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Posts from the ‘heritage’ Category

The Babbitt Wagon

If you know anything about Portland’s Rose Festival, you know that Portlanders love our Grand Floral Parade. We love it enough that year after year, we stand (and sit and camp overnight, but that is a different story) on our city’s curbs to watch it, no matter the weather. Covered in slickers and trash bags, umbrellas and newspapers over our heads, we watch the well-watered floats go by. But not this year! We had gorgeous (and long) days throughout the festival, especially the day of the big parade.

2009 Rose Show 144

2009 Rose Show 153

Which reminded everyone around here of our last entry in Grand Floral Parade. Yes, that was our entry, decorated by Pendleton volunteers.

Picture 113

We were delighted that it won a blue ribbon, but we shouldn’t have been surprised. It isn’t just any wagon; it’s a Babbitt Brothers wagon.

Babbit Red Crown Trading post

This is one of the original wagons used by the Babbitt brothers, five shopkeepers who came west in 1886 to make their mark. They founded the C O Bar cattle ranch, as well as opening a mercantile in Flagstaff. In time, their success with commerce outpaced their success with cattle. Over the next 100 years, the Babbitts owned and operated over twenty trading posts, doing business with the Navajo, Hopi and Apache tribes.

HistoricBabbitWagonEdit2

Library photo

Babbitt’s is still active and thriving (and working with Pendleton). Thanks to the generosity of the Babbitt family, this historic wagon was used quite a bit when we celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the opening of Pendleton Woolen Mill in Pendleton. It made a visit to the Pendleton Round-Up.

round-up

And the blue-ribbon-winning wagon (plain, of course, it hasn’t been bedecked in quite a while) is currently residing in the Pendleton Woolen Mill Store. Its rather grand history makes a nice backdrop for displays of our blankets.

Babbitt wagon

Babbitt close-up

We will be transporting it back to the Babbitts eventually, but until we do, please feel free to stop by and see it. This wagons has made so many trips, it is truly part of the history of the West.

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The Rose & Flower Show

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Portland is called The City of Roses for a reason; we have roses. Do we ever have roses. We have a the Portland Rose Festival, with its parades, City Fair, and Rose Festival Court. We have the International Rose Test Garden.  Roses fill our gardens, tended or not, and thrive in empty lots and freeway medians. Roses are everywhere in Portland, thanks to our uniquely suitable climate.

Today, the Pendleton building is full of roses. Yes, it’s the annual Rose & Flower show in our office. Have a peek at the beauties brought in today. Some are simple antique roses with flat, fragrant faces, and other bow under the weight of their many-petaled, heavy-headed splendor.  Lilies and peonies love Portland, as well, and you can see some of those on the entry table. Just take a look at these beauties.

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We’re also having a company-wide ice cream social, where the winners will be announced. Tomorrow is the Grand Floral Parade, one of the largest parades in the country. So happy Rose Festival to you all from the City of Roses.

 

P.S.  Here is the “Best Rose” winner. It is almost nine inches across!

Winner

A Blanket that makes a Difference on Memorial Day

At Pendleton, we are thankful when one of our blankets can help make a difference. This is the case with our Grateful Nation blanket.

The Grateful Nation blanket  honors the sacrifice of brave men and women who have defended freedom throughout the history of the United States of America. Each authentically colored stripe represents a service ribbon awarded to veterans of historical conflicts in which our country has engaged:

  • World War II Asiatic Pacific Campaign
  • World War II Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
  • Korean Service
  • US Vietnam Service
  • Southwest Asia Service (Gulf War)
  • War on Terrorism

A portion of every blanket’s sale goes to support the Fisher House Foundation and its mission to support the families of veterans. As their website states:

Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of comfort homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers nationwide and in Europe.   Fisher Houses are beautiful homes, donated to the military and Department of Veterans Affairs.  These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time – during the hospitalization for a combat injury, illness or disease… Since 1990, the foundation has saved military, veterans and their families an estimated $200 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

On Memorial Day and every day, Pendleton is proud to honor the men and women of our Armed Services.

Made in the USA label

Wool & Prince

Wool & Prince

You’ve heard about it on the radio, seen it on YouTube, read about it in the paper and on innumerable blogs  all over the world. Yes, we are talking about the 100 Day Shirt by Wool & Prince, the new company Kickstarted  by Mac Bishop. We have fielded quite a few queries about this project because the shirt Mac wears in his video is actually a Sir Pendleton. So, here are some Pendleton answers to your Wool & Prince questions.

Was Pendleton aware that their shirt was being used by Wool & Prince?

Yes, we were aware the shirt worn in the video is a Sir Pendleton. Mac Bishop is a proud member of the sixth generation of Pendleton’s Bishops, and he’s worn Pendleton products his entire life.

Were you surprised by Wool & Prince’s claim that your Sir Pendleton was wrinkle and odor-free after being worn for 100 consecutive days without cleaning?

