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ORAL HISTORY

Jim McMurtry

Jim McMurtry and his family have owned Smokey Denmark Sausages since 1972. In that time, Mr. McMurtry has expanded his factory, updated production methods, and brought his daughter and son-in-law into the business. Though a lot has changed at Smokey Denmark since its beginning, Mr. McMurtry, a genial, proud, and funny Texan who manages to juggle a second job as a lawyer along with his Smokey Denmark duties, has remained a constant presence in the factory in East Austin. Here, workers, many of whom are long-time employees, create sixteen different kinds of sausage, as well as brisket, chopped barbecue, and spare ribs. Smokey Denmark supplies many barbecue restaurants with sausage, and Mr. McMurtry says that his relationships with these restaurant customers have become treasured family connections.