Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Show Us Your Vintage Hat Store

BobHufford

BobHufford

Messages
15,900
Location
Ragged Edge of the Grid / Missouri Ozarks
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).

IMG_4102.jpeg


IMG_4113.jpeg


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.

IMG_4187.jpeg


Known at this time as The One Price Clothing House.

IMG_4189.jpeg


Mid-1940s:

IMG_4190.jpeg


VE Day 1945:

IMG_4191.jpeg


1970s:

IMG_4193.jpeg


1980s:

IMG_4192.jpeg


1991:

IMG_4195.jpeg
 
BobHufford

BobHufford

Messages
15,900
Location
Ragged Edge of the Grid / Missouri Ozarks
Circa 1918 Miller derby from the Pease Black, Co. clothing store in Omaha, Nebraska.

IMG_6455.jpeg


The Pease Brothers store started in 1885.

IMG_6243.jpeg


At some point they moved to 1417 Farnham Street.

IMG_6239.jpeg


1907 ads:

IMG_6241.jpeg


IMG_6242.jpeg


In 1917 the were bought out by Charles Black.

IMG_6266.jpeg


IMG_6261.jpeg


IMG_6265.jpeg


Not sure how long that concern lasted.

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

IMG_6248.jpeg


Now it’s a Jimmy John’s. :(

IMG_6531.jpeg
 
BobHufford

BobHufford

Messages
15,900
Location
Ragged Edge of the Grid / Missouri Ozarks
1920s “Best Beaver Guaranteed” (O’Rourke, Eubanks Hat Co., San Francisco). Sold through Ferguson & Co. in La Jolla, California.

IMG_6749.jpeg


IMG_6760.jpeg


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

1770751323980.jpeg


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

IMG_6785.jpeg


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

IMG_6787.png


1770751947510.jpeg


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

1920s:

1770752420073.jpeg


The store now reflected both founder’s names.

IMG_6788.jpeg


1943: Showing only Iller’s.

1770752528754.jpeg


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.

IMG_6788.jpeg
 
B

blewnote

A-List Customer
Messages
312
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

BobHufford

Messages
15,900
Location
Ragged Edge of the Grid / Missouri Ozarks
blewnote said:
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?
Click to expand...

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. :)
 

Featured products

Hurricane Jack

Hurricane Jack

Messages
19,755
Rmccamey said:
I knew there were several on the Lounge. Thanks for the replies, gentlemen.
Click to expand...
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!

IMG_7463.jpeg
 
Rmccamey

Rmccamey

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,494
Location
Central Texas
I like his quotes referring to Neiman Marcus as "Needless Markups".

Hurricane Jack said:
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
Click to expand...
578980661_1288423743318451_2828060124411388037_n.jpg
582195279_1288423706651788_172538347549086146_n.jpg
 
Hurricane Jack

Hurricane Jack

Messages
19,755
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.

IMG_9755.jpeg


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.
 
BobHufford

BobHufford

Messages
15,900
Location
Ragged Edge of the Grid / Missouri Ozarks
Early 1950s Royal DeLuxe Stetson “Open Road” from Joseph’s Men’s Shop in Austin, Texas.

IMG_9282.jpeg


IMG_9292.jpeg


IMG_9334.jpeg


The store at 217 Congress Avenue.

IMG_9344.jpeg


IMG_9424.jpeg


IMG_9339.jpeg


I’m having trouble finding vintage pic of the store at the Sixth Street location.

IMG_9336.jpeg


Probably because it sat across from this and it took all the photographic attention back in the day.

IMG_9429.jpeg


The 609 Congress Avenue location.

IMG_9358.jpeg


A more recent pic of that location.

IMG_9341.jpeg
 
B

blewnote

A-List Customer
Messages
312
BobHufford said:
Early 1950s Royal DeLuxe Stetson “Open Road” from Joseph’s Men’s Shop in Austin, Texas.

View attachment 809013

View attachment 809014

View attachment 809017

The store at 217 Congress Avenue.

View attachment 809040

View attachment 809033

View attachment 809160

I’m having trouble finding vintage pic of the store at the Sixth Street location.

View attachment 809045

Probably because it sat across from this and it took all the photographic attention back in the day.

View attachment 809149

The 609 Congress Avenue location.

View attachment 809035

A more recent pic of that location.

View attachment 809161
Click to expand...

Lol, I've definitely bought beer for the tour bus at that store (Royal Blue Grocery). Just down the street from the State Theater.

Love the history you dig up on these stores Bob.
 
Hurricane Jack

Hurricane Jack

Messages
19,755
BobHufford said:
Early 1950s Royal DeLuxe Stetson “Open Road” from Joseph’s Men’s Shop in Austin, Texas.

View attachment 809013

View attachment 809014

View attachment 809017

The store at 217 Congress Avenue.

View attachment 809040

View attachment 809033

View attachment 809160

I’m having trouble finding vintage pic of the store at the Sixth Street location.

View attachment 809045

Probably because it sat across from this and it took all the photographic attention back in the day.

View attachment 809149

The 609 Congress Avenue location.

View attachment 809035

A more recent pic of that location.

View attachment 809161
Click to expand...
Above Parade dates to 1968 or after; the only yr of the Shelby GT500 KR & the 428 Cobra Jet engine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

TheSocialHat
A Little Hatmaking History: Vintage TONAK Hat Bodies
Replies
0
Views
305
TheSocialHat
TheSocialHat
S
New Member & His First Stetson (Revenger?) Hat
Replies
3
Views
784
shopkin
S
moontheloon
Open Road Clone Wars !!!
Replies
0
Views
450
moontheloon
moontheloon
RAH
An Open Road that has seen its better days but refuses to die.
Replies
11
Views
2K
Adman256
Adman256
TheSocialHat
Vintage Rabbit Fur Felt – Bringing Hatmaking History Back to Life!
Replies
5
Views
721
belfastboy
belfastboy

Members online

... and 14 more.
Total: 13,699 (members: 64, guests: 13,635)

Forum statistics

Threads
115,832
Messages
3,200,078
Members
59,409
Latest member
johnjohnjohn11
Top