There have been some delays in moving forward a project recognizing Danbury's hatting past.  A monument has been designed showing a hatter and his tools, but no location has been determined, and the price tag is estimated at between $125,000 and $140,000. 

A $50,000 grant has been promised by a bank in Danbury, but requires matching city funds.  The remaining cost would be covered through a fundraising campaign. 

An ad hoc committee of the City Council will study the request.

Danbury once known as "The Hat Capital of the World"; and lived by its motto: "Danbury crowns them all";  In the 19th Century hats were a staple in every man’s wardrobe, men wouldn’t leave their house without one, and the Hatting industry in Danbury began to thrive, partly because of our large supply of water and fur. 

By 1800, Danbury was producing more hats than any place else in the United States.  By 1887, some 30 factories were manufacturing 5 million hats a year.  After decades, things began to slow down, by 1923 only six hat manufacturers were left in Danbury. Costly labor disputes, changing fashion trends, and less profit resulted in many factories closing or moving, and the last hat factory in Danbury closed in the 1980’s. 

City officials say even though the hatting industry in Danbury has completely vanished, its impact on the City’s history will last forever.