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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ladybranch, post: 69243, member: 44&quot;]I love all the bowler/derby hats! All in the style of Bat Masterson, Billy the Kid, &amp; Butch Cassidy. The history of that hard felt style hat is very interesting. It started c1840s in England as presumably an answer to more head protection for gamekeepers on horseback. The top hats they were wearing were knocked off by low branches, etc. These hats were made very sturdy to supposedly support a man jumping on the top of them. By the 20th century they became the hat associated with bankers and government folks In England.</p><p><br /></p><p>The fashion migrated to this side of the pond. It was quite popular in the west. Some historians called it the &quot;hat that won the west&quot; rather then the Stetson. Presumably cowboys and railroad men liked them because they &quot;would not blow off easily in strong wind,&quot; or when sticking one&#039;s head out the window of a speeding train.</p><p><br /></p><p>Seems a gang of Baltimore volunteer firemen (c1850s)&nbsp; that earned the name of &quot;Plug Uglies&quot; worn them. The &quot;Plug Uglies&quot; were brawlers who would stuff the derbies with blocks of wood for more head protection. </p><p><a href="http://www.thehathouse.net/2013/07/the-history-of-bowler-hat-or-derby-hat.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.thehathouse.net/2013/07/the-history-of-bowler-hat-or-derby-hat.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.thehathouse.net/2013/07/the-history-of-bowler-hat-or-derby-hat.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p>--- Susan</p><p><br /></p><p>Dodge City Peace Commission taken 1883. </p><p>From left to right, standing: W.H. Harris (derby), Luke Short, Bat Masterson (derby), W.F. Petillon. Seated: Charlie Bassett, Wyatt Earp, Frank McLain. The article said the other hats were called the &quot;Boss of the Plains.&quot;</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_of_the_Plains#/media/File:DodgeCityPoliceCommission.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_of_the_Plains#/media/File:DodgeCityPoliceCommission.jpg" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boss_of_the_Plains#/media/File:DodgeCityPoliceCommission.jpg</a></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/DodgeCityPoliceCommission.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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