Mackinaw cloth
Encyclopedia
A mackinaw is a heavy dense water-repellent wool
en cloth, such as Melton
cloth. It was used to make a short coat of the same name, sometimes with a doubled shoulder. Mackinaw jackets were invented by Métis women in 1811, when John Askin
, an early trader on the upper Great Lakes, asked them to design and sew woolen jackets for the army. They were all to be blue, but when this colour ran out they used red and then the black-on-red plaid cloth that we associate with the jackets of today. Askin was fulfilling a contract he received from Captain Charles Roberts at Fort St. Joseph. These jackets were later made famous by American logger
s in the northern part of the Midwest in the mid-19th century logging boom. The term later spread to be universal, and in Canada the "Mac" is regarded as a marker of national identity and working-class values. Such jackets featured in Canadian comedy shows such as Great White North
and This Hour has 22 Minutes
. The name Mackinaw likely originates from the Straits of Mackinac
in present day Michigan, USA. This area was an important trade artery during the 18th and 19th centuries. Heavy woolen cloth traded through this area may have been described as Mackinaw cloth.
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
en cloth, such as Melton
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
cloth. It was used to make a short coat of the same name, sometimes with a doubled shoulder. Mackinaw jackets were invented by Métis women in 1811, when John Askin
John Askin
John Askin was a fur trader, merchant and official in Upper Canada.He was born in Aughnacloy in Ireland in 1739; his ancestors are believed to have originally lived in Scotland with the surname Erskine. He came to North America with the British Army in 1758. After the British took over New France,...
, an early trader on the upper Great Lakes, asked them to design and sew woolen jackets for the army. They were all to be blue, but when this colour ran out they used red and then the black-on-red plaid cloth that we associate with the jackets of today. Askin was fulfilling a contract he received from Captain Charles Roberts at Fort St. Joseph. These jackets were later made famous by American logger
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
s in the northern part of the Midwest in the mid-19th century logging boom. The term later spread to be universal, and in Canada the "Mac" is regarded as a marker of national identity and working-class values. Such jackets featured in Canadian comedy shows such as Great White North
Great White North
Great White North may refer to:*Canada*The Great White North, a comedy album by Bob and Doug McKenzie **"The Great White North", a recurring SCTV sketch featuring Bob and Doug McKenzie...
and This Hour has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials...
. The name Mackinaw likely originates from the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
in present day Michigan, USA. This area was an important trade artery during the 18th and 19th centuries. Heavy woolen cloth traded through this area may have been described as Mackinaw cloth.