Mussel Slough Tragedy

Date: May 11, 1880 • Location: Hanford, United States

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 1880.

A land dispute between the Southern Pacific Railroad and settlers in Hanford, California, turned deadly when a gun battle broke out, leaving seven dead.

The Southern Pacific was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names Southern Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific Company and Southern Pacific Transportation Company.