The History of Cowboy Hats
The first cowboy hats were born from pure necessity by men riding west on horseback. Cowboys needed something to keep the wind and rain out of their faces, and the hot summer sun off their necks and heads. These first cowboy hats served this purpose, but not very well. The cowboy hats were cleverly designed; however, they were made from a very light wool fabric and were not very strong. They quickly lost their shape and the brim would fall into the eyes and face of the cowboy. Aside from blocking their vision, it just wasn’t very dignified for a cowboy to be riding around, pushing his cowboy hat out of his face!
In 1865, a young man by the name of John B. Stetson made the first of what would become a long line of strong and durable cowboy hats – and he made it almost by chance. According to legend, young John was out hunting with his friends when they decided to go in search of drier lands. Over the campfire one night, he showed his friends how he could make a “fabric” of sorts using only the fur from the animal pelts they had with them. He took the fur, wadded it up, dipped it in hot water, smoothed it, and kept working the fur in this manner. Soon, he was able to give it shape. As a joke, he made a large hat with a rounded top and large brim and wore it for the rest of their hunting expedition. By the end of the trip, he had grown accustomed to the hat and decided to keep it, as it had protected him well from both the rain and sun.