wrkrsmen3.jpgIn 1976-1977, 53 individuals that had worked at or had a family connection to the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill in Salem, Oregon were interviewed as part of a master’s thesis project conducted by Caryl Gertenrich.  Gertenrich and David Duniway conducted interviews based on a 14-question standardized questionnaire. covering topics from the person’s own family history to recollections of working conditions, unions and changes to processes and facilities at the mill.

The original recordings were onto audio cassette tapes.  Through the help of student interns, we have begun work on digitizing the recordings and completing better indexes to the interviews.  A full list of interviewees can be found below.

Read through the catalog for this collection here: M3 1994-016 Mill Worker Interviews.

Listen to an excerpt from an interview with Otto Lehman here.

Collection of Interviews of Workers of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill

Accession Number M3 1994-016
Object ID Name of Interviewee Address at time of Interview (Salem unless otherwise noted) Occupation/Department
M3 1994-016-0001 Luke “Hilge” Donaldson 530 13th St. NE, Apt 3 Spinning Dept. Supervisor
M3 1994-016-0002 Bessie Ryan Vohs — Weaver
M3 1994-016-0003 Reynold Tuers 4173 Hayesville Dr. NE Card Room
M3 1994-016-0004 Otto Lehman — Weaver
M3 1994-016-0005 Ferdig Hall 465 15th St. SE Weave Room Supervisor
M3 1994-016-0006 Carl Hubbard 117 Levens, Dallas, Oregon Wet Finish Supervisor
M3 1994-016-0007 Stan Picha — Picker House, Dye House
M3 1994-016-0008 Robert Seamster 2080 Myrtle NE Weaver
M3 1994-016-0009 Wayne Mentzer 1520 18th St. NE Plant Engineer
M3 1994-016-0010 John Reid 835 Kumler SE Superintendent
M3 1994-016-0011 Hubert Seamster 1282 Chemawa Loop NE Weaver
M3 1994-016-0012 Ed Seamster 820 Wild Wind Drive SE Loom Fixer
M3 1994-016-0013 Carl Allport 1215 Saginaw S Carding Supervisor
M3 1994-016-0014 Bernice Smith —
M3 1994-016-0015 Bill Pero 1460 D St. NE Shipping Clerk
M3 1994-016-0016 Clyde Picha —
M3 1994-016-0017 Mac Carthew 1795 Capitol SE Spinning Room Supervisor
M3 1994-016-0018 Clarence Jantze 1567 Park NE Dye House
M3 1994-016-0019 Harry Blanchard 3962 Belvedere NW Asst. Superintendent, Weaver
M3 1994-016-0020 Vern Blanchard 3962 Belvedere NW Payroll, Bookkeeper
M3 1994-016-0021 Larry Rich — Weaver
M3 1994-016-0022 Lon Barrett — Carding Room
M3 1994-016-0023 Adam Schissler 3210 Cooke S. Boiler Engineer
M3 1994-016-0024 Dolly Clowes 1365 Mill St. Finishing Dept.
M3 1994-016-0025 Ernice Van Buren 1288 Chemawa Loop NE, Spinner
M3 1994-016-0026 Dora Barnes 4255 Shoreline Dr. Pattern Maker
M3 1994-016-0027 James Hackett 548 Vista SE Card Room
M3 1994-016-0028 Earl Huckstep 155 Connecticut SE Wet Finishing
M3 1994-016-0029 Ted Bush —
M3 1994-016-0030 Ed Antrican 5320 Windsor Loom Fixer
M3 1994-016-0031 Steve Petrasy 360 Norway NE Weaver
M3 1994-016-0032 Hulda Lehman 336 Leslie SE Weaver
M3 1994-016-0033 Jay Yarnell 485 Browning SE Spinner
M3 1994-016-0034 Loren Chamberlain 2200 Lancaster Dr. SE Picker House
M3 1994-016-0035 Helene Browne 2245 Electric St. Bobbin Window
M3 1994-016-0036 Mary White 1740 Ferry SE Wool Grader
M3 1994-016-0037 Pete Boedigheimer — Weaver
M3 1994-016-0038 Carl Boedigheimer — Weaver & Loom Fixer
M3 1994-016-0039 Chet Page — Several, Son of Superintendent
M3 1994-016-0040 Bill Haskins — Spinning Room
M3 1994-016-0041 Glenn Brooks — Finishing Room
M3 1994-016-0042 Marjory Crooks — Weaver
M3 1994-016-0043 Bessie Shipman 3650 Turner SE Spooler
M3 1994-016-0044 Virgil Shipman 3650 Turner SE
M3 1994-016-0045 Verna Dalziell 2712 Sunnyview Rd NE Weaver
M3 1994-016-0046 Chet Pickens — Shipping Department
M3 1994-016-0047 Gertrude Ade 785 Edina Finishing Room
M3 1994-016-0048 Geo Noack 4414 Eden SE Carding Supervisor
M3 1994-016-0049 Eleanor Kay — Wife of Ercel Kay
M3 1994-016-0050 Marjorie Ann Huntington — Daughter of Thomas B. Kay
M3 1994-016-0051 Carlisle Roberts Grandson of Ann Kay
M3 1994-016-0052 Thomas Kay — Mill Owner