https://herculeshistory.org/files/original/7f2dca0aae5fd6bc355c013ed8f5b8db.pdf 59c4dbdc01321d24dbb85579a07d1115 PDF Text Text REMEMBERING DAYS PAST: HERCULES, 1879 to 1979 �REMEMBERING DAYS PAST: HERCULES, CALIFORNIA 1879 to 1979 Researched and Written by Cori Ojala fCevin ~cCJrath Edited by Pamela Dorway~ Worley Associate Editor Patricia ~. Perkins �EDITOR'S NOTE T he plant is rusted and decaying, the Clubhouse doors are boarded up, and vacant Village houses are vandalized. The company town of Hercules Powder Works is no more. Across the freeway new life abounds. Houses are built, people move in, children's laughter is heard; a new community begins. These people live in Hercules, too, but a far different Hercules than existed in the company town. Many of the new citizens have never been to Old Hercules and have never seen the site where their City dug its roots. It is important to know the past to better understand the present and future, but too often the past is lost as the people who lived in it pass on. This book is written to preserve the memories of those who lived in Old Hercules and to inform the new Hercules residents about the City's past. The authors, Hercules residents Kevin McGrath and Cori Ojala, are students at Pinole Valley High School who enthusiastically accepted the challenge of discovering the City's past by interviewing people who had lived and worked here. This book, as its title suggests, is the story of Old Hercules compiled from the stories kept in many memories. It describes what was most important to people; their jobs, their every day life and the big events, such as explosions and wars. Memories fade with time, so the information in this book has been verified by as many sources as possible. The authors interviewed people who had lived in Hercules through all its stages of development, compared their stories with one another and used what written material was available. Thus, we feel that this book achieves its purpose of preserving the memories of the past. It is our hope that you find it enjoyable. -Pamela Dorway-Worley, Editor Spring 1980 �J', I \ ~ 'I"' '' .., / --- ... .-_ ,_J . • . ...,.,.-.--.. .... t , ,_. _c~ . ,_~. . 'J-...... ,..1: .•~ " "'1~'~ . ' .. . . ... . , ..." ~ :.' ,~ ' '-~~·I·· • - ",~ -, • .-'" ~. : ~; I ; " . . -~- . .;..~If" j~' .• . . ' " . ..... ' "~· I , ~. • . ~ . ~ ~. ~, ~'J{ ' T . ~ ., . • .1:" aM-l . _. - - . . ..• • I -.,,, _-.~ • ,' t • ,r ",' -- ./' ..I ... •• , "! '. . / / The Town of Hercules / ": ~ �TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor's Notes ...... ii Map of Hercules ...... iii Pioneering in the Explosives Industry ...... 1 From the Ground Up .. . . . . 3 A New Century, A New City ..... . 4 Two Towns, One Community . .... . 6 The Reign of DuPont .. .. .. 8 Expansion and the Great War .... . . 9 The Social Scene ...... 11 Growing Up in Hercules . . .... 13 The Hill People and The Villagers ...... 15 Hard Times: The Depression Years .... . . 17 To War Again ...... 19 Women Workers and Unions .. .... 20 Explosions: An Occupational Hazard The 1944 Explosion .. . . .. 21 The 1948 Explosion .. .. .. 22 The 1953 Explosion ... . .. 22 Dynamite to Fertilizer ..... . 23 The Plant Changes Hands ...... 24 The Present and The Future . ..... 26 Bibliography . ..... 30 v �PIONEERING IN THE EXPLOSIVES INDUSTRY W hen the Industrial Revolution of the 1800's hit America, California Powder Works joined the ranks and started a company on the west coast. What began as a California Powder Wo rk s' plant site on the shores of San Pablo Bay grew into the company town of Hercules that thrived thro ugh o ne hundred years, three transferral s of o wnership, and five wars. The histo ry of California Powder r - - - - - - - - - - - , Works started when its first plant was estahlished near Santa Cruz, California in 1861. In the husiness of making black powder, a highly explosive substance, California Po wder Works prospered and provided fier ce competition fo r the other west coast explosives' firms . However, in August, 1867, Albert Nobel, the Swedish chemist, invented dynamite and the industry changed dramatically . He sold his patent to the Giant Powder Company, one of California Powder Works' rivals . Giant then had the exclusive right to manufac ture . ,~L. dynamite-and they weren't sharing that right with anyone. Most customers of California Powder Work s' black po wder soon switched to the more effective dynamite manufactured by Giant. Giant's competitors were in an uproar! They desperately needed Nobel's fo rmula to manufacture their own "little red sticks." Arguments arose over who had the right to make dynamite. Finally, the matter was taken to court and after months of delays and court postponements, the government retracted the patent. Consequently, California Powder Works launched its dynamite business on January 9, 1868. In 1869, California Powder Works established a dynamite plant in San Francisco in the same area that is now Golden Gate Park. Sand dunes, wild grasses and isolation from civilization made it a perfect locale for producing dynamite. Because the process was still in its infancy, dynamite exploded