Stetson

Stetson is a brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company.

Founded in 1865, John B. Stetson Company began when the founder headed west and created the original hat of the West, the “Boss of the Plains”. This Western hat would become the cornerstone of Stetson’s hat business and is still in production today.

Stetson eventually became the world’s largest hat maker, producing more than 3,300,000 hats a year in a factory spread over 9 acres (36,000 m²) in Philadelphia. In addition to its Western and fashion hats, Stetson also produces fragrance, apparel, footwear, eyewear, belts, bourbon and a range of other products evoking the historic American West.

Stetson University and Stetson University College of Law in Florida were named after John B. Stetson in 1899 for his contributions to the school.

Beginnings

John B. Stetson was born in 1830 in Orange, New Jersey where his father Stephen Stetson was a hatter. He worked in his father's shop until he went West for his health.

Prospector's hat