Pomona battle tops list

Click title for story link Pomona battle tops list Joe Blackstock Article Created: 08/18/2008 06:48:00 PM PDT My pick of the Fight of the 20th Century didn't involve Joe Louis or Muhammad Ali or even Hulk Hogan. It was the Battle of First Street, a dispute over a dirt road in Pomona one Saturday in April 1901 that pitted 1,000 residents against the mighty Southern Pacific Railroad. Admittedly, it wasn't exactly the battles of Lexington and Concord, but the citizens of Pomona rallied that day to fight what they perceived as a great injustice. They won the battle, both as combatants and later in court. This fight came at a time when the railroads ran roughshod over California. Cities bowed to the wishes of these powerful corporations to ensure they would continue to bring their commercial benefits to them. Earlier in April, Southern Pacific told Pomona it was going to put a new track on First Street, which it claimed was part of its right of way. The city disagreed, saying the street was public domain, and took the matter to court. The railroad, unmoved by the opposition from the little farm town, took matters into its own hands. On April 13, a train arrived in Pomona carrying 200 workers prepared to lay the new track.