It was a local event that made national headlines, inspired a famous novel and remains a source of controversy to this day. On KVPR’s Central Valley Roots – we explore the story of the deadly gunfight in 1880 at Mussel Slough,
The Southern Pacific Railroad was a huge force in 19th century California. It wielded immense power, and was essentially a monopoly. Also, the railroad wasn’t just in the transportation business, it was also in the land business. The SP received substantial government land grants in the Central Valley, which they would go on to divide and sell to settlers.
That’s where the story of the Mussel Slough incident begins. The railroad advertised their land near Hanford as open to settlers. Many moved onto the land, and built homes and farms. Some purchased their land from SP, others balked at the railroad’s price, accusing them of "bait and switch" tactics. Today we might consider some of them squatters, or even land speculators. Tensions between the settlers and the railroad erupted on May 11, 1880, with a gun battle that left eight dead – five on the side of the settlers’ league, and two on the side of the railroad.
The incident would go on to inspire several novels, including Frank Norris' famous 1901 book The Octopus. In many cases, the story of Mussel Slough became sensationalized and mythologized, but it remains an important part of California’s history.
