Stormy Kromer cap
The Stormy Kromer cap is a wool hat manufactured by Stormy Kromer Mercantile.[1] The hat is popular in the Midwest region of the United States and with hunters and outdoorsmen.[2][3] It is named for George "Stormy" Kromer (1876-1970),[4] a semi-professional baseball player who later worked as a railroad engineer. Kromer lost many hats to the wind while working on trains, and in 1903 he asked his wife Ida (1877-1960) to make him a warm hat that would stay on more securely. She modified a baseball cap[5] into what became the Stormy Kromer cap by sewing on a pair of ear flaps.[2] A summer version, made from pillow ticking,[6] remains in use among modern American train engineers, and variants with red or blue polka dots were formerly popular in the early 20th century.[7]
Due to popularity with other employees of the railroad, the Kromers formed the Kromer Cap Company in 1903 to produce the caps.[2][8] In 1919, due to ever increasing demand, the Kromers opened a factory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[3] George Kromer sold the company in 1965 to Richard Grossman.[9] In 2001, the Kromer Cap Company planned to cease production of Stormy Kromer caps.[2][10] The rights to the caps were purchased by Bob Jacquart, owner of Jacquart Fabric Products, and production moved to Ironwood, Michigan.[1] Stormy Kromer Mercantile was formed, increasing production to over 50,000 caps annually from the previous 3000-6000 caps.[1][2]
President Barack Obama was presented with several Stormy Kromer caps when he visited Marquette, Michigan, on February 10, 2011 to speak about wireless communication technologies.[11] It has become a traditional garb in the Upper Peninsula.[12][13][14]
A version that is a "tip of the hat" to the hat's Wisconsin roots is available in Green Bay Packers green with the team logo and sold through Lambeau Field.[15]
The hats are unusual in that they carry a lifetime warranty against defects, and a three year "insurance policy" for events such as loss, once the product is registered.[16] Versions for women are available, and they are called the "Ida Kromer" or some variant of "Petal Pusher."[17]
See also
References
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Further reading
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. ISBN 9780374372620
External links
- Stormy Kromer home page
- Stormy Kromer Hat Video produced by Wisconsin Public Television
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Stormy Kromer at Find A Grave
- ↑ Wisconsin life
- ↑ Union Pacific engineer cap
- ↑ Kromer caps
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- ↑ Eckes 2009, p. 8.
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