periodically, injuring plant employees and damaging the few buildings that were on the grounds. As San Francisco developed and the populace moved closer towards the plant, the dangerous business of producing explosives proved undesirable and California Powder Works was forced to find a new location. In 1879 they purchased a 21.7 acre parcel of land on the isolated shores of San Pablo Bay, an ideal location for a plant whose products were known to explode occasionally. For safety purposes the buildings were constructed in a series of gullies and ravines. On September 26, 1879 Samuel Tennent, acting for the late Rafaela Martinez de Tennent, sold the first piece of land to California Powder Works . One month later, on October 27, Catherine and C.S. Cousins, Samuel, John, Augustine, Annie and Jamie Tennent, all pioneers and prominent figures in the history of the Hercules-Pinole area, sold the company additional �Chinese game of fan-tan while the scent of opium pipes drifted through land for $750 in gold coin. Ten years later, Bernardo Fernandez sold the room. Wages were paid once a month at noon on Saturday. After 24.3 acres of land to California Powder Works for $500 in gold coin. receiving their pay, the Chinese quickly made their way to the railroad The plant was constructed in two years and finally in 1881 started depot where they purchased round-trip tickets to San Francisco. producing dynamite, its main product. The Hercules plant did not Since the Chinese workers formed the majority of the plant's start manufacturing black powder until 1913 when the entire Santa employees, the California Powder Works closed down for one week to Cruz plant and workers moved north to reestablish in Hercules. allow the Chinese to celebrate their New Year. Most left for San Before the migration of the Santa Cruz workers, the Chinese came to settle in the China Camp of the California Powder Works at a time Francisco to partake in the New Year activities with friends and relatives. when opposition and degrading hostility were often directed towards For thirty-five years, the Chinese served as trustworthy and loyal them. China Camp's housing facilities consisted of two wooden workers in the production of explosives in Hercules. Before the last of those left China Camp in late 1913, dozens of Chinese and Caucasians dormitories located 200 yards from the plant's main entrance. As died in tremendous blasts. Residents many as 375 Chinese resided in the often mistook the explosions for long and narrow box-like buildings that contained three level bunks earthquakes in cities as distant as HONG QUONG stretching the length of the walls San Rafael, Oakland and liverCitizens of the Hercules China Camp were under the superin the sleeping quarters. The bunk more. The powerful blasts caused vision of the shrewd well-known Chinese boss, Hong Quong. A was a four foot wide and six foot cracks in walls and ceilings and vocal character, he also was known for being a wealthy San long space rented to the men by pitched glass from windows, Francisco Chinatown aristocrat. Nobody knew what his income one of the Chinese labor bosses. causing injuries. was but he was paid in gold coin for every service or favor he perIn another section of the structure, From 1881 when California formed for his fellow countrymen. permeated with the odor of incense Powder Works began operations in Those «generous" favors included getting the unemployed and spices from their native foods, Hercules, to 1919, 59 lives were Chinese a job with the California Powder Works, making sure were the kitchen and dining areas. taken by explosions. The majority that he held the job and finding a place in China Camp for board The Chinese held jobs in the of the devastating blasts happened and lodging. Another of his services which added to his income nitroglycerine lines where the risks in the nitroglycerine house and the was allowing the boarder the pleasure of sitting and eating at the involved were the most dangerous buildings in which the dynamite table in the dining parlor. A lesser price was charged by Quong if and life consuming. For a backwas produced. The most disastrous the boarder had only seating privileges, and even less if the food breaking job of 60 hours in a sixexplosion occurred in February, was eaten standing up. These all brought to Quong a prodigious day work week, most Chinese 1908 when 24 men were killed in a if not handsome profit. laborers received only $1.25 per single explosion. The damage to the Quong's wealth did not last forever, for in the great San Francisco day. These men were paid far less buildings and equipment was noted earthquake in April of 1906 he lost his entire fortune. After this than white workers even though as a loss of $100,000-a price which tragic occurrence Quong collected what little funds he had left they held more dangerous jobs. was quite astronomical for the days and returned to the land of his birth, never to be heard from again. After work, they remained to when Teddy Roosevelt was Presithemselves, playing poker or the dent of the United States. �FROM THE GROUND UP 'B uildings remaining from days gone by are the only