We were not. We have been making men’s wool shirts for 90 years, and we understand the attributes of wool. Even though there is no such thing as a self-cleaning shirt, a wool shirt will refresh itself when allowed to rest after a wearing. We’re excited that Wool & Prince is illuminating the qualities of wool to new consumers.

Have you ever subjected any of your wool shirts to a similar test?

Pendleton’s consumers have been wear-testing our Men’s shirts since 1924. That’s why we’re not surprised at the outstanding results.

Is Pendleton producing the Wool & Prince brand?

No. Mac Bishop has developed his own fabric and sourced production independently.

Is Pendleton planning any changes to the line based on the excitement generated by Wool & Prince’s slimmer fit shirts?

We have been doing great business with our Fitted shirts, which we introduced years ago. Our contemporary brand, The Portland Collection, offers a trim fit, and this fall we are launching a new brand, Thomas Kay, celebrating our founder and 150 years of weaving in America. The garments in this collection (including new shirt models and fabrics) have a modern, tailored fit. Which is all just our way of saying that we have been working on a more body-conscious fit for a few years.

For those of you who haven’t seen it, you can watch the Wool & Prince video here.

For excellent background on Wool & Prince, read Fast Company’s profile .

And for more information on wool, see our website.

Pendleton 150 press event for Fall 2013

Last Thursday at the Ace Hotel, the staff wore Beach Boys shirt, the room was full of the most beautiful Pendleton line imaginable, and the showroom was abuzz with press. If you were there, thank you for coming. If you were not, please enjoy a few photos!

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The Thomas Kay Collection: a Pioneer’s Legacy

photo of Thomas Kay

Pendleton Woolen Mills dates our founding to 1863, when an adventuresome young weaver named Thomas Kay settled in the brand new state of Oregon. The story of Pendleton began earlier in the mid-19th century when Thomas Kay was a bobbin boy in Yorkshire mills, working his way up to weaver before sailing for America to continue his training on the East coast.

In 1863, Thomas Lister Kay traveled by boat, burro and buggy to settle in the new state of Oregon. Using his genius for fabric, Thomas Kay staked his knowledge and integrity on the success of his mill, which soon turned out the first bolt of worsted wool west of the Mississippi. The Kay Woolen Mill was once the largest weaving facility in the West. It still stands as a working museum in Salem, Oregon, a symbol of pioneering spirit and innovative technology.

Thomas established a tradition of excellence by weaving the finest woolen textiles in America, a tradition he passed on to his daughter Fannie Kay Bishop and her sons. Six generations later, Thomas Kay’s descendants weave on at Pendleton Woolen Mills, heirs to his manufacturing legacy.  Every product is still “Warranted To Be A Pendleton,” an homage to Thomas Kay’s original commitment to quality.

Thomas Kay

In recognition of our founder, we have launched a signature brand for Pendleton Woolen Mills; The Thomas Kay Collection.  Inspired by Kay’s desire to weave woolens of the highest merit, Pendleton offers classic and traditional apparel and accessories for Men, Women and Home for Fall 2013.

The Thomas Kay Collection embodies a heritage of fabric craft and discovery. Richly patterned jacquard, tweed and plaid fabrics are woven by craftspeople in Pendleton’s Pacific Northwest mills. Each item has been carefully fashioned to reflect Thomas Kay’s history, marrying proper English refinement with a distinctly American sense of style. The Thomas Kay label stands for 150 years of honesty, artistry and authenticity.

A fitting introduction to the collection is found in this motto from the Pendleton archives: “Where Quality Decides, We Always Win”

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If you’d like to see more about the Thomas Kay line, please visit our Facebook page.

The Storks, their shirts, and another happy occasion.

You probably remember Bob and Melba Stork from this post, which featured their engagement gifts to each other. Here they are again with the same Pendleton shirts, but as you can see, they are not wearing them anymore. They made a gift of them to their granddaughter, Lauren, and her new husband, Drew.

Lauren &Drew

Lauren &Drew, Robert & Melba

Says Mrs. Stork, “Their wedding took place in Dallas, and all sixty of the invited friends and family enjoyed the weekend festivities.” Our congratulations to Lauren and Drew, and thanks for making us part of your family traditions.

Exhibit at the Multnomah County Library – Now!

Multnomah County Library

Portlanders revere our central library as the grande dame of a network of libraries, large and small, that serve our metro area.  The Multnomah Country Library fills an entire block in the heart of downtown Portland with its trove of information. The library also hosts several displays on its upper floors.

Local readers will want to stop in to see out this one; Smoke Signals, the Literature and Culture of Native America.  This collection of rare Native American manuscripts will be on display until March 24th, with rare works from antiquity to the present. Also on display will be two Pendleton blankets, including this very limited edition “Bridging Communities Together” blanket, designed by Yakama Nation artist Toma Villa for the NCAI.

AIC blanket by Toma Villa

label

The books and manuscripts are part of the John Wilson Special Collections, with artifacts (including blankets) loaned by NAYA. The blankets are lovely, but the stars of the show are the written materials. Please give them a visit.

