John Batterson Stetson (May 5, 1830 â€" February 18, 1906) was an
American hatter, hat manufacturer, and, in the 1860s, the inventor of
the cowboy hat. He founded the John B. Stetson Company as a
manufacturer of headwear; the company's hats are now commonly referred
to simply as Stetsons.Stetson was born in New Jersey, the 8th of 12
children. His father, Stephen Stetson, was a hatter. As a youth, John
Stetson worked with his father until John was diagnosed with
tuberculosis and his doctor predicted he had only a short time to
live. Given this, he left the hat-making business to explore the
American West, afraid this would be his only chance to see it. There
he met drovers, bullwhackers and cowboys. The former hat-maker turned
a critical eye to the flea-infested coonskin caps favored by many of
the gold seekers, and wondered whether fur-felt would work for a
lightweight, all-weather hat suitable for the West.In 1865 â€" "a time
when almost everyone wore hats" â€" Stetson moved to Philadelphia to
enter the hat-making craft he'd learned from his father and began
manufacturing hats there suited to the needs of the Westerners.
Stetson made a western hat for each hat dealer in the Boss of the
Plains style he had invented, during the trek to Pike’s Peak. These
lightweight hats were natural in color with four inch crowns and
brims; a plain strap was used for the band.Thanks to the time he had
spent with cowboys and Western settlers, Stetson knew firsthand that
the headwear they wore (such as coonskin caps, sea captain hats, straw
hats, and wool derbies) were impractical. He decided to offer people a
better hat. Made from waterproof felt, the new hat was durable. The
wide brim would protect people from the hot sun. John B. Stetson Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter