Regarding Coon Skin Hats, When I was a young'n the film "Davey Crocket" with Fess Parker was released and all the kids wanted Davey Crocket hats. This created a market for fur in the area and I remember the Newcastle Evening Chronicle running an article about the strange dissapearance of pet cats from the area. I don't know if there was any connection but some of the kids were wearing tabby or ginger Crocket hats. Mine was made from fox.
Bill