Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods can trace its origins back to 1915, when Thomas E. Wilson took over an existing meat-packing company. Wilson soon left the company, but it retained his name, and soon, became a major manufacturer of baseball uniforms, caps and equipment. During the mid-20th century, Wilson made caps for many major and minor league teams. The stamp on the band at the lower left left comes from the early 1940s, while the rectangular tag at the left replaced it after WWII. The square tag was commonly used by around 1950. The company had its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, when New Era made its was commonly used. caps. After New Era discontinued its private label deal with Wilson, the company lost many of its customers. The Phillies were the last big league team to wear Wilson caps in the 1980s.