Stormy Kromer cap facts for kids
The Stormy Kromer cap is a special wool hat known for keeping heads warm and staying on tight! It's super popular in the Midwest and among people who love hunting and being outdoors. This cool hat is named after George "Stormy" Kromer (1876-1970), who was a railroad engineer.
Back in 1903, George kept losing his hats while working on trains because of the wind. So, he asked his wife, Ida Kromer (1877-1960), to make him a hat that would stay put. Ida took a regular baseball cap and added ear flaps to it – and that's how the first Stormy Kromer cap was born! There's even a summer version made from a light fabric called pillow ticking, still used by train engineers today. Long ago, some caps even had fun red or blue polka dots!
The Story of the Company
Because other railroad workers loved the caps so much, George and Ida started the Kromer Cap Company in 1903. The caps became very popular! In 1919, they opened a bigger factory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to make even more hats.
George Kromer sold the company in 1965. Later, in 2001, the company almost stopped making the caps. But then, a person named Bob Jacquart, who owned Jacquart Fabric Products, bought the rights to the caps! He moved the production to Ironwood, Michigan. A new company, Stormy Kromer Mercantile, was started. They began making many more caps, going from about 3,000-6,000 caps a year to over 50,000!
Famous Wearers and Special Caps
Even important people have received Stormy Kromer caps! For example, President Barack Obama was given some caps when he visited Marquette, Michigan, in 2011.
The Stormy Kromer cap has become a traditional piece of clothing in the Upper Peninsula. There's even a special version of the hat that celebrates its roots in Wisconsin. It's made in the green color of the Green Bay Packers football team and has their logo on it. You can find this special cap at Lambeau Field, where the Packers play!
Unique Features
These hats are pretty special because they come with a lifetime warranty for any problems with how they are made. Plus, if you register your cap, it comes with a three-year "insurance policy" that helps if you lose it!
There are also versions of the cap made just for women. These are often called the "Ida Kromer" or "Petal Pusher" caps, named after Ida Kromer, who first designed the hat.
