with the West Indies, making large brimmed felt hats for slaves harvesting sugar cane in the rainy season.
The hat was, however, more popular in the U.S. The hat was first sold in Central City, Colorado in 1865 in a style called the "Boss of the Plains."
In 1869 Stetson returned to Philadelphia to found his hat company, which produced high quality hats for outdoor use.
By 1886 Stetson's hat company was the largest in the world and had mechanized the hat-making industry.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Red Serge dress uniform includes a Stetson with a flat brim. The Stetson was first used unofficially by the North West Mounted Police, in place of the traditional white pith helmet. The colour for the RCMP Stetson is sometimes referred to as "Belgian Belly", it is a reddish buff, pastel like colour of the underfur of the Belgian Hare. It is also a very little used "second name" for the Stetson. Although called a Stetson, the hat type should be considered as a campaign hat.
In the Second Boer War, the flat brimmed Stetson became the standard issue of the second Canadian Contingent, becoming recognized throughout the British Empire as a symbol of Canada. The Stetson hat became a part of the uniform of the Royal North West Mounted Police, which later became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The Legion of Frontiersmen created in 1905 in England also wore the Stetson. The South African Constabulary organised by Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell in 1901 wore the Stetson.
Stetson University and Stetson University College of Law in Florida were named after John B. Stetson in 1899 for his contributions to the school.
In some versions of the famous American folk ballad "Stack A Lee" Billy Lyons is killed by Stack A Lee over a Stetson hat.