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Zadoc Benedict was an American hat manufacturer who established the first hat factory on Main Street in Danbury, Connecticut in 1780. It had 3 employees, and made 18 hats weekly.

Legend holds that Benedict plugged a hole in his shoe with rabbit fur, and found that over time the fur turned into felt. He then supposedly developed a process of making hats from the fur of locally available animals, like rabbit and beaver.

References

1. Ciccio, Rosa (2014). "Moments in History: Danbury". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
2. Francis, William (1860). History of the Hatting Trade in Danbury, Conn. Danbury, Connecticut: H. & L. Osborne. p. 3. zadoc benedict.
3. Pirro, John (1 Feb 2011). "The rise -- and fall -- of hatting in Danbury". Danbury News-Times. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
4. Bailey, James Montgomery (1896). History of Danbury, Conn., 1684-1896. Burr Print. House.
5. Varekamp, Johan. "'Mad Hatters' Long Gone, But The Mercury Lingers On". Daily University Science News. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
6. "THE MANUFACTURING PERIOD IN DANBURY" (PDF). Danbury Times.

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