Cool Things - Women's Hats
Until fairly recently, hats were an essential part of every woman's wardrobe. These examples were made by a Kansas milliner.
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.
Born in Illinois to parents who had emigrated from Ireland to the United States, McWilliams grew up on the family farm in Washington County, Kansas. She helped 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.
Making a Living
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 Hawes, a widower and prosperous 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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