I am working on the full-length play titled THE MUSSEL SLOUGH CHRONICLES – A CALIFORNIA TRAGEDY. We have a director and actors doing periodic table reads to flesh out the work that centers around the 1880 shootout that occurred in Hanford. At that time, it made national news. A few days ago, an interesting thing happened. I was contacted by one of the descendants of the shootout. This makes the writing of this historical play even more interesting.
The descendant is Jonathon Crow. He is the great, great, grandson of Walter Crow. He is researching for his own project of the event, and HMTC has offered to assist. His plan is to come to Hanford to research, and we hope to coordinate his visit with a public reading of our Mussel Slough play. I remarked to him that the location of the shootout is two miles north of the Kings County Historical Society, where the play reading will take place.
As well, Robin Roberts, who has authored books about Hanford and Kings County and has been an asset to the writing of the play, is also intending to come to the staged reading. He will be traveling from his current home in Wyoming.
Jonathan and I had a lengthy conversation about the Mussel Slough incident. We both agree that it was more significant than the shootout at the O.K. Corral with Wyatt Earp, in Tucson, Arizona -- a year after the Mussel Slough event.
Hidden in history of this Hanford shootout is, which of the shootout participants drew their pistol first. There are different interpretations. Of course, this play has an opinion as to who drew first.
I had expected a descendant to appear, and it was an exciting surprise It was a descendant of Walter Crow. Maybe more will appear.
January 9, 2022
