Danbury – The Hat City

Danbury – The Hat City. Danbury, Connecticut. , Although local folklore credits a man by the name of Zadoc Benedict with the start of hatting in Danbury after the Revolutionary War, hatters are thought to have been at work in the Danbury community before that time. , After the Revolutionary War, the hatting industry developed and flourished here due to a ready supply of natural resources. A great quantity of water was needed to make hats and Danbury built the reservoirs needed to hold water for the factories. The railroad created a transportation system that helped the thriving industry and community. , By the 1850s, more hats were made in Danbury than any other place in the United States. Thirty factories were manufacturing five million hats a year in 1887. The city became known as “The Hat Capital of the World,” and citizens enthusiastically adopted the words of its motto: “Danbury Crowns Them All.” , Great wealth and cultural diversity were byproducts of the hatting trade. An influx of immigrants flocked here to work in the factories. Most people in Danbury owned or worked in businesses that had something to do with the making and selling of hats. , By 1923, only six hat manufacturers were left in Danbury due to costly labor disputes and financial reversals. Factories began to cease operations or move their business elsewhere. , By the 1950’s, fewer people were buying hats. More time was spent in cars rather than outdoors and people didn’t need a hat to stay warm and dry. Fashion and styles changed and hat factories started to close down. The last Danbury hat factory closed in 1987.