Hats by Sarah McWilliamsUntil fairly recently, hats were an essential part of every woman's wardrobe.
The hats pictured here were made by Sarah Pettigrew McWilliams (1872-1958), who in her late teens operated her own dressmaking and millinery (hat-making) business in Washington, Kansas. McWilliams grew up on the family farm in Washington County, helping her mother manage a large household that included seven brothers. Family stories have it that Sarah got tired of pulling off her brothers' boots when they came in from the field and determined to move out on her own. 
At that time, producing custom-made clothing and hats for a local clientele was one of the few socially-acceptable ways for a woman to make a living. Sarah's business proved successful, but in 1903 she gave up the shop to wed Charles W. Hawes, a merchant in nearby Morrowville. Sarah, of course, made the hat she wore for her wedding. A selection of McWilliams' hats are now in the collections of the Kansas Museum of History.
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