Stetson hats have long been associated with the American west, but few really know the history of the hat that came to be an icon for the westward movement. John B. Stetson hated rain to land on his head, so using a beaver hide he fashioned a hat with a large pocket of air between the head and the top of the hat. This pocket of air kept the head warmer in the cold Colorado climate he was trapping in, while the wide brim of his Stetson hat kept those pesky raindrops from landing on his head. Plus he made the hat capable of holding water since out west you may not always have a way to haul water, and thus the Stetson hat or as some say the 10-gallon hat was born on the western frontier. Of course there are those who feel that the hat originated elsewhere, but this is the story I prefer!
Tags: stetson hats, western hats
