The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. – Romans 16:20
The Mussel Slough Tragedy occurred on this day in 1880 in the San Joaquin Valley. The conflict arose out of a dispute between the Southern Pacific Railroad and settlers. After receiving approval for a rail line through the slough area, the railroad wanted to reroute. Secretary of the Interior Orville Hickman Browning refused the company’s plan, though only Congress had the authority to do so. Settlers and squatters moved onto the land expecting to acquire land titles at a low price. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the railroad’s charter allowed them control of the land as well as the cost settlers would pay for it. After the deadly showdown between the settlers and rail and law enforcement northwest of Hanford, California, the railroad proceeded with construction, only slightly reducing the asking price for the land.
As the Lord leads, pray with us…
- For federal, state, and local governing officials as they determine how infrastructure projects will proceed.
- For judges and justices of the federal judiciary as they weigh the legality of corporate claims against those of the people or the individual.
