463 Chemeketa  

266 N. Capital  

825 Court St  

The following biography is taken from his obituary, printed in the Capital Journal newspaper on 29 Apr 1931.  

“Thomas Benjamin Kay was born 28 Feb 1864 in Trenton, New Jersey. He was the son of Thomas and Ann [Slingsby] Kay who came from England. The elder Kay was trained in the wool manufacturing business. In 1863 he came to Oregon by way of the Isthmus of Panama and located in Salem as an employee in Oregon’s first woolen mill. In 1864 his wife, son and daughter joined him in Oregon, also coming by the isthmus. Thomas Kay, Sr. rapidly became a business leader in Oregon, first as manager of the Brownsville Woolen mills and then as owner of the Thomas Kay Woolen mills at Salem, which he was operating at the time of his death in 1900. His wife died 15 years later.  

Thomas B. Kay first attended school in Brownsville. In 1892-93 and 1895-96 he was a student at McMinnville college. When he was 20 he became associated in a mercantile business in Portland. Later he engaged in business at McMinnville, remaining there until 1894 when he went to Salem as assistant manager of the Kay Woolen mill.  

Since the death of his father he has been president of the company and one of a group of stockholders. He reorganized the Eugene Woolen mills and was connected with it for six years. He was director and the largest stockholder of the Miles Linen mill of Salem and president of the Oregon Linen Mills Inc. His connection with these industries grew out of his interest in the state flax industry as a member of the state board of control. He was for years active in the upbuilding of Salem as a residence and an industrial city and developed the first and second Kay additions to the city.  

Active in Sports  

Another lifetime activity was as a sportsman. He was enthusiastic at golf, and in his earlier life in baseball and boxing. His father was considered one of the best boxers in Oregon and as a youth the future state treasurer enjoyed a similar reputation. 

Politically, Mr. Kay was a republican, as was his father. From his youth he was interested and active in public affairs, the groundwork for which was developed in the community debating societies in which he participated and of which he often spoke reminiscently. 

While living in McMinnville he served on the city council and the school board. After coming to Salem he was elected to the legislature in 1902, serving in the sessions of 1903 and 1905. He served as chairman of the ways and means committee and gained a reputation as an economist. At the session of 1905 he was a candidate for speaker, but was defeated by one vote. In 1906 he was elected state senator for Marion county, serving in the sessions of 1907 and 1909. As a member of the legislature he fathered much important legislation, some of it reformative in character, notably an act that did away with the fee system of compensation for state office holders.  

Elected Treasurer  

In 1910 Mr. Kay was elected to his first term as state treasurer and was re-elected in 1914. Because of a constitutional inhibition against a person serving more than eight years in any period of 12 years in that office he was not a candidate in 1920. Instead he ran for the legislature, and was elected in 1920 and 1922, serving in the house at the sessions of 1921 and 1923. In 1924 he again ran for state treasurer, defeating Jefferson Myers of Portland who held the office by appointment of Governor Pierce following the death of State Treasurer O.P. Hoff. Mr. Kay was the fourth time elected treasurer in 1928.  

During the many years in state office Mr. Kay came to be known as a fighter. He was on the firing line in all important state issues, being particularly active in tax affairs. Many times he was talked of as a candidate for governor, and while he no doubt had an ambition to fill that office he was generous enough to step aside at times to give right of way to other aspirants.  

Had it not been for a prolonged illness that came upon him during a trip to Europe in the interests of the state flax industry Mr. Kay undoubtedly would have been a candidate for the republican nomination for governor in 1930. Other prospective candidates, including George W. Joseph, held off pending Mr. Kay’s decision whether he would run. By the advice of physicians he did not enter the race.  

Seeks Nomination  

However, a steady and remarkable improvement in Mr. Kay’s health followed, and after the death of George Joseph, who had won the nomination, Mr. Kay became a candidate for the nomination by the state republican central committee. Many political friends and advisors of the late Mr. Joseph urged Kay to become a candidate. A turn in political matters, however, gave the nomination to Phil Metschan of Portland. Julius L. Meier, immediately announced himself as an independent candidate and was elected.  

Mr. Kay was a Mason, attaining the rank of Knight Templar, and was a member of the Shrine, also the Elks and the Woodmen of the World. He was a member of the Illahee Country club of Salem, was past president of the Salem chamber of commerce, served as director of the state chamber of commerce, was past president of the Rotary club and had served as a member of the board of trustees of Willamette university. For years he served as a member of the board of directors of the Y.M.C.A. and was a member of the Christian church. During the world war he was active in the various drives in support of the government.   

Mr. Kay was married in 1889 to Cora M. Wallace of McMinnville whose parents were pioneers and whose maternal grandfather was a member of the territorial legislature. Mr. Kay is survived by his widow, his son, Ercel Kay of Salem, and a daughter, Mrs. Hollis W. Huntington of Salem.” 