landmarks left in Hercules to provide proof of its distinguished past. The Clubhouse, a mighty multi-roomed, three-level wooden structure, became the center of social activity for white male workers who excluded the Chinese. Planning for the Clubhouse began in 1897, stemming from the encouragement of the plant employees and the acceptance by the plant superintendent. Five thousand dollars was appropriated for the building by the California Powder Works' Board of Trustees, but, due to the Spanish-American War, construction was postponed until 1899 when an additional $5,000 was designated for building the structure. Upon completion, the imposing wooden structure housed, on the ground level, a barber shop, billiard tables, card room, dance floor (that also served as a boxing ring), stage, kitchen, library, reading room and showers and baths. Indoor swimming pools were quite uncommon then, but in the basement of the Clubhouse was a lead-lined tub about 20 feet wide by 30 feet long and 9 feet at its deepest point. Later, the swimming pool was removed and replaced by a two lane bowling alley which still remains today. The top floor was utilized as a meeting hall and drafting room and also, in later years, the City Council chambers and a Boy Scout gathering place. Another large wooden building served as the first Administration building. Here, the Superintendent and his engineers occupied offices The brick Administration building constructed after the original headquarters burned to the ground. 'j until a fire totalled the building in 1901. However a sturdy tri-Ievel brick building replaced it. Offices, the main switchboard, a printing press, meeting rooms, and a post office were contained inside the imposing structure. ' ,. ~.,.,j,;..~. --.;;: During this pioneering A home on the "Hill" which later became Hercules City Hall. stage in the field of explosives, a laboratory was constructed across from the Administration Building on Railroad Avenue to conduct experiments and analyze chemicals. As the plant and its products rapidly expanded, a two-story brick building equipped with a more efficient, modern lab, W3S erected overlooking San Pablo Bay . The chief clerk and his family resided in the present Hercules Police Department Office across from the Administration Building. In later years the little home became the Hercules branch of the County Library and finally the Hercules Plant Hospital, one of the first industrial hospitals in Californi3 with a resident physician. That tin y hospital was a pioneer in the deadly explosives trade in America. In the 1910's, Nathaniel Hawthorne, gr3ndson of the renowned Scarlet Letter author, made his home in the present City Hall. Later, it becall)e the home of the plant Safety Engineer. Cattle roamed over wide fields which were owned by the well-known Ellerhorst family, who occupied the only land and home in Hercules that did not belong to the powder company. Their property was located next to San Pablo Avenue adjacent to the Santa Fe Railroad station. The John McLeod's, the second family to occupy the structure in its hun- The Ellerhorst Ranch, once the only privately dred year history, live there today . held land in Hercules. �A NEW CENTURY, A NEW CITY O n December 15, 1900, with a population of less than 100, Hercules officially became an incorporated town. Previous to the incorporation, the Company officials were finding it difficult to get the County Board of Supervisors to pass laws necessary to control the production of explosives. Consequently, town fathers formed a town so they could make their own laws. After much deliberation, they decided to name their new town Hercules, the most appropriate choice since residents and employees had already been calling the area by that name for many years. The actual name, Hercules, comes from a potent and explosive black powder, first made in California Powder Works' Santa Cruz plant. The Company named their product after Hercules, the Greek mythological hero known for his strength, in order to signify how powerful their black powder was. Even before its official recognition as a town, the California Powder Works built homes for its workers, believing it was in the mutual interest of the company and the employees that workers live as near to the plant as possible. Workers in management positions lived on the "Hill," while the laborers lived in the "Village." According to old residents and powder plant workers, the Village was "its own little com'munity" with neighbors watching out and caring for one another, as if they were family. In the following years, there was always a long list of people who desired to live in this community. Herculesstreetscape, 4 Traffic problems and crime were almost non-existent in the Hercules Village. Rent was the lowest in the county for the 100 yenrs that the Village was inhabited. Residents said that around 1920 their monthly rent was $10, including electricity and water, for a two-story home. The price was less for the smaller "box" type homes. However, as the cost of living rose, so did the rent, and by 1978 people paid as much (lS $62 every month, including all utilities. The Village