CHINLE DRIFTER BAG by PENDLETON

 

We quite like this Chinle Drifter Bag from Pendleton Woolen Mills, an American heritage brand from Portland OR. The company history starts in 1863 with Thomas Kay, a young English weaver who had recently crossed the Atlantic to work at east coast textile mills, and headed west to Oregon where he thought he could find ideal conditions for raising sheep.  Kay helped organize Oregon's second woolen mill in Brownsville, where he oversaw the weaving operation. Soon he was made a superintendent of the company. In 1889, Thomas Kay opened his own mill in Salem, Oregon. From these humble beginnings rose a dyed-in-the-wool American success story.  In 1909 Kay’s grandchildren started up an idle mill in Pendleton OR. Pendleton Woolen Mills began its long tradition of making native American blankets. A study of the color and design preferences of local and Southwest Native Americans resulted in vivid colors and intricate patterns. Trade expanded from the Nez Perce nation near Pendleton to the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni nations. These Pendleton blankets were used as basic wearing apparel and as a standard of value for trading and credit among Native Americans. The Chinle bag is directly associated with the heritage of one of America’s most authentic brands.

 

Posted by BPMW on April 7, 2008 09:31 PM | | E-Mail To Friend

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