In the image is a Native America motif; it is very similar to some petroglyphs I have seen in the Columbia River Gorge east of The Dalles..The largest figure may represent a Spirit Quest..... I took this image inside the Pendleton store in Washougal, Washington, on the western end of the Gorge.... The object pictured is a very large blanket of thick wool, that was hung with many others, all with wonderous motifs celebrating the long-term linkages between Pendleton Woolen Mills and the Native American culture of the Pacific Northwest. It's a very honorable tradition. But I wonder how can Pendleton survive the 21 st. Century. How can it cope with the Far East? With the supremacy of synthetic-based fabrics? With waterproof-breatheable laminates? With a much more urban/fashion oriented clientele?
Pendleton Mills began in 1863--- To place this date in context within the overall History of Gear, this was seventy-five years before REI Coop was formed in Seattle! Of course, in 1863 "cowboy hats" were not just affectations, so in being true to the traditions of its roots, the Pendleton store has a good selection of quality cowboy hats.
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When Pendleton Woolen Mills opened, Oregon had only been a State for four years! The cold, wet climate provided an excellent long-term market selling wool clothing and blankets to generations of loggers, farmers, ranchers, Native Americans and townsfolk! Even the rise of the new-fangled wool replacement called "fuzz pile" during the 1980s and 90s failed to put this Northwest legend in the grave.
These Days, the main Pendleton facilities are split between the mill in Pendleton, Oregon and the store and factory near Oregon's largest city, some 200 miles to the west of Pendleton (the town)....The corporate offices are in Portland, making the company an Oregon-based one. Customers now associate the company with the sprawling store/factory just across the Columbia River from Portland, in Washougal, Washington (see below)....For more about Pendleton, go to my "Pendleton, page one."
Please Note: All Material above, and in all my "History of Gear" webpages, is copyrighted, and no usage of my material is permitted unless explicit permission is granted by me, Bruce B. Johnson, owner of OregonPhotos.com. .. Editors: Please contact me if you have interest in publishing....Others: if you were involved with one of the old-line, vintage gear companies and have a story to tell in these pages, please contact me soon.
