The fur trade provided pelts that were shipped to Europe to make fashionable accessories. Chief among these products were hats which were sold all over Europe. To supply a domestic market, colonial Albany supported a small enclave of hatmakers or hatters!

William Loveridge and his son were known as hatters during the 1670s.

Three hatters, (William Mc Intosh, William Tyler, and William Rogers), were listed on the census of city householders taken in 1756.

A number of online resources further describe the process! More!