Utah Company Creates Custom Hats for Golden Spike 150

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A local company was part of history, once again, to help celebrate the Golden Spike 150^th Anniversary.

JW Custom Hats has been creating unique hats by hand since 1853 in Salt Lake so when they were approached to help create a project for the Golden Spike 150, owner Raymond Crane knew it was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up.

“What’s great about hats is every hat is unique because truly a custom hat expresses who the person is,” Crane said.

Custom hats are an art at JW Custom Hats, it has been that way for 166 years.

“We chose four different hat styles in the picture that represented the common man, the managers on the crew and those that really did all the work.”

Crane says when Ogden City approached him about making custom hats for the Golden Spike 150 celebration it was an honor.

“They’re actually going to be reenacting that picture, so you’ll be able to have a chance to be in that picture and be part of the 150^th anniversary.”

Crane says he checked off on every detail of the hats before they were shipped out for the event.

“The Senator represents the workers on the teams pounding in the spikes. The Tycoon, represents the managers of that time period and the owners of the railroad. The Railman, it’s a Derby hat, very traditional of that time period. We also have a Gus or a Gandy Gus, it represents the Gandy Dancers, those laying the rails down.”

Crane says it was a fun project for his company that took them down memory lane.

“Come to find out, with our history, we were hatters back at the same time they were making the railroad. The hats in the picture were probably made by Richard Smyth.”

He is excited for the public to purchase them and enjoy them.

“There is only 300, they’re numbered as well, dated inside the band, with the name of the hat. You know what you represent when you where that hat.”