Mabel Blair Birdsall

Born in 1877 as the youngest child of John and Jane Blair, Mabel lived in Placerville with her 3 living siblings until the age of 10 when her family relocated to Sacramento to expand the Blair business empire. In Sacramento, Mabel attended high school and became the Belle of Sacramento’s young social scene. In 1898, she married Ernest Stratton Birdsall in what was considered to be Sacramento’s biggest wedding of the decade. Mable and Ernest settled in Auburn where she helped Ernest to expand and grow his family’s successful olive oil empire. In the years that followed, Mabel partnered with Ernest in support of his political campaigns for the state legislature. Birdsall was victorious and represented Placerville and other Sierra Foothill counties in the senate. Mabel Blair Birdsall raised three daughters with Ernest. She never forgot her Placerville roots and would often stay locally for extended periods of time while attending to family business and other affairs.