 The Portland Woolen Mills in 1935 | |
| Company type | manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Industry | textile |
| Founded | 1901 |
| Defunct | 1960 |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Charles H. Carter (executive director, 1935–52) Charles H. Carter, Jr. (executive director, 1952–60) |
| Products | blankets, clothing, upholstery |
Number of employees | 100–500 |
The Portland Woolen Mills were a wool textile manufacturer in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. By 1950, they had become the largest wool manufacturer west of Cleveland, Ohio. The origins of the factory started in Sellwood in 1901 but after a fire destroyed the mill two years later owners decided to rebuild in St. Johns. Portland Woolen Mills offered several worker programs including baseball, basketball and bowling teams; a cafeteria and a library.
Labor disputes started during the 1934 textile workers strike when Portland Woolen Mills employees walked-off the job for two days. Two years later works held a strike and were granted representation by the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) labor union. The factory filled contracts for the United States Federal Government during much of its history, primarily making blankets for the armed forces. For their work in producing blankets during World War II, the Portland Woolen Mills won an Army-Navy "E" Award. The factory closed in 1960 after almost 59 years of service.