Compléter The Paja Toquilla HatsVersion en ligne discover the essential words of the text par Katherin Bayas 1 Manabi Roosevelt Theodore 1835 England VII United Montecristi United States States 100 1985 It is said that back in , people in , sent boxes of hats to Manta and Guayaquil to be exported to Panama . The time coincided with the California Gold Rush ( 1848 - 1855 ) , which made the hat famous because of the abundant sun on the west coast of the . They became so popular in the ports of Panama that the name was quickly linked to that location . During the construction of the Panama Canal , , who was the president of at that time , wore those kinds of hats and contributed to their increasing popularity . Many workers also wore them . Edward of England ordered a hat for himself and paid a lot of money for it . In , the hat was selected as one of the best designs ever by the Conrad Foundation in .