ORANGE COUNTY ALMANAC : Eucalyptus as a Hot Commodity
Aromatic oil of eucalyptus was one of Garden Grove’s first commodities. A plant owned by John C. Mitchell pressed gallons of the oil from leaves harvested in the city’s eucalyptus groves.
The pungent oil was used to help soothe colds and sore throats. In 1915, Mitchell sold 1,500 pounds of eucalyptus oil to drugstores in Los Angeles.
Source: Margie Stirratt, president, Garden Grove Historical Society
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