266 N Capitol  

825 Court 

1525 Fairmount Ave 

Ercel Wallace Kay was born 13 Sep 1889 in McMinnville, OR to Thomas B. and Cora [Wallace] Kay. He was the first child born to the couple; his sister Marjorie would follow nine years later. His parents lived in McMinnville where his father and uncle Charles P. Bishop operated a men’s clothing store and outlet for the Brownsville Woolen Mill. They moved to Salem by 1895 when father Thomas B. became assistant manager at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill built by his father.     

In Salem, the family lived at 463 Chemeketa St. where Ercel attended public schools. While in high school, Ercel demonstrated athletic prowess in football, basketball, baseball and golf. In 1900, his grandfather Thomas Lister Kay died and managerial duties at the woolen mill passed to Ercel’s father. After high school graduation in 1909, Ercel went to the University of Oregon where he continued to demonstrate his athleticism, in a range of sports. In 1913, he was elected captain of the track team, chosen for the position because of his exceptional work. He was considered one of the fastest sprinters in the northwest.  

After Ercel’s graduation from University of Oregon, he signed as an infielder with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League for a season before becoming assistant manager to his father at the woolen mill. His love of baseball continued throughout his life; he played amateur ball in Salem until he was 40 years old.  

On April 5, 1918, Ercel enlisted in the Oregon Militia. His enlistment paperwork gives the following physical description. His height was 5 ft. 9 in. and weight 155 lbs. His complexion was medium, hair and eyes both brown. He served for two years.  

He married Eleanor Fellows on 28 Aug 1918. He was 28 years old, and his bride 19. His occupation was listed as manufacturing on the marriage return, his bride’s clerical. The wedding was simple and attended by family and a few friends. The ceremony was performed by the Reverend H.H. Griffis in the First Christian Church of Portland. The bride was the daughter of D. Fellows of Multnomah County. She wore a dark blue traveling suit with a corsage bouquet of bride’s roses. The couple took a 10-day motor trip along the Oregon Coast for their honeymoon, then made their home in the Court St. apartments in Salem. Ercel was the assistant manager of the family-owned Thomas Kay Woolen Mill.   

The 1920s were a period of growth and prosperity for the Ercel Kay family. Eleanor became the first Salem resident to win the State Women’s Amateur Golf Championship. Their son Thomas B. Kay was born 10 Sep 1923 and named after his grandfather. They built a home for $6000 at 1525 Fairmount Ave in 1924. Ercel organized the Salem Golf Club in 1926 and laid out, in two phases, Salem’s first public golf course, located on south River Rd. Once the 18-hole course was finished in 1928, he was active in its operation as manager.  

In 1931, during the Great Depression, he became the manager of Kay Woolen Mills after the death of his father. It was a difficult period for the mill with the reduced demand for fabric, and many of its customers bankrupt. To keep the mill operating difficult decisions were made such as cutting worker hours and wages, writing off bad debts of customers, reducing the stock dividends of investors and the addition of shoddy or reused wool to the fabric process. Then in 1934 came the National Textile Strike during which 175 men and women employed at the Kay Woolen Mills staged a walkout. The mill shut down for several weeks while negotiations took place.   

With the advent of World War II in the 1940s came a brief boom period for the mill in the form of government contracts for blankets and uniform fabric. The mill operated around the clock to meet the demand. Ercel’s son Tom was a teenager during this period and began to take an active role in learning the family business of textile manufacturing.   

In the early 1950s however, the consumer demand for wool plummeted in favor of synthetics and the Kay family made the difficult decision to close the mill. Ercel was in his 60s and though manager in title, son Tom as assistant manager carried the weight and responsibility of daily operations and the closure. Ninety employees were laid off, and twelve remained through 1962 to complete final orders.   

Through it all, Ercel continued to pursue his true passion, golfing. As a golfer, he was one of the top amateurs in the Northwest for years and he made it to the finals of the Oregon Amateur championship four times. He continued to manage Salem Golf Course and helped design the nine-hole golf course in Neskowin, OR built by William S. Walton, Salem banker.  

Ercel died 2 Jan 1966 from a heart attack, he was 77 years old. He had spent the day watching football games on television and had been preparing to watch the championship game between the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns. At the time of his death, he was still manager of Kay Woolen Mills and Salem Golf Course. He was buried in Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem. His wife Eleanor died 15 May 1979 and was buried with him. 

1907  Kay Ercel W, bds 266 N Capitol 

1908  Kay, Ercel W, student, bds 266 N Capitol 

1909  Kay Ercel W, student, bds 266 N Capitol 

1910  Kay Ercel W, bds 266 N Capitol 

1911  Kay, Ercel W, student, bds 266 N Capitol 

     1911  Kay, Ercel W, student U of O, bds 109 E 11th (Eugene) 

     1912  Kay, Ercel W, student U of O, bds 109 E 11 (Eugene) 

1913  Kay Ercel W, student, bds 266 N Capitol 

     1914  Kay Ercel W, student U of O, bds 217 11th ave E (Eugene) 

1915  Kay Ercel W, assistant manager, T K W M Co, rms 266 N Capitol 

1917  Kay Ercel W, assistant manager, T K W M Co, rms 266 N Capitol 

1924  Kay Ercel W, assistant manager, T K Woolen Mill Co, 825 Court 

1928  Kay Ercel W (Eleanor) h 1525 Fairmount Av 

1930  Kay Ercel W (Eleanor) president, Salem Golf Club h 1525 Fairmount av 

1932  Kay Ercel W, manager, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co. H 1525 Fairmount av 

1934  Kay Ercel W (Eleanor S) manager, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co. H 1525 Fairmount av 

1935  Kay Ercel W (Eleanor S) manager, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co. H 1525 Fairmount av 

1900  Kersel [sic] Kay. Age: 10. Birth Date: Sep 1889 in Oregon. Home in 1900: 463 Chemeketa St. Salem Ward 2, Marion, OR. Single, son to HOH. Occupation: Student. Additional household members: Thomas B. Kay, age 36 (father), Cora Kay, age 37 (mother), Marjorie K. Kay, age 1 (sister), Edna Harkins, age 33 (servant).  

