Location of the Mussel Slough Tragedy

 

Location: Brewer/Storer homestead; 3 miles directly north of Grangeville; 7 ½ miles NW of Hanford.  80 acre tract: west one-half of the SW on fourth of Section 4, Township 18 S, Range 21 E, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian. Brewer filed a homestead claim on July 8, 1875; patent issued April 19, 1881 (almost one year after the Tragedy). Adjacent was the west portion of Section 9, part of which belonged to the railroad.

The actual shooting took place about 250 yards west of Brewer's Homestead (cabin, barn and fenced area).

Today the field is located on the northeast corner of 14th and Elder Avenues in Kings County, California.  A California Historical Landmark marker identifies the field and can be seen on the east side of 14th Avenue, about 200 yards north of Elder Avenue.  During the growing season the field is planted in row crops, most recently, corn.  After harvest it is plowed and left fallow until the next planting season.  It is best observed at this time.

 

Map to the location (pending)

A Map of the Tragedy site can be found in
Images of America: Hanford by Robin Roberts (Arcadia Publishing, 2005).

Photograph of the field

Digital copy of a poor photocopy of the Brewer Farm taken from approximately where the shooting took place.
 

Copyright © 2005 Robin M. Roberts and MichaelDale Publishing.