Tom Kay Remembers
Tom Kay at Thomas Kay Woolen Mills. M3 1992-105-0008
Take a tour of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill with 4th generation owner Tom Kay. Hear his own stories about his experiences growing up at and working in the mill.
Tour Stops
DVDs of Tom’s interviews are available for purchase at museum store!
In Gratitude
Interview conducted with Thomas B. Kay (1923-2018) at the Willamette Heritage Center, Salem, Oregon in 2010. Full interview available at the Willamette Heritage Center, Accession Number: 2013.054
This video documentary project was underwritten by contributions from:
Britta LION Franz
Diana Powers Evans
Elisabeth Walton Potter
Allied Video Productions
Production assistance provided by:
Allied Video Productions
Jeff Hart
Scott Hossner
Dan Walker
Brian Hart
Ryan Garaventa
Willamette Heritage Center
Elisabeth Walton Potter
James Sterup
Bill Perin
Peter Booth
James Phelps
Michelle Cordova
Kylie Pine
What a wonderful virtual tour of our beloved Thomas Kay Woolen Mill at the Willamette Heritage Center. The perfect way to keep interest in our heritage during Covid 19 when real tours can’t happen. I’m sending in an additional donation to show my appreciation of such dedicated work.
This tour is a lively, colorful treasure trove of information presented by someone who was integral to the story. Tom Kay
was an articulate raconteur and he lived this history. What a pleasure to hear him share his rich knowlege that is so integral to the city of Salem. It was delightful and fascinating.
I love the Mill… For me, it has lots of memories, my uncle, who’s a year older than me lived in Salem and I would visit him from Toledo and we would go and hang out at the mill. This is before they decided to restore it. In the picture of the front of the mail, we will go clear up to the very top, and I remember seeing still remnants of what the mill was built for. Cotton flowing, spinners still left up there which I got a couple of them. This was throughout the 70s for me. They didn’t start restoring this until I think the 80s, and now, it’s just a wonderful glorious place to visit.