Ron Mandella Community Garden records

The Mandella Community Gardens was formed in 1971 as an endeavor in urban organic gardening and alternative energy experimentation. Established in Sacramento, California during an era of community activism, the Gardens promoted urban green space, organic gardening, air quality improvement, and ethnic harmony. The Garden was situated on state owned land under a renewable lease at a cost to the organization. Membership fees maintained any expenses incurred. The Garden was named in honor of Ron Mandella one of the original organizers, who died in 1978. Famous members of the Garden include Judge Lloyd Connelly. Infamous members include "Squeaky" Fromme, one of the followers of the notorious Charles Manson family.

When the state of California decided to sell the block to a private developer, in 200 a lengthy legal and political battle ensued between activist community members and state agencies. Protest rallies, sit-in demonstrations, speeches and news articles resulted in an effort to stop the sale. In 2001 after exhausting all legal resources, the Garden was closed and development of the parcel began. Today, the Garden has been developed into multi-family units. A portion of the original garden remains, but it no longer functions as a community green space.

The records of the Mandella Community Garden are primarily the records of its neighborhood development and later of its legal battle to retain their undeveloped green space in a densely urban setting. Interaction within the community and with other community gardens are documented. Numerous tutorials on organic gardening and environmental standards are retained in the records. Included in the collection are membership lists, correspondence, city counsel minutes, organic gardening publications, photographs and scrapbooks, financial records, legal files relating to the campaign to save the garden, video speeches, newspaper articles, physical artifacts from the garden and various ephemera.