Horsetowns: Elk Grove The Gold Rush was an exciting time in Elk


Grove. Many stories came out of this period in the small town, including the rescue of Elitha Cumi Donner Wilder, a survivor of the Donner Party. Most of her fellow trav- elers perished in the Eastern Sierras in the winter of 1846 on their way to California. As the Gold Rush waned not long aſt er


it began, Elk Grove set led into an agri- cultural town with a distinctly Western feel. Farmers grew crops in the fertile soil, and raised cat le and horses. The town remained a sleepy hamlet, independent of Sacramento, which was growing by leaps and bounds. In the 1980s, all this changed. The boom-


ing housing market found developers building homes and condos in Elk Grove, which was only a 30 minute commute to Sacramento. Families from outside the area began to set le in the town, and Elk Grove’s rural atmosphere was slowly replaced by surburbia. Fortunately for history buff s, a coalition to


preserve the history of Elk Grove had been established in 1962 to save the many histor- ical buildings from the 1850s that still stood in old town. The Elk Grove Historical Society succeeded in its goal, and today the City of Elk Grove proudly stands watch over its his- torical landmarks. In fact, a renovation plan went into motion in 2005, returning Old Town Elk Grove to its former glory.


Still Horsey In 2000, Elk Grove was incorporated.


Offi cial city limits were drawn and what res- idents once considered Elk Grove were now outlying areas. Nearby towns like Wilton and Herald became home to most of Elk Grove’s horses.


When city lines were drawn, most of the


town’s remaining horse properties were no longer inside the city limits. Only a few equestrian enclaves remained with an Elk Grove address, although the closest horses outside of town were just fi ve miles away in Wilton.


Riedel Ranch Quarter Horses is one of the


remaining equine properties in Elk Grove. “I was born and raised in Elk Grove,” says


Sandra Riedel, who purchased her property with her husband 31 years ago. “The city has grown tremendously since that time, and we are now surrounded by subdivisions.” Although being one of the few equestrian


properties still in Elk Grove might seem unnerving, Riedel believes she is profi ting from it. “I give beginning western riding lessons to people who are moving into town who have always wanted to learn to ride,” she says. “It seems like everyone who has moved


Continued on next page


May 21, 2015


123


One of the larger horse facilities still in Elk Grove is the Starr Vaughn Equestrian Center, which is situated on 75 acres in the outskirts of town.


Brookside Equestrian Park comes to life during the popular equestrian events it hosts, like the Rein For The Roses pictured here on the weekend of the Kentucky Derby.


John O'Hara photo


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129