was built in five sections, each with its own architectural style. Queen Ann Cottages were pioneer houses built prior to the turn of the century on Pinole and Bay streets. In the early 1900's a second group of boxy two-story homes were constructed. Colonial Revival in style, they were located o n the Bay, Hercules, Park, Pinole and Santa Fe streets. Around 1915, duplexes were erected on Hercules and Bay streets to house the new growth of employees. Because Hercules was supplying munitions to the military, the U.S. Government started to build homes for the employees. The war ended before the houses were completed, so H ercules bought the unfinished structures and completed them in 1920. They were similar to the duplexes on Bay and Hercules streets, The last cluster of homes, on Skelly, Durham (lnd Bacchus streets, were constructed [(lter in a simple , less orn(lte architectural style popular during World W(lr II. A Colonial Revival home in Hercules, �- --- _.. ... _-_. - _ _---_ .. .. • ... - ----- _ .. -- -_.. _ ._._.._- -- _.. _ --- WHITE COLUMNS Beca use of hi s job <md positio n in the social scene of Hercules, the Superintcndent u( th e Powdcr Works had the privilege of li ving in the beautiful lnansion on the hill. This "palace, " as some people rcferr ~ d tu it, \V:l S built at the (urn of the centur y under the superv i ~ iO I1 ()f Supc:rintenJenr Jo hn Berm ingham, Jr. Two white wooden pillar~ covered with roses graced the entrance to the lung dri vc\vilY leadi ng to the home. These structures gave the house its nanH.', "White Column s. " A wide ve randa suppo rted b y wouJcn l ulumn s ran the length of th e front and west side of the house . [n the 19 I O's, this veranda \vas enclosed with glass and portions of it we re used as slee pin g quarters. Above the two main stories was a sp:1cious attic where some of th e help li ved prior to World War 1. In the basement were a partments, :1 laundr y room and large pantr y wh ere the superintendent's wife kept h er jellies, jams and citruses. Although White Colull.lls had a number of chimneys and firepla ces, including an openfire hearth in the dining room, they were no longer used to hea t the ho use aft er the c031 burning furn al~e was installed in the hasement. Shortly before World War I, steam heat was introduced and gilded cast -iron radi ators were installed in most of the rooms. Upstairs \vere five hedrooms. The bottom fl oor included a large living room which had a ro unded bay window that boasted a beauti- ful view of the shoreline and the Bay. The interior of the house was of the most modern decor for its time. The walls were covered in alternating strips of redwood paneling and red stained burlap which was desc ribed b y residents as "most effective." The gardens surrounding White Columns were maintained by two gardeners who were on the company's payroll. Greengage plum, apple trees and many types of flowers made the gardens a perfect sett ing fo r the numerous parties held at the house. The grounds were maintained as a park years after the house was tr agically torn down in 1945. In that year, White Columns was dismantled by the plant's C hief Engineer who wished to use its wood for his new home in Pinole. He was immediately fired for this action even though he h ad served twer~ty years with the Company. In a report defending his acti ons to the main office in Wilmington, Delaware, he said that the house was beyond repair because it had been damaged by flying glass in the 1944 explosion. But, as one who li ved there for fifteen years explains, "That was not so .. . we lived through maybe seven or eight explosions during the time we lived there and (there was) no d amage." Even though White Columns no longer exists, many people still remember it as a fabulous southern style home where they spent many happy hours as guests of the plant superintendent and his family. White Columns. home of the Plant Superintendent. ' -_ __ .•__ _. ._ _ _ ..._ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _---l �TWO TOWNS, ONE COMMUNITY TOUGH SCHOOLMARMS PRODUCE TOUGH KIDS Pinole-Hercules School. W hen people moved into the Hercules Village, they found that the town and neighboring Pinole existed almost as one community. Citizens of the two cities shared the same shops, restaurants, and saloons. Hercules had no public stores. The Clubhouse, which provided the Company employees with light meals, wines and beer, operated on a limited schedule. When the Hercules workers were paid, the bachelors headed for one of Pinole's fourteen saloons. They purchased other necessities at A.B. Greenfield's Pinole Bazaar. Thus, the Company indirectly supported the Town of Pinole. The schools also united the two cities. In the early years, Hercules children attended Pinole schools. Residents of Hercules formed their own school district in 1903, but in 1904 they decided to combine with the Pinole School District. The Company took an active interest in the schools, and at least one member of the Pinole-Hercules School Board worked for the Company. When the Pinole schools became overcrowded, the California Powder Works purchased land for a new school. 