Themackinaw jacket, also known as amackinaw coat,[1] is a shortdouble-breasted coat made of a thick heavy woollen material, generally with a red-and-blackplaid pattern.[2]
The word "mackinaw" is derived from theOdawaOjibwe language word "Mitchimakinak" meaning a large turtle.[3] WhenFrench Canadian fur traders transliterated the word, they spelled it asMichilimackinac but pronounced the final consonant as "aw" Rather than "c". TheBritish later shortened the word and changed the spelling to match the French pronunciation: Mackinaw (though the French spelling was used forFort Mackinac when constructed in 1780–81).[4]
The origin of the mackinaw jacket is owed to theBritish Army CaptainCharles Roberts,[5] while commandingFort St. Joseph along theSt. Mary's River nearSault Ste. Marie. Roberts was unable to obtain military-issued wintergreatcoats from hisgeneral headquarters (G.H.Q.) located inMontreal, Quebec, for the forty soldiers of the10th Royal Veterans Battalion[6] under his charge.[7][8] The date was November 20, 1811, and Captain Roberts, wrote a letter bycandlelight to the then CaptainThomas Evans,[9]adjutant general in Montreal,Quebec, making a requisition, written as follows:
"All hopes having now ceased of the arrival of the schoonerHunter or any other vessel fromAmherstburg with the clothing of the detachment, I am this day obtaining, upon my requisition to the storekeeper of theIndian Department, a consignment of heavy blankets, to make their greatcoats, a measure the severity of the climate strongly demands and one, I trust, the commander of the forces will not disapprove of when he is informed that not a remnant remains of the coats served out to them in the year 1807 and that they have received none since." –Captain Charles Roberts[10]
To alleviate thishealth and safety concern, Captain Roberts acquired a supply of 3.5-pointHudson's Bay point blankets[11] and requisitionedJohn Askin Jr.,[12] aMétis and keeper of the King's stores at the fort, to design and manufacture forty woollengreatcoats.[7][8] In response, Askin hired his spouse and eight to ten localCaucasian and Métis women tosew the forty greatcoats, which were completed and presented to Roberts within two weeks.[10] Everyone agreed that the newly tailored greatcoats were of superior quality than the British Army standard issue greatcoats and helped to increase the morale of the King's soldiers.[7]
On July 17, 1812, during theWar of 1812, Roberts and his men defeated CaptainPorter Hanks[13] and the 61 men of the 1st American Artillery Regiment[14] during thesiege of Fort Mackinac[15][16] and then occupiedFort Mackinac[17] located near present-dayMackinaw City, Michigan.[7][8] Roberts ordered a new supply of Hudson's Bay point blankets from theBritish Indian Department for the upcoming winter to manufacture more winter coats. The order called for blue coats; however, the number of blue blankets was inadequate and was supplemented with red and black-on-redtartan pattern blankets.[7] This time Roberts had enlisted the aid of professional tailors andseamstresses to produce the greatcoats.[7]
Adespatch runner advised that the long length of the greatcoat was impractical for the deep snow drifts when travelling between Mackinaw and Montreal and requested it be replaced by the shorterdouble-breasted style, which became known as themackinaw jacket.[7][18] At first, the mackinaw jacket was produced in blue and was later replaced by the more popular red and blacktartan pattern.[7] The new design of the mackinaw jacket was so beneficial for travelling through woods and trails that orders were received from people located fromFort William toPenetanguishene.[7]
More than a century later, when theHudson's Bay Company began to commercially sell point blanket coats the mackinaw jacket remained popular with their customers.[7][8][18]
"In regard to clothing for the body, I will say right here that the man who invented the mackinaw jacket or coat should have a medal if alive and if dead a monument; for in no other garment is there so much all-around common sense for outdoor work in cold weather." –A. F. Wallace[19]
The mackinaw jacket, created as a child of grim necessity for cold weather conditions, had a shortrhyme written about it, adapted fromAlfred, Lord Tennyson'sCharge of the Light Brigade:
In modern times, the mackinaw jacket has proven to be effective as cold weatherworkwear and popular among theblue-collar working class including farmers,fishermen,lumberjacks,longshoremen,trappers andoutdoorsmen.[18] The demand for the mackinaw jacket has decreased by the end of the 20th century; however, it continues to be manufactured by several companies including:C.C. Filson Co. andJohnson Woolen Mills.[18]
