Pendleton Woolen Mills

5 days ago - The company is known for its woolen blankets and clothing. In 1893, the Pendleton Wool-Scouring and Packing Company was established in Pendleton, Oregon, as a wool scouring plant, where raw wool was scrubbed and packed before shipping out to textile mills in the area.

May 23, 2023 - 1863: Thomas Kay, an English weaver, began making woolen products in Oregon. 1876: Marriage of Kay's daughter Fannie to C.P. Bishop combines experience in both woolen manufacturing and specialty retailing.

The earlier Pendleton mill operators had taken pains to weave designs and colors sought by tribes from throughout the American West and had developed an extensive customer base in the process. While continuing to produce blankets and robes, the Bishops expanded their product line in the 1920s to include fine woolen apparel for men. They added women’s apparel after World War II. Throughout its history, Pendleton Woolen Mills has retained a close association with the City of Pendleton and with people living on the neighboring Umatilla Reservation.

The history of Pendleton Woolen Mills is one of opportunity, exploration and innovation. British weaver Thomas Kay laid the foundation when he arrived in Oregon in 1863. His expertise lives on in Pendleton’s tweed, flannel and worsted wool apparel. Kay’s grandsons, the three Bishop brothers, ...

August 28, 2025 - After he died in 1900, Kay’s daughter Fannie — and her husband C.P. Bishop, who owned a clothing store in Salem — took the reins of the company. Then there is the history of the Pendleton Woolen Mill, which opened in 1896 in the town of ...

Pendleton traces its history to 1863, when Thomas Kay, a young English weaver, began making woolen products soon after his arrival in Oregon. Kay's eldest daughter, Fannie, learned the mill business and assisted her father in mill operation and management. In 1876, when she married retail merchant ...

From the creation of Pendleton’s first woolen mill in 1893, to establishing trade connections with America’s Indigenous communities, Fannie helped build upon her father’s legacy. As her father did for her, Fannie passed on the family tradition to her three sons in 1898.

Pendleton's rich heritage and history, from the creation of Pendleton’s first woolen mill in 1893, to establishing trade connections with America’s Indigenous communities, to today. Pendleton brings over a century of fabric-making expertise.

March 28, 2025 - The Pendleton Woolen Mills has been owned and operated by the same family since 1909. As of 2022, the Portland-based company bought wool from about 170 sheep farms around the world, which it transforms into blankets, rugs and apparel.

We’re excited about the Grand Re-Opening of our Seaside, Oregon Pendleton store this June–June 15th to be exact. But did you know that Pendleton Woolen Mills opened its first retail operation in Seaside, Oregon, in June of 1910?

May 20, 2023 - Pendleton Woolen Mills, in Pendleton, Ore., has been part of the fabric of the community since the early 1900s, their history and products telling the story of the American West by featuring patterns that honor Native American traditions.

Thomas Lister Kay’s daughter, Fannie Kay, marries retailer C.P. Bishop, creating the foundation for present-day Pendleton Woolen Mills.

April 12, 2022 - From its early days as a small producer of colorful trade blankets to its current status as a world-renowned manufacturer of woolen goods, Pendleton has become one of the most respected companies in the Pacific Northwest.

When the Pendleton Woolen Mill opened in 1909, it was one of more than a thousand in the United States. Today, Pendleton owns and operates two of the few remaining woolen mills.

As a family-owned company with six generations in Oregon, Pendleton has a deep commitment to future generations. When the Pendleton Woolen Mill opened in 1909, it was one of more than a thousand in the United States. Today, Pendleton owns and ...

February 1, 2024 - However, during his life, textile mills were especially vulnerable to fire. Although he experienced the devastation of a number of mill fires, he overcame it by persevering, rebuilding, and restoring after each one. This perseverance allowed his heirs to open Pendleton Woolen Mills in 1909.

The company began to expand their product line into other woolen products such as clothing. In 1912 the company opened a weaving mill in Washougal, Washington (across the river from Portland) for the production of woolen fabrics used in suits and other clothing.

Pendleton Mill Tours, mornings at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., and afternoons at 1:30 and 3:00 pm. Tour the Pendleton Mill to experience both the 103 years of history and the state-of-the-art looms that weave Pendleton’s famous woolen fabrics

April 17, 2024 - The mill had previously manufactured Native American trade blankets beginning in 1896. They made unfringed blankets for the men and fringed blankets for the women of the Umatilla, Cayuse, Nez Perce and Walla Walla nations.