Show Us Your Vintage Hat Store

[BobHufford]

Some of these “deep dives” are easier than others.

1940s/early-1950s Stetson St.Regis from James R. Miller Co. in Watertown, New York (1868 -1991).

https://memoryln.net/places/united-states/new-york/watertown/retail/j-r-miller-co/

For over a century they were located in the Iron Block starting around 1877.

Known at this time as The One Price Clothing House.

Mid-1940s:

VE Day 1945:

1970s:

1980s:

1991:

 

[BobHufford]

Circa 1918 Miller derby from the Pease Black, Co. clothing store in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Pease Brothers store started in 1885.

At some point they moved to 1417 Farnham Street.

1907 ads:

In 1917 the were bought out by Charles Black.

Not sure how long that concern lasted.

By the 1940s the store was Dave’s Clothes.

Now it’s a Jimmy John’s.

 

[BobHufford]

1920s “Best Beaver Guaranteed” (O’Rourke, Eubanks Hat Co., San Francisco). Sold through Ferguson & Co. in La Jolla, California.

Let’s take a step back before Ferguson’s to Smith's Store at 1049 Wall Street — shown here in 1917.

In 1922 / 23, Mrs. Vincil-Stuart was the hatter in this location.

Then in 1924 J.A. Ferguson and A.J. Iller bought out Smith’s Store.

In 1934, after Ferguson’s retirement, the store moved to Wall Street and Girard into what had been the United States National Bank.

1920s:

The store now reflected both founder’s names.

1943: Showing only Iller’s.

Mr. Ferguson passed in 1949.

The store was remodeled in 1952 and by 1955 it had become Stevenson’s Department Store and in 1959 the Walker-Scott Department Store chain took over (keeping the Stevenson’s name for a short time) expanding the space of the store into that of the former theatre next door.

 

[blewnote]

Bob, you have such great luck finding the info on these stores... You mind sharing how you do it? I feel like newspaper archives must be the way, am I correct and is there a service/website you recommend or do you have access through the library?

 

[BobHufford]

Bob, you have such great luck finding the info on these stores... You mind sharing how you do it? I feel like newspaper archives must be the way, am I correct and is there a service/website you recommend or do you have access through the library?

I use the pay newspaper archives, but, since I don’t pay, I’m limited to just text via OCR. There are newspapers to be found in some general history archives of states, counties and universities — these are a good source of advertising.

Google in general, of course.

Facebook groups that cover the history of the area of the store.

Google Books has some issues of “American Hatter” if the hat is from around the turn of the last century. These are just a joy to go through in general.

eBay or postcard collecting sites for a given street or town.

Knowing just the address of the store has found me looking at hundreds of photos of the street or just “downtown” until I’m lucky enough to stumble across an image.

I find it fun … most of the time.

 

[Rmccamey]

Anyone have a Washer Brothers hat?

1950s, Fort Worth, TX

 

[Bamaboots]

Anyone have a Washer Brothers hat?

Shady Oaks.

 

[M Hatman]

Anyone have a Washer Brothers hat?

1950s, Fort Worth, TX

View attachment 776465

I have one too....I just cannot remember what or where I have it just now....****....I have WAY too many hats.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Anyone have a Washer Brothers hat?

1950s, Fort Worth, TX

View attachment 776465

 

[Frunobulax]

Anyone have a Washer Brothers hat?

1950s, Fort Worth, TX

View attachment 776465

One of the first vintage hats I found was a Washer Bros at an antique mall in Ft. Worth. It's buried pretty deep right now; pretty sure it's a Resistol back bow.

 

[Rmccamey]

I knew there were several on the Lounge. Thanks for the replies, gentlemen.

View attachment 776584

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I knew there were several on the Lounge. Thanks for the replies, gentlemen.

What was good for Fort Worth was good for Amon Carter. He believed in Fort Worth first, Texas second. He hated Dallas. While it is said that Peters Bros helped Carter design his Shady Oak Farm OR’s I believe once he got rolling all his orders were thru Washer Bros. Thanks for the pic!

 

[Rmccamey]

I like his quotes referring to Neiman Marcus as "Needless Markups".

What was good for Fort Worth was good for Amon Carter. He believed in Fort Worth first, Texas second. He hated Dallas. While it is said that Peters Bros helped Carter design his Shady Oak Farm OR’s I believe once he got rolling all his orders were thru Washer Bros. Thanks for the pic!

View attachment 776691

 

[Hurricane Jack]

John “Jack” Sowden & his wife Ruth were high society Hollywood people in the 1920’s while Jack worked for Paramount Pictures Studios. To occupy her time Ruth opened the Little Green Hat Hospital in Los Angeles. In 1926 they commissioned Lloyd Wright Jr. to design what is known today as the Sowden-Hodel House in the Mayan Revival style in a neighborhood occupied by prominent Hollywood performers & entertainment moguls. Finished in 1927 the Sowden’s threw lots of lavish & risqué parties. By 1930 the Little Green Hat Hospital would be closed permanently & the Sowden’s would be divorced. Jack Sowden would continue to live an openly risqué lifestyle until he was murdered a couple yrs later in what was made to look like a sui*cide. Ruth would go on to be married at least four more times.

Among other things the Sowden-Hodel House is believed to be the site of the murder & bisection of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, by Dr. George Hodel in 1947 when he owned the house.