Hump Day History

 


The patent was approved on this day, 1873, for work pants reinforced with metal rivets.

But the idea started in 1870.  A customer approached Reno tailor, Jacob Davis, requesting a more durable pant for her husband.  Davis had settled in the area a couple years earlier, and opened a shop on Virginia Street.

His fabric supplier was Levi Strauss, and he had been set up in San Francisco since 1853.  He followed the Gold Rush and ran a wholesale dry goods store.

Strauss was very well off by 1872, so Davis reached out to him to partner up.  The first manufacturing facility was located on Fremont Street, and the first "waist overalls" were sold.  By 1880, Strauss had opened his own factory and showroom on Battery Street.


The term "501" came into use in 1890, when the patent went into the public domain.

"Blue jeans" didn't enter the vernacular until the 1960's.


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