1910  Ercel Kay. Age: 20. Birth Date: 1890 in Oregon. Home in 1910: N Capital, Salem Ward 2, Marion, OR. Single, son to HOH. Occupation: Student at State University. Additional household members: Thomas B. Kay, age 46 (father), Cora Kay, age 47 (mother), Marjorie Kay, age 11 (sister), Rebecca Dunn, age 61 (servant).  

1920  Ercel W. Kay. Age: 30. Birth Year: abt 1890 in Oregon. Home in 1920: Court St. Salem Ward 2, Marion, OR. Home is rented. Married, HOH. Occupation: Assistant Manager at Woolen Mill. Additional household member: Eleanor Kay, age 21 (wife).  

1930  Ercel W. Kay. Age: 40. Birth Year: abt 1890 in Oregon. Home in 1930: 1525 Fairmont, Salem, Marion, OR. Home is owned. Married, HOH. Occupation: Manager at Golf Club. Additional household members: Elenor [sic] Kay, age 31 (wife), Thomas B. Kay, age 6 (son).  

1940  Ercel W. Kay. Age: 50. Birth Year: abt 1890 in Oregon. Home in 1940: 1525 Fairmount, Salem, Marion, OR. Married, HOH. Occupation: Manager of Woolen Mill and Golf Course. Highest grade completed: College, 4th year. Additional household members: Eleanor S. Kay, age 41 (wife), Tom B. Kay, age 15 (son).  

1950  Ercel W. Kay. Age: 60. Birth Date: abt 1890 in Oregon. Home in 1950: 1525 Fairmont, Salem, Marion, OR. Married, HOH. Occupation: Manager of Woolen Mills. Additional household members: Eleanor, age 51 (wife), Thomas B., age 26 (son). 

Eleanore Sarah Fellows Kay. Birth: 3 Sep 1898 in Oregon. Death: 15 May 1979 (aged 80) Marion County, OR. Burial: Belcrest Memorial Park, Salem, Marion County, OR. Plot: Block 1, Section 23, Lot 4. Memorial ID: 81021981 

Oregon Emerald [U of O, Eugene] 31 May 1911, p. 4 – Severe Sprain of Ankle 

Oregon Emerald [U of O, Eugene] 10 Apr 1912, p. 5 – Baseball to Track? 

Oregon Emerald [U of O, Eugene] 11 Mar 1913, p. 4 – Recovered from Injury Following Year of Disablement 

Eugene Guard 12 Jun 1913, p. 3 – Ercel Kay is Captain 

Oregon Statesman 13 Jun 1913, p. 5 – Elected Captain of University Track Team 

Oregon Emerald [U of O, Eugene] 12 Mar 1914, p. 1 – Will Not Return to College 

Oregon Emerald [U of O, Eugene] 7 Apr 1914, p. 2 – Engagement Announcement, Ercel Kay and Florence Bonnell 

Oregon Emerald [U of O, Eugene] 23 Feb 1915, p. 3 – Ercel Kay, Assistant Manager of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill 

Oregon Statesman 30 Aug 1918, p. 4 – Marriage 

Oregonian 1 Sep 1918, p. 2 – Marriage 

Capital Journal 11 Jun 1924, p. 5 – Building Permit, 1525 Fairmount Ave. home  

Capital Journal 26 Jul 1924, p. 2 – Fine Residences, Fairmount Hill 

Capital Journal 28 Jan 1928, p. 7 – New $50,000 Golf Course 

Oregonian 17 Jul 1928, p. 23 – New Golf Club to Open in Salem 

Oregonian 13 Nov 1940, p. 12 – Strike Closes Mill at Salem 

Oregonian 18 Sep 1959, p. 1 – Kay Woolen Mill Calls It Quits 

Oregon Statesman 3 Jan 1966, p. 1 – Death Takes Head of Kay Woolen Mills 

Capital Journal 3 Jan 1966, p. 1 – Ercel W. Kay Dies at 77 

M3 1994-100-0005     Photo (Thomas B. Kay family) 

M3 1994-100-0007     Photo (Pacific Coast Woolen Manufactures) 

M3 1992-105-0001     Photo (Ercel) 

M3 1992-105-0007     Photo (Ercel) 

0082.025.0001.004     Photo (Rambler Baseball Team, 1905) 

M3 1975-017-0001     Minute Book 1889-1940, TKWM 

M3 2007-001-0001     Life Insurance Policy (TKWM employees) 

M3 2004-002-0001     Correspondence (family members to parents of Ercel) 

1983.049.0001             Engraving Plate (for printing personal cards) 

M3 1994-016-0049     Oral History Interview (Eleanor Kay, wife) 

M3 1994-016-0050     Oral History Interview (Marjorie Huntington, sister) 

Additional oral histories of TKWM workers are available that give brief mentions of him, no close associates. 

2002.020.0022             SHS Yearbook 1909 

2002.020.0023             SHS Yearbook 1910 

2002.020.0026             SHS Yearbook 1911 

2014.032.0001             SHS Clarion Magazine, Vol. IX, No. 3, Dec 1912 

The Thomas Kay Woolen Mill in Salem, Oregon, 1900-1959, Caryl Gertenrich, Master’s Thesis, 1977, p. 16-18.