Pendleton

Pendleton dates its story to 1863, when the English master weaver Thomas Kay arrived in Oregon. In 1909 his descendants, the Bishop family, rebuilt a woollen mill in the town of Pendleton to weave patterned robes and blankets for Native American customers, and its jacquard blankets remain the signature. Colourful wool shirts for men followed in 1924 and the '49er jacket in 1949, and a group of young surfers took the name the Pendletones from the plaid shirts before becoming the Beach Boys. The family-owned company is based in Portland.