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Business & Industry

Blacksmiths, auto dealers, insurance, water, electric and telephone companies, butcher shops and groceries, all were essential to the community. Agricultural businesses ranged from livestock, fruit, citrus and nut orchards, vineyards and wineries, hops, grains, strawberries and vegetables.

Derr Family & Derr Lumber Company by Carole Crump

One of Elk Grove's oldest businesses, continuously operated by the same family, is the J.M. Derr Lumber Company. Carole Crump gives us some insight into the business and its founder J.M. Derr, Carole's grandfather.

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00:00 / 07:06

EG Water Company by Bud Jones

In January 1977, Mrs. Elizabeth Pinkerton's Joseph Kerr Middle School class interviewed Mr. Bud Jones, then the owner of the Elk Grove Water Works. Forty years later, the Linda Mae Mahon Lema Foundation had the honor of preserving the recording and the opportunity to create new audio casts from the original works. In this episode, Mr. Jones discusses the history and operation of the Water Works from its inception to the date of the interview.

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00:00 / 11:00

Hop Farming On The Cosumnes by Triple J Brewing - Part 2

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00:00 / 11:48

Hop Farming On The Cosumnes by Triple J Brewing - Part 5

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00:00 / 04:59

Hop Farming On The Cosumnes by Triple J Brewing - Part 3

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00:00 / 09:48

Hop Farming On The Cosumnes by Triple J Brewing - Part 4

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00:00 / 08:59

Hop Farming On The Cosumnes by Triple J Brewing - Part 1

In the summer of 2018, Joseph Parades and Jeremiah Sheckler spent time with the Linda Mae Mahon Lema Foundation relating the story of hops in brew-making and the over 100-year history of hops being grown along the Cosumnes River Valley.

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00:00 / 08:19

Hop Farming by George Beitzel

In May 2016, George Beitzel shared several stories of the Cosumnes River Valley. In this episode, he discusses hop farming along the Cosumnes River.

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00:00 / 06:35

Hop Farming by Tom Mahon

In September 2018, the Linda Mae Mahon Lema Foundation captured the presentation of Tom Mahonto at the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce when Tom told the story and history of his family's Ranch and of growing hops along the Cosumnes River Valley from the 1880s to today. In his presentation, Tom describes how in 1882, his Great Grandfather, John Mahon, began growing, harvesting, and drying hops for market along the Cosumnes River. As he tells the story, Tom paints a very vivid picture of what the Mahon Ranch was like from the earliest of times through the 20th century.

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00:00 / 12:30

Pistachios & Wineries by Bud Jones

In 1977 prominent Elk Grove citizen, Bud Jones, discussed with local students the origins in Elk Grove of what was once the largest pistachio orchard in the country. He also related, in great detail, the history of grape growing and wineries in the area, which dates back to the 1880s. This recording is part of the Elizabeth Pinkerton Collection and, through the Foundation, is being made public for the first time.

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00:00 / 11:32

Sheldon Grist Mill by Ellen Rosa

In an April 2016 interview, Mrs. Ellen Rosa described her remembrances of the Sheldon Grist Mill built in 1846-47 by her great grandfather Jared Sheldon. The grist mill was one of three water-driven flour mills that Sheldon built in California and was an important part of the economy of the area for many years.

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00:00 / 08:00

Sheldon Grist Mill by George Beitzel

In May 2016, George Beitzel shared several stories of the Cosumnes River Valley. In this episode, he discusses Reclamation District 800 and the discovery in the river of remnants of the Sheldon Grist Mill, which was built by Jared Sheldon in 1846-47.

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00:00 / 01:15
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