About Hendrickson's Music Store

    Ivan Hendrickson originally hailed from South Dakota. He decided to come to Turlock when a music supplier suggested that he should look into the potential of California's Central Valley. After extensive travels up and down the valley Mr.Hendrickson decided to hang his hat and his many instruments in Turlock. Ivan Hendrickson settled in Turlock in 1946 with two things - a love for music in all forms, and the ability to play and perform 29 different instruments. 

    It wasn't long before Ivan Hendrickson had a full compliment of students, usually between 20 and 50 years old. Ivan Hendrickson's influence did not end with simply teaching them to play their instrument of choice. Like any good maestro, Hendrickson also led them in many public performances. 

    "When my husband was doing the student orchestra, it was exciting to be able to watch them perform all over town," Eleanor Hendrickson remembers.

    Ivan's goal was always to have at least three public performances a year, of course that meant that there would be lots of rehearsals to get ready. In order to rehearse the music store would have to be cleared to make room, then put back together so they would be ready to open for business the next day. One of Ivan Hendrickson's favorite pastimes was to take his family aboard the houseboat he acquired from a loyal customer who traded it for a debt on a banjo.

    The original location for the store was a very small building located at the time next to the Carolyn Hotel. Very close to where the Jack in the Box is located now. From their the store moved to a slightly larger location next to the old Greyhound bus station which is now the site of Jura's Pizza Parlor on Golden State Boulevard.  After that, the store had stints in several locations before settling into its current location at 223 N. Center St. in 1976.

   Ivan Hendrickson passed away in 1982 and since then the family has continued the business, Eleanor Hendrickson operates the family run business with the help of her two sons Doug and Clyde Hendrickson and daughter-in-law Connie Hendrickson and Connie and Clydes daughter Leah.  Also serving customers is Shannon Salado and Josh Bailey. Over the years the talents of the Hendrickson family have touched the lives of thousands of Turlock residents, preserving Hendrickson's Music's place in Turlock's history books as one of the town's oldest and most successful family-run businesses.