www.danburyhistorical.org

During the early 20th century, Danbury, Connecticut was known around the world as “The Hat City’ or the “Hatting Capital of the World’. Local legend mentions that Zadoc Benedict plugged a hole in his shoe with some fur. He learned that pressure from walking around in these homemade shoes interacted with perspiration to create felt. Using his bedpost to mold the fur felts into a hat he later opened the first Danbury hat shop in 1780 and was able to produce three hats per day.

Danbury offered abundant water, transportation, animal furs, and plentiful labor. In 1787, a Danbury manufacturer hired an English hatter to train apprentices to open their own shops. By the early 19th century, there were 50 hat shops in Danbury. In 1887, 56 different hat factories produced five million hats. In 1909, Danbury hat factories produced 36 million hats a year.

Danbury hats included cowboy hats, fedoras, and top hats. These hats were made by hand and the most popular hat produced was a tall beaver felt stovepipe. Danbury hats became prized possessions and remained a family heirloom for generations. From 1950 to 1960, the popularity of the hat declined and Danbury hat factories moved away.