Crowning Glory: Garland’s Reign as the

Cowboy Hat Capital of Texas

A Legend Begins on the Open Range

When John B. Stetson blocked his first “Boss of the Plains” in 1865, the wide‑brimmed, high‑crowned silhouette solved a frontier problem: one hat sturdy enough to shade a wrangler, fan a campfire, and water a horse. Function soon met romance—cowboys splashed their personalities across their brims, and the hat became instant shorthand for grit, freedom, and the American West. Gus McCrae in Lonesome Dove, John Wayne on the silver screen, and rodeo champions everywhere stitched that image into world culture. Today, a glance at a felt crown still teleports travelers to Texas—even if they’re standing in Tokyo or Turin.

Image: Byer-Rolnick Hat Co. covered the heads of cowboys, celebrities and politicians with its Resistol and other hat brands. Inspecting stock circa 1955 is William C. Cook, Head of Quality Control, who was part of the firm's original work force that moved from Dallas to its new Garland plant during 1938-1939. In 1968, William Cook retired from Byer-Rolnick and established Master Hatters. Garland Landmark Museum Archives

Where the Hat Takes Shape

Stetson’s breakthrough lit a spark in North Texas factories. By 1938, the Byer‑Rolnick company—makers of the weather‑proof Resistol®®—had outgrown Dallas and moved its looms and ribbon machines up the rail line to Garland. That decision ignited an industrial cluster that now turns out more than one million cowboy hats every year.

For decades, skilled hat makers in Garland have crafted hats worn by iconic figures—from John Travolta in Urban Cowboy and J. R. Ewing in Dallas, to presidents like LBJ and George W. Bush, and music legends from George Strait to Beyoncé—all made just steps from Garland’s historic rail yard.

Their craftsmanship has turned Garland into a city where Western tradition meets industrial pride—and where the cowboy hat is more than attire—it’s an identity.

In 2013, the Texas Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 96, officially designating Garland as the Cowboy Hat Capital of Texas. Lawmakers cited the city’s unmatched concentration of western hat makers, whose handcrafted products ship worldwide and represent generations of Texas tradition.

The Big Hat – A Texas-Sized Tribute Is Coming

Imagine a silver-belly cowboy hat large enough to shade the sidewalk—and tall enough to touch the Texas sky. That vision is becoming reality in Downtown Garland, where a monumental public art piece known simply as The Big Hat is set to rise before the end of summer 2025.

The Story Behind the Sculpture

Made possible in part through a Cultural District Project grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, this 20‑foot‑long by 16‑foot‑wide, 6‑foot‑tall cowboy hat will rest atop a 15‑foot pole at the intersection of Main and Fifth Streets—the gateway to Garland’s Bankhead Cultural Arts District.

Here’s what makes it special:

Collaborative Design: Designers from Dorfman Milano, Hatco, Inc., and Master Hatters of Texas donated classic crown blocks so artist‑fabricator Mello Signs could laser‑scan and merge them into a truly “Garland” profile.
Craft Meets Culture: Inspired by famous roadside icons like San Antonio’s Giant Cowboy Boots and Dallas’s Eyeball sculpture, The Big Hat will draw visitors, selfie seekers, and Western fashion fans alike.
Day or Night Appeal: Color-changing LED lighting ensures the hat can be admired around the clock, glowing with Texas pride well into the evening.
Biggest in Texas: Based on our research, Garland’s Big Hat will be the largest cowboy hat in the Lone Star State, standing tall among all others and ready to claim its place as a true Texas landmark.