Hi, Pendleton.

 

We are writing to share a few photo with you, as we are big fans of your blankets. Last weekend our family traveled to Drummond Island in Upper Michigan for fun in the snow.

This is a yearly trek, and we were so happy to be able to join in and surprise everyone this year.

Christie & Nick Cartell

In addition, it’s a tradition to take the annual Pendleton Blanket Photo as every member of the family has one; even the little munchkins have muchacho blankets.

5_Cartell

This all started several years ago, as my father-in-law, Todd Bettes, has quite the collection of your blankets on his own (20+, though when asked for an estimate, he says “Not enough!”) and also loves to give them as gifts.

Nick & Christine Cartell, Tim Bettes &Christina Larsen

My wife and I brought our blankets with us all the way from NYC in our carry-ons to take part in this photo.

The Gibbons Family, Christina Larsen, Ruth Charleton, Tim Bettes, Christine & Nick Cartell, Lynn & Todd Bettes

We thought you might get a kick out of them, and wanted to thank you for making these beautiful blankets that definitely keep us warm in NY, MI and help create fantastic family memories.

All our best,

Christie & Nick Cartell

(Photos by Nick Cartell)

The Gibbons Family with Grandma Ruth Charleton

Pendleton & Weddings

Here at Pendleton, we are so moved when people take the time to let us know the special ways they incorporate Pendleton into their lives. And that includes weddings!

Heather Bayles Photography

Quite a few editorial shoots use us for wedding or engagement photos.  But when we’re used as part of an actual wedding, as we were in the wedding of Zoe Fisher and Matt Johnson (photos by Heather Bayles Photography), we are incredibly proud.

Pendleton played a part in the engagement of Bob and Melba Stork. They were shopping in Pasadena, California on a spring day in 1951 when a store window with Pendleton shirts caught their attention. They looked at several patterns and decided on a red and green plaid as an engagement gift to each other.

Bob and Melba wore traditional bridal attire when they were married on October 27th, 1951, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Temple City, California.

Storks Wedding, 10/27/1951

After the wedding, they left for a honeymoon trip to the Grand Canyon, where they stayed in a cabin near El Tovar. Bob set up a tripod to capture a picture of them wearing their shirts as a newly married couple.

Fifty years later, their twin daughters and their husbands organized a golden wedding anniversary celebration for the Storks, their family and friends at the Grand Canyon. This photo was taken near the spot where the first photo was taken; a short distance from their honeymoon cabin.

Storks Anniversary, 10/2001

The Storks have worn their shirts as jackets many times over the 61 years of their marriage. They have been part of travels throughout the United States, and Melba says, “(they) are as bright, fashionable and warm as they were when we purchased them 61 years ago.”

Bob and Melba Stork were married 61 years on October 27, 2012. Bob is 93, and Melba is a bit younger. They still travel, but they won’t be taking their Pendleton shirts with them anymore. They are passing them down to their granddaughter, Lauren, and her fiance, Drew, who will be married this coming February. We will count ourselves lucky to get a photo of the “kids” in these shirts.

The next wedding we’re going to show you took place last winter, when Celeste Grewe and Joshua Bond said “I do” at Camp Creek Campground in the Mt Hood National Forest. After the bridal party wended its way through a snow-carpeted forest, the ceremony took place in front of the camp kitchen for the CCC workers in 1936.

Bond wedding photography by Mike at Powers Studios.

Josh and Celeste met while working at a local snowboard shop called Exit Real World (with whom we did a collaboration some years back). The mountain has played an important part in their relationship, so it was fitting that they were married at 2200 ft elevation.

Celeste had this to say; “We wanted our wedding to really reflect Oregon, and especially to give our out-of-town guests a great feel for the history of the state. Both our families raised us with Pendleton products. Pendleton has a longstanding history with Oregon and the Northwest. It was important to incorporate a traditional element into our wedding, which is where we got the blanket ceremony (plus it was really cold last February). It was also a wonderful way to ask our parents to be involved with the ceremony.”

First, the bride and groom were wrapped in Crater Lake National Park blankets by their fathers. This symbolized their separate lives. These blankets were removed and held by their maid of honor and best man. Then the mothers of the bride and groom wrapped them in a white Glacier National Park blanket to symbolize their shared future.

The Crater Lake blankets were presented to the mothers as gifts.  Celeste said of the Glacier blanket, “It’s a show piece in our home.” She is happy with how the national park blankets hearken back to “…the early part of the 1900s, the national parks, and the CCC and WPA, and the 1940s time frame of the ring I inherited from my paternal grandmother.” As you watch the slideshow (photos by Mike at Powers Studios), watch for other Pendleton items on the guests and bridal party.

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To all of our friends who have made Pendleton part of their weddings, we say, best wishes for the future. May your beginnings be sweet, and may your lives together be wonderful. Thanks for letting us be a part of both.

Happy New Year!

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