The History of Field & Stream
Founded in 1871
The story of our company is one of determination, unwavering spirit and of course, a man's belief in the American dream. Richards Gordon immigrated from Wexford, Ireland to America in teh 1840's to seek his fortune. Like many others of the era, he found his niche in the fur trade. In 1871, with Paul Ferguson, he founded his fur trading company. It is the fifth oldest corporation in the State of Minnesota. Working with James J. Hill, founder of the Great Northern Railroad, the "Empire Builder", he opened the frontier of the American West to Commerce from the East.
We take his beginnings as our beginning, tracing our origins to 1871. In the early 1900's Richards Gordon expanded and developed his outdoor business and began using the Field & Stream trademark on its products. Focusing on furs, the company produced all manner of outdoor apparel including buffalo-hide mink coats. Because of its stellar reputation as a maker of fur coats, the house of Richards Gordon, by then known as Gordon & Ferguson Company, was asked to supply the fur coats worn by Admiral Richard E. Byrd on his famous expedition to the Antartic.
Building on its reputation for offering the highest quality functional otudoor wear, Gordon Aerotogs was formed to supply flight suits to the emerging flight industy. The company manufactured all manner of flight apparel, including fur-lined flight suits for open-cockpit bi-planes. They then became a major supplier to the armed forces in the United States during World War II. After the war the company evolved into a major supplier of apparel products to the retail marketplace throughout the United States under the Field & Stream brand name. Still focusing on its authentic outdoor apparel tradition, teh company continued to manufacture outdoor apparel and other products. In the 1980's they began licensing the Field & Stream brand name to other companies. Field & Stream Holdings Company now monitors and controls the licensing fo the Field & Stream brand on products which evolved from the efforts of Mr. Richards Gordon.