About Us
1905
The Beginning
John Willis Hulme began his namesake company as a tent and awning maker in 1905, setting up shop with his partner William Burg at 372 Selby Ave. in St. Paul, MN. Here, J.W. Hulme Co. Window Shades and Awnings grew to become the largest canvas awning and window shade company in Minnesota.
John Willis Hulme, his partner William Burg, and Florence Hanson, their secretary-treasurer in front of their shop in St. Paul, Minnesota.
One of the many camps equipped by J.W. Hulme Co.
1920’s-1940’s
War Efforts
By 1917 Hulme was making tents for American soldiers fighting the Great War. Conditions on the frontlines were severe - the tents were designed and constructed with 100% cotton canvas that expanded when wet to create a superior barrier against the oscillating elements. Each stitch and feature was crucial, and either increased the tent’s performance or reduced unnecessary weight and cost.
One of the many camps equipped by J.W. Hulme Co.
1950
From Tents & Awnings to Bags
As the need for canvas tents waned following the wars, J.W. Hulme Co. turned its attention back to producing awnings for the homes of St. Paul’s elite. Such was the demand for Hulme’s hand craftsmanship that our company’s product offering grew over time to include leather and canvas bags and accessories for sporting hunters.
The original J.W. Hulme Classic Duffel
Advertisment pamphlets for J.W. Hulme shades and awnings
1970
A New Phase
In 1975, an avid outdoorsman and inventor by the name of Norton Cross became the new caretaker of J.W. Hulme and a new phase of historical development began. Born from the design of his grandfather’s old sporting duffels, Cross created a line of canvas carrying bags that became instantly popular with the outdoor set - so much so that Gokey, a local St. Paul outfitter and national catalog firm outsourced J.W. Hulme to produce a line of sporting bags and accessories which sold successfully for years.
Advertisment pamphlets for J.W. Hulme shades and awnings
1987-1997
The Orvis Years
J.W. Hulme began manufacturing a similar line for Orvis, a sporting manufacturer and retail giant. Business boomed. After Orvis took over ownership of Gokey in 1990, J.W. Hulme continued to make both Orvis and Gokey bags and accessories until Orvis took over manufacturing themselves in 1997.
Ad for J.W. Hulme, c. 1997s.
Early J.W. Hulme catalogs from 2001 (top and bottom left) and 2004 (right)
2000’s
The Transformation
The transformation began when we mailed our first exclusively J.W. Hulme Co. catalog. “The Original” tagline promoted the transition from a private label manufacturer to building our own branded bags. In the early 2000s, J.W. Hulme sold the canvas awning and shade business to G&J Awning and Canvas of Minnesota. A refocus on quality over quantity was renewed and our commitment to making superior goods using premium quality and American craftsmanship strengthened.
Early J.W. Hulme catalogs from 2001 (top and bottom left) and 2004 (right)
Today
A Life Lived Outdoors
The high quality and service are as real today as they were in 1905. Every bag continues to be individually handcrafted by American artisans. In addition to our original canvas sporting and hunting bags, J.W. Hulme has expanded to several collections, including all leather bags for travel, work, hand bags, and of course sporting, preserving J.W. Hulme’s legacy of outstanding quality.
