Posted on 04/21/2022 10:47:10 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Capitalist ruin, dynamite’s legacy and the beauty of the Bay are all on view at this park
One of the most peaceful parks in the Bay Area turns out to be responsible for some of humanity’s loudest booms. Head to Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in Richmond for fantastic views of the water, a cliffside walk dotted with wildflowers and a history lesson in explosives manufacturing and urban ruin.
The Giant Powder Company had an exclusive license from Alfred Nobel to make dynamite — and did so in San Francisco’s Glen Canyon, until the factory got vaporized in a huge explosion in 1869 that shattered windows a mile away. The company reopened in a facility near today’s Sunset District, but that one blew up, too. At this point, locals had had enough and chased the company out of town to a location in today’s city of Albany.
Third time’s the charm… actually, no, that factory detonated in a major way that killed everyone on site and shattered more windows, this time as far away as UC Berkeley. In 1892, the company decided to go as remote as possible and moved to the vicinity of Pinole Point. There, it established the town of Giant to house its workforce, which by this point must’ve had an extreme case of the jitters.
Today, visitors can see remnants of the site’s volatile past in various odd structures and a path called “Nitro Trail.” There are several different ways to walk (or bike, scoot or ride horses through) the park. I choose a loop that begins at the Atlas Road Staging Area and takes about an hour to complete, including a stroll down an extremely long fishing pier.
The first thing that hits me is the camphoraceous scent of eucalyptus trees. They line the wide,
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You could not pay me enough to work in a dynamite or flash powder/fireworks factory or smokeless powder plant.
Most dangerous job on Earth?
Quite possible.
Thanks. I did a boiler tune-up at the old Hercules Powder Company around 1974, just before the plant closed. It was an archaic place then and still largely a company town. I haven’t been back to Hercules since.
Sounds like a good hike on the Bay.
—nonetheless, most modern explosives are made “wet “and there is little danger in the manufacture-
-when was the last time you heard of an explosives plant exploding?
I believe most recently they have occurred in China/Russia. A worker was killed in a Oregon fireworks facility last year or the year before I believe.
Murphy’s law always applies to energetic materials in bulk.
That is just my .02
My eldest brother worked as a security guard at Hercules in the 50s, after he came back from the Korea War, until he could find a better job.
Mom & his fiancée were nervous wrecks during his time there.
“...when was the last time you heard of an explosives plant exploding?” [rellimpank, post 5]
Hodgdon’s suffered more than one fire (not explosion). It ended Pyrodex production for some period.
—I probably should have qualified my statement to include only “explosives”-
-fireworks are a different matter—and I suspect are chlorate based, which does indeed almost guarantee fires-
—I do recall the Hodgdon’s fire—
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