How One Hatmaker Shaped the Image of the American West

On this episode of Our American Stories, the cowboy hat didn’t come from Texas or tumbleweeds. Instead, it came from a modest Philadelphia workshop. John B. Stetson transformed durable felt and a wide brim into a practical design that would become one of the most iconic symbols of the American frontier. His creation topped the heads of Western legends like Buffalo Bill and Will Rogers, and later, Hollywood cowboys like John Wayne. Our own Reagan Habeeb shares the story of how a simple hatmaker helped shape the look and legacy of the American West.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,
the show where America is the star and the American
people coming from the city where the West begins, Fort Worth, Texas.
Up next, the story of a brand and enduring icon
of the American West. We're of course talking about Stetson. Hugh.

(00:31):
To tell the story of the most iconic headwear brand
in America is my daughter Reagan. Let's get into the story.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
In eighteen thirty, in the small town of Orange, New Jersey,
a child was born who would go on to create
an iconic symbol of the American West. John B. Stetson
was one of twelve children born to Stephen and Susan
Batterson Stetson. His father was a hat maker by trade,
and though young John had no intention of following in
his footsteps, life had other plans. In his early twenties,

(01:05):
tragedy struck John contracted tuberculosis, then known as consumption, a
disease that left many with little hope for survival. His
doctors advised he seeked the open air of the West.
So John set out in search of health and fortune,
hoping to strike it rich in the gold rush. But
it wasn't gold that he would find. As he traveled

(01:28):
across the unforgiving planes, John found himself exposed to the
elements cold, wind, snow, and rain. There was a clear
need for a garment that would protect against the elements.
That's when inspiration struck. John tapped into the knowledge of
his youth and began using rabbit furd to create waterproof fabric,
first making blankets, then hats with wide brims and tall crowns.

(01:50):
The hats were designed to keep their wearers warm, dry,
and shielded from the elements. The demand for these durable,
practical hats was immediate. It is said that Stetson's business
empire began when a mule driver offered John five dollars
for his hat, marking the first of mini sales to come.

(02:13):
In eighteen sixty five, Stetson returned east to Philadelphia with
a new vision start a hat company of his own.
With only a few tools and sixty dollars he borrowed
from his sister, Stetson set up shop in a one
room operation on the northeast corner of Seventh in callow
Hill Streets. From those humble beginnings, Stetson's talent for innovation

(02:34):
and quality quickly caught the eye of the growing American market.
He wasn't just making his hats, he was building a brand. See.
Stetson had a mind for marketing and knew that by
harnessing the power of the railroad and the telegram, he
could expand his reach from local to national markets. He
sent his hats to dealers in the Southwest, hoping they

(02:54):
would place orders, and they did. Every dealer he sent
a sample to placed in order of twelve hats at
five to thirty dollars a pop. Stetson's ingenuity didn't stop
with his product. In eighteen sixty nine, he had a
novel idea that would revolutionize his business model, using traveling
salesmen to expand his reach. This allowed him to push

(03:16):
beyond local markets and connect directly with customers across the country,
fueling demand for his high quality hats. These salesmen brought
Stetson Hats to the farthest corners of America, driving the
need for more production space. Stetson made another bold decision
to move his factory to a quieter, more expansive area

(03:37):
in the northeast part of Philadelphia. This gave him the
space he needed to expand. Eventually that land would hold
five and six story buildings housing some of the most
sophisticated manufacturing equipment of the era, and even a hospital
for his workers and their families. Stetson's business philosophy was

(03:57):
guided by a simple principle, do goodwe work at fair prices.
But it wasn't just about selling a quality product. It
was about creating a workplace in community that reflected his
deep sense of fairness and care. His factory was, unlike
most of its time, built from brick. It had automatic
sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers on every floor, and other safety

(04:18):
devices to protect the workers, a rarity in an era
when industrial accidents were commonplace. By eighteen eighty nine, Stetson
had become a household name. His hats were now seen
on the heads of legends like Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley,
and Will Rogers, The Boss of the Plains. Stetson's signature

(04:41):
had inspired by the sombreros worn by the Mexican vikieros
he observed during his time out West, became the hallmark
of rugged Western masculinity. Made from strong, waterproof Beaver felt
it could withstand the brutal weather of the plains and
even be used to carry water to a cowboy's horse.
That same year, Stetson's vision was recognized on the world

(05:04):
stage when he won Best Hat at Paris Exposition. The
Stetson was no longer just for cowboys. It was a
symbol of success, craftsmanship, and adventure. By the turn of
the century, Stetson had turned his small factory into the
largest hat manufacturer in the world, producing over two million

(05:25):
hats each year for everyone from the hard working ranchers
to US presidents. In nineteen oh six, at the age
of seventy five, Stetson died of old age at his
home in DeLand, Florida, but the death of the man
behind the brand would not stop his legacy from living

(05:46):
on and reaching new heights. During World War One, the
Stetson Hat Company paused hat production to support the war effort,
making parachutes in safety belts, and their patriotic slogan keep
it Up Deer Stetson became a call for vigilance and
anti espionage campaigns during wartime. After the war, production began again,

(06:08):
and Hollywood began to further cement the Stetson hat as
a symbol of the American West. Actors like Gene autry.
Roy Rogers and James Dean made the stetson part of
their iconic look, bringing the cowboy hat into popular culture.
The nineteen sixties marked a cultural shift as younger generations
rejected the conventions of the past. The hat craze began

(06:30):
to wane, and Stetson's fortunes dipped as new fashion trends
took hold. Yet even as the world changed, the Stetson
brand remained a symbol of the American West. Just as
quickly as it had faded, the cowboy hat made a
triumphant return with films like Urban Cowboy, Indiana Jones, and
Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, the stetson was back in fashion. Today,

(06:51):
Stetson hats continued to be made with the same attention
to detail, craftsmanship, and ruggedness that John B. Stetson envisioned
more than a century ago. From the plains of the
West to the streets of New York, a stetson is
more than just a hat. It's a statement. It's a
symbol of the American West, of hard work, adventure, and resilience.
And just like the men and women who wear it,

(07:13):
the Stetson hat will continue to stand the test.

Speaker 1 (07:15):
Of time and a terrific job on the production, editing
and storytelling by our own Montay Montgomery and our own
Reagan Habib, a classic American story here on our American
Stories Lee h Abib here, and I'm inviting you to
help our American Stories celebrate this country's two hundred and
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(07:38):
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