JOHN BATTERSON STETSON (1830-1906) THE INVENTOR OF THE COWBOY HAT

For me this is a very cool discovery… 

John Batterson Stetson (May 5, 1830 – February 18, 1906) was my 6th cousin 5X removed and, in the 1860s he was 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. 

John B. Stetson

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.

BOSS OF THE PLAINS

In 1865 — "a time when almost everyone wore hats" — 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.

Noted one observer, "It kept the sun out of your eyes and off your neck. It was like an umbrella. It gave you a bucket (the crown) to water your horse and a cup (the brim) to water yourself. It made a hell of a fan, which you need sometimes for a fire but more often to shunt cows this direction or that." Before the invention of the cowboy hat (which means before John B. Stetson came along), the cowpunchers of the plains wore carryovers of previous lives and vocations.

The hat achieved instant popularity and was named the "Boss of the Plains," the first real cowboy hat. Stetson went on to build the Carlsbad, easily identified by its main crease down the front.

His hat was called a Stetson, because he had his name John B. Stetson Company embossed in gold in every hatband. The Stetson soon became the most well known hat in the West. All the high-crowned, wide-brimmed, soft felt western hats that followed are intimately associated with the cowboy image created by Stetson.

The Stetson Cowboy hat was the symbol of the highest quality. Western icons such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, Will Rogers, Annie Oakley, Pawnee Bill, Tom Mix, and the Lone Ranger wore Stetsons. The company also made hats for law enforcement departments, such as the Texas Rangers. Stetson's Western-style hats were worn by employees of the National Park Service, U.S. Cavalry soldiers, and many U.S. Presidents.

The cowboy hat is truly an example of form following function. "Invented by John B. Stetson," today’s cowboy hat has remained basically unchanged in construction and design since the first one was created in 1865.

OUR FAMILY LINEAGE:

John Batterson Stetson 1830-1906 — 6th cousin 5x removed

Stephen Stetson 1796-1878 — Father of John Batterson Stetson

Stephen Stetson 1773-1820 — Father of Stephen Stetson

Stephen Stetson 1747-1777 — Father of Stephen Stetson

Thankful Saunders 1712-1782 — Mother of Stephen Stetson

Thankful Crandall 1690-1712 — Mother of Thankful Saunders

Joseph Crandall 1661-1737 — Father of Thankful Crandall

John Crandall 1612-1676 — Father of Joseph Crandall

Jane Crandall 1653-1718 — Daughter of John Crandall

Jane Babcock 1670-1730 — Daughter of Jane Crandall

James Braman 1697-1739 — Son of Jane Babcock

Soloman Braman 1723-1790 — Son of James Braman

William Braman 1753-1804 — Son of Soloman Braman

Waterman F Brayman 1786-1865 — Son of William Braman

Elvira W. Brayman 1822-1909 — Daughter of Waterman F Brayman

Marcus M Pierce 1842-1882 — Son of Elvira W. Brayman

Lillian Amanda Pierce 1867-1957 — Daughter of Marcus M Pierce — great grandmother