The first Glacier Park blanket had a white body (or field) with three 3-inch wide 
stripes (or bars) of green, yellow and black at each end.  It had the standard 
Pendleton blanket label for its time, which was also sewn on all early National Park 
blankets.  These standard labels are sometimes still attached today, and while 
identifying a blanket as a Pendleton, they cannot identify it as a National Park blanket.  

The early National Park label was a printed card stapled to the blanket.  Often 
removed during use, the card’s absence makes positive identification of very 
early National Park blankets quite difficult today, even when the standard 
Pendleton label remains.  Labels, points and coloring are relevant clues.  

The early labels will correspond to contemporary standard Pendleton labels and 
can be used to date blanket production. The number of points indicates a blanket's overall size,
but because certain sizes were produced for long periods of time, size is a weaker clue 
to production dates.  Blankets can also be identified by color, but our current knowledge 
of early color use is spotty, making identification by color difficult. 
Nevertheless, when combined, these clues can lead to positive identification. 

A pair of very early Glacier Park blankets has recently been found, as confirmed
by their 1915-1920 Pendleton labels.  These blankets also have 3-1/2 points, indicating their
relatively small size (72" long by 60" wide) compared to later blankets beginning in 1921.  
In fact, these two are the first and only 3-1/2 point Pendleton blankets we have seen to date.    

The 3-1/2 points appear in the upper right hand corner of the center field, an unusual
location and the first time we have seen points sewn here on a Pendleton.  A close up
of the label indicates it is Pendleton's standard blanket label used from 1915 to 1920.

In 1923, Pendleton made the 4-color black, yellow, read and green stripe blanket 
the “official” Glacier Park blanket markings to better capture the historic 
trading post days of the great Northwest. But up to the 1980s, 
other color combinations were also available in the Glacier Park blanket: 

     

     Glacier Park blankets, from left: early 1920s with Pendelton label and 4 points, 1930s adobe with 2 black stripes,
        postwar black, yellow, red and black stripe variation, and 2005 Glacier Park blanket with modern arch top label.   

Perhaps because it was first, the Glacier Park for decades was Pendleton’s premier
National Park blanket made with 100% virgin wool in both the warp (lengthwise threads)
and weft or filling (horizontal threads).  It was more expensive than other early
National Park blankets which typically used a cotton warp.  But by the 1930s, it appears
all National Park blankets were made from 100% virgin wool.

In 1921, the Great Northern Railroad adopted "Rocky", the Rocky Mountain
mountain goat, as its symbol in honor of the link between the railroad and Glacier
National Park.  Rocky appeared in Great Northern advertising materials and,
not surprisingly, became the central feature of the Glacier Park blanket label. 

       
Left to right: 1920's "See America First" luggage sticker, 1930-1960's blanket label, and 1970's blanket label.  

Over the years, Glacier Park blankets have come in a variety of colors and designs:

       

Left:  a light blue-grey blanket with four color bars wears the Glacier Park label.  
Right: the Glacier Park version of the postwar Yellowstone Park blanket has
a yellow center pencil stripe instead of a black center pencil stripe.  



This post war 1940's magazine ad features the Glacier Park blanket,
and shows a typical "stadium blanket" in the lower left hand corner.