The Fascinating History Of The White Cowboy Hat

The white cowboy hat is an icon of North American Western culture and is most greatly related to the cowboys of the old west. Following is a quick summary of the history of this fascinating--and highly symbolic--fashion accessory.

Symbolism of the White Cowboy Hat

Calgary, Canada has a tradition of putting a white cowboy hat on every visitor that is greeted warmly to the city by the mayor. (Instead of a key to the city, guests receive the hat.)

It is a picture of Western hospitality and every mayor of Calgary has presented it to visiting celebrities, politicians and athletes since the Second World War.

The white cowboy hat is likewise a symbol for the good in people. The hero in Western films wears a white hat and the bad guy puts on a black one.

White Cowboy Hat and the PBR

Each year the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) issues a calendar that often features their professional riders sporting white hats. The late Lane Frost loved wearing a white hat with a turkey feature on it when he rode and his best friend and fellow bull riding champ, Tuff Tedeman always wears a white when riding as well.

2009 PBR World Champion Kody Lostroh used the white hat during many of his rides in his last season win as did two time PBR World Champion Chris Shivers. It is really a favorite bull riding gear accessory for the bull rider because it symbolizes everything good in a western champion.

Origin of the White Cowboy Hat

Cowboy hats were originally designed to protect ranch workers from the rain and sun while doing work outdoors. John Batterson Stetson was the son of an American hat maker who was brought up working in the family business.

After being diagnosed with tuberculosis during his early age, he left the family business to explore the Wild West before he was too sick to travel. He met gold miners, ranch hands and cattle drovers while on his journey and saw that they were wearing top hats, coonskin caps, derbies and old military caps to keep the suns heat and rain from their heads.

Making use of his knowledge of the hat industry, he made a hat that had a straight-sided crown and a wide flat brim with circular corners. In 1865 he moved to Philadelphia were he manufactured a hat called "Boss of the plains" but soon, the people he sold it to simply called it a Stetson.

It was an essential piece of equipment for the working cowboy. The Stetson had been a symbol of high quality and many Old West figures wore it. Buffalo Bill, Will Rogers, Tom Mix and Annie Oakley wore Stetsons, however it was the Lone Ranger who made the white cowboy hat famous. He was never without it as he fought the bad guys and he always won.

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