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a history query

Tomasso

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In the 19th century Beacon, N.Y., 60 miles north of Manhattan, was the hatmaking capital of the U.S., with 50 factories.
 

Brad Bowers

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I don't know that there were any that could be considered "hatmaking" cities in the 18th century, as hatmaking was still very much a craftsman's trade, and so they would have been scattered among the larger cities and towns. Most shops worked no more than four men. Some farmers practiced hatmaking to get them through the winter.

The factories as we think of them are a product of the Industrial Revolution, and don't really get going until the early-19th century. One of the earliest, and longest lasting, was Danbury, CT, and by 1810 had almost fifty workers. Boston had the largest factory at the time, with 150 men. Orange, NJ, was another of the earliest hat factory cities. Brooklyn is another. Most of these early factories made the bodies, and then they were transported to NYC for finishing by jobbers.

Many regions specialized in the types of hats they produced. Silk top hats were initially made in NYC and Philadelphia. The soft hat market was dominated by the Orange and Newark factories. Boston and Danbury were known for their wool hats.

My the mid- to late-19th Century, Norwalk, CT, had risen as a prominent hatmaking city, specializing in stiff hats (Derbies). Philly, of course, thanks to John B. Stetson, grew to prominence for hats other than silk toppers.

Brad
 

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