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Zadoc Benedict

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Zadoc Benedict was an American hat manufacturer who established the first hat factory on Main Street in Danbury, Connecticut in 1780.[1][2] It had 3 employees, and made 18 hats weekly.[3][4]

Legend holds that Benedict plugged a hole in his shoe with rabbit fur, and found that over time the fur turned into felt. He then supposedly developed a process of making hats from the fur of locally available animals, like rabbit and beaver.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ Ciccio, Rosa (2014). "Moments in History: Danbury". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  2. ^ Francis, William (1860). History of the Hatting Trade in Danbury, Conn. Danbury, Connecticut: H. & L. Osborne. p. 3. zadoc benedict.
  3. ^ Pirro, John (1 Feb 2011). "The rise -- and fall -- of hatting in Danbury". Danbury News-Times. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  4. ^ Bailey, James Montgomery (1896). History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896. Burr Print. House.
  5. ^ Varekamp, Johan. "'Mad Hatters' Long Gone, But The Mercury Lingers On". Daily University Science News. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  6. ^ "THE MANUFACTURING PERIOD IN DANBURY" (PDF). Danbury Times.