Thomas Kay, an English weaver who'd left Yorkshire for Oregon, founded the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill in Salem in 1889 after years spent working and teaching his trade at another mill, with his daughter Fannie eventually taking a leading role in running it. The Kay family bought Pendleton's local woolen mill in 1909 and built a new one there that's still operating today, which is where the brand's current name comes from. Known first for blankets, Pendleton later expanded into apparel and accessories, and remains a privately held, sixth-generation family business.