▁cred ited ▁with ▁launch ing ▁California ' s ▁o live ▁industry ▁by ▁perfect ing ▁a ▁process ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁fruit ▁for ▁ship ment . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Fred a ▁E h mann ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Germany . ▁ ▁Career ▁She ▁owned ▁a ▁small ▁o live ▁gro ve ▁outside ▁O ro ville ▁in ▁the ▁Sac r amento ▁Valley , ▁and ▁sought ▁ways ▁to ▁increase ▁her ▁market ▁beyond ▁o live ▁oil . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁ol ives ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁successfully ▁preserved ▁for ▁long - term ▁storage ▁or ▁ship ment . ▁Working ▁with ▁a ▁University ▁of ▁California ▁food ▁scient ist , ▁she ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁pick ling ▁methods ▁before ▁hitting ▁on ▁a ▁formula ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁market able ▁product . ▁ ▁She ▁founded ▁the ▁R ipe ▁O live ▁Indust ry ▁of ▁California . ▁▁ ▁Today , ▁E h mann ' s ▁home ▁is ▁the ▁headquarters ▁of ▁the ▁But te ▁County ▁Historical ▁Society , ▁and ▁t ours ▁are ▁offered ▁regularly . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁Women ' s ▁Club s ▁affairs ▁and ▁was ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Fin an cial ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁Y M CA ▁Building ▁Fund . ▁▁ ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁O ro ville ▁Monday ▁Club . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁She ▁lived ▁in ▁Illinois ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁California ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 2 . ▁She ▁had ▁two ▁sons : ▁Emma ▁Bol les ▁and ▁Ed win ▁W . ▁E h mann . ▁She ▁lived ▁at ▁ 4 0 2 ▁Lincoln ▁Street , ▁O ro ville