1907  Kay Thomas B, president, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co, r 266 N Capitol 

1908  Kay Thomas B, president, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co, res 266 N Capitol 

1909  Kay Thomas B, president, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co, res 463 Chemeketa 

1910  Kay Thomas B, president, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co, r 266 N Capitol 

1913  Kay Thomas B (Cora M), state treasurer, State House, president, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co, res 266 N Capitol 

1915  Kay Thomas B (Cora M), state treasurer, State House, president, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co, res 266 N Capitol 

1917  Kay Thomas B (Cora M), state treasurer, State House, president, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co, res 266 N Capitol 

1924  Kay Thomas B (Cora M), president, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co, h 825 Court 

1930  Kay Thomas B (Cora M), president, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co, president, Oregon Linen Mills Inc, state treasurer, State House, h 825 Court 

1895 Marion County Census  Thomas Kay. Age: 31. Birth Place: New Jersey. Estimated Birth Year: 1864. Residence Place: Salem, Marion, OR. Religion: Protestant. Occupation: Merchant. Additional household members: Cora (wife), E.W. (son). 

1900  Thomas B. Kay. Age: 36. Birth Date: Feb 1864 in New Jersey. Home in 1900: 463 Chemeketa St. Salem Ward 2, Marion, OR. Married, HOH. Marriage Year: 1888. Years Married: 12. Occupation: Manager, Woolen Mills. Additional household members: Cora Kay, age 37 (wife), Kersel [sic] Kay, age 10 (son), Marjorie K. Kay, age 1 (daughter), Edna Harkins, age 33 (servant).  

1910 Thos. B. Kay.  Age: 46. Birth Date: 1864 in New Jersey. Home in 1910: 266 N. Capital St. Salem Ward 2, Marion, OR. Married, HOH. Occupation: Employer, Woolen Mill. Additional household members: Cora Kay, age 47 (wife), Ercel Kay, age 20 (son), Marjorie Kay, age 11 (daughter), Rebecca Dunn, age 61 (servant).  

1920  Thomas B. Kay. Age: 55. Birth Year: abt 1865 in New Jersey. Home in 1920: 266 Capital St. Salem Ward 2, Marion, OR. Married, HOH. Occupation: Employer, Woolen Mill. Additional household members: Cora A. Kay, age 55 (wife), Marjorie Kay, age 20 (daughter).  

1930  Thomas B. Kay. Age: 66. Birth Year: abt 1864 in New Jersey. Home in 1930: 825 Court St. Salem, Marion, OR. Married, HOH. Occupation: Treasurer, State of Oregon. Additional household members: Cora M. Kay, age 67 (wife), Clara Silbernagle, age 26 (maid).

Cora M. Wallace Kay  Birth: 15 Mar 1863, Yamhill County, OR. Death: 1944 (aged 80-81). Burial: City View Cemetery, Salem, Marion, OR. Plot: Section C. Memorial ID: 58547605 

Oregon Statesman 29 Apr 1931, p. 1, 11 – Obituary, T.B. 

Capital Journal 29 Apr 1931, p. 9 – YMCA original director, T.B. Kay 

Oregon Statesman 30 Apr 1931, p. 1 – Funeral Arrangements, T.B. Kay 

Oregon Statesman 30 Apr 1931, p. 3 – Death Notice, T.B. Kay 

Capital Journal 15 Jul 1931, p. 1 – Appraisal of Kay Estate 

M3 19795-017-0001             Minute Book 

M3 1982-005-0003              Correspondence 

M3 2004-002-0001-0022  Family Correspondence 

M3 2004-002-0042           Business Correspondence 

0080.005.0051.020.11      Photo 

1992.005.0183                    Photo 

2016.021.0002                    Photo 

M3 1972-023-0002            Photo 

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M3 1992-105-0014             Photo 

M3 1994-100-0005            Photo 

M3 1994-100-0007            Photo 

M3 2002-003-0001           Photo 

M3 1996-007-0003           Wedding Invitation 

M3 1994-016-0011             Oral History (Hubert Seamster) 

M3 1994-016-0013             Oral History (Carl Allport) 

M3 1994-016-0021             Oral History (Larry Rich) 

M3 1994-016-0022             Oral History (Lon Barrett) 

M3 1994-016-0036             Oral History (Mary White) 

M3 1994-016-0043             Oral History (Virgil and Bessie Shipman) 

M3 1994-016-0047             Oral History (Gertrude Ade) 

M3 1994-016-0048             Oral History (George Noack) 

M3 1994-016-0049             Oral History (Eleanor Kay) 

M3 1994-016-0050             Oral History (Marjorie Ann Huntington) 

M3 1994-016-0051              Oral History (Carlisle Roberts) 

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

History of Oregon, Charles Henry Carey (c) 1922, Thomas B. Kay biographical entry, vol. 2, p. 365-366