Boss of the Plains

After a few months in the heat and wind of the West, what does a cowboy really want? A good hat, of course. But until the 1860s, there was no such thing as a cowboy hat. Cowboys wore what they had worn back East--knit caps, derbies, even silk high hats. Then John Batterson Stetson invented the Boss of Plains.

It cost a whole month's wages, but it was worth it. It shielded a cowpoke's eyes from the blinding sun and caught the rain before it trickled down his back. It could wave cow into a corral or fan the flames of a newly lit campfire. And it was certain to impress the ladies at a Saturday night dance! Before long, the Boss of the Plains was the most popular hat west of the Mississippi.

Here's the story of the man behind this amazing hat. As a boy, John Stetson dreamed of going west: when at last he went, he became an important part of the great American frontier adventure. Others struck gold or blazed trails through unknown territory. John Stetson made his mark with a hat.