6 Parents, teachers and principals gave high priority to the education of young people. They demanded the best from each student-and usually got it. The Pinole-Hercules Elementary School was noted for its high academic standards and stern discipline. Principal Frances Ellerhorst ruled the school with an iron fist and a kind heart. Teachers were tough (and all female) but they cared about the individual child. They demanded that students learn their lessons, and if they acted improperly, they were punished. There were those children who objected to the discipline. Some of the youngsters fought back. They didn't win, but they fought. One former mischief-maker relates, "I've seen some awful good fights in that school ... between teachers and kids!" Nearly every student who graduated from the school can remember at least one little disturbance quite clearly. One student said, "I can recall one ... it was a Frances L. Ellerhont. dandy with beads (from the teacher's neck- Schoolmarm & Principal lace) flying all over the place .. . they fought up the stairways ... back down the stairways ... well, you get the idea." Truancy was not a problem because children either went to school or faced the consequences at home. Students who were late for school made certain they had a proper excuse signed by a doctor. The stern discipline and caring attitude made a difference. Several graduates recall that at Pinole-Hercules School they were doing 11 th grade English in the eighth grade. When these students went to Richmond High, they were more advanced in their studies than the students from Richmond, San Pablo, and EI Cerrito. The Richmond High School principal once said, "I can always tell students from Pinole-Hercules School-not only by their academic record but also by their behavior." �i i r I '!' In 1905 the new Pinole-Hercules School was built on a hill overlooking sections of both cities. Pinole-Hercules Elementary had eight teachers who taught kindergarten through Grade 8. Miss Frances Ellerhorst was both principal and a teacher until she retired after teaching for over 50 years. The school was strict and students feared expulsion. One student remembered that, "if you got kicked out of school, your old man drop-kicked your fanny for about three blocks." All who went through the system praised the school's curriculum and faculty. The teachers would give an assignment. Fast learners would be left on their own while the teachers devoted most of their time to the slow learners. Old timers admit that "every' kid who went to Pinole-Hercules Grammar School learned." However, learning was more difficult for the Portuguese children. Their parents, who often could not read or write English, were unable to help their children with their studies. "It was rough; I had nobody to help me," stated one of the Portuguese students. Through the help and patience of teachers, these problems were eventually solved. The Portuguese immigrated to Hercules as the Chinese were leaving. In the years to follow, the Portuguese made up £ifty percent of the plant's entire labor force, holding jobs in the TNT lines, dynamite and maintenance shops and almost all other sections of the plant. The Company considered them valuable employees, not only for their ability to work well but also for their pleasantness and sense of humor. Clall!! picture, Pinole-Hercules School. �THE REIGN OF DuPONT I n 1867 General Henry DuPont of the famous DuPont chemical family sought control of California Powder Works when he acquired $20,000 of California Powder Works' stock from a major stock holder who had become disenchanted with his holdings. A year later another major stock holder made a similar generous offer, boosting DuPont's interest in the California Powder Works to a powerful 43Vz% of the corporation's stock. In 1903 DuPont bought out the remaining large portions of stock in the nation,wide California Powder Works, creating a monopoly in the dynamite industry. In 1906, E.1. DuPont de Nemours Powder Company paid California Powder Works $10 in gold for the title to the Hercules Plant. The name California Powder Works was changed to DuPont Powder Company, but operations continued in the usual manner with the same employees. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act, passed in 1890, led to the dissolution 8 IIIICITI, '" T _ W ..k ...-·:,n&mft l -~~~ IIUCIIoD Il10&.,. at tWIN numft, T ... .. of company monopolies owned by DuPont, Rockefeller and other powerful captains of industry. In 1912 the U.S. Circuit Court enforced the act in the DuPont case ruling that because DuPont had created a monopoly in the dynamite industry, it must dissolve the company's dynamite holdings. Therefore, the Hercules Powder Company, incorporated on October 17, 1912, in Wilmington, Delaware, took control of the 1300 acre Hercules plant. In reality the situation remained the same as before the dissolution, since most of the major stockholders in the Hercules Powder Company were also members of DuPont's Board of Trustees. �EXPANSION AND THE GREAT WAR .. 'B efore the U.S. Government declared war on Germany, the Hercules plant was involved in World War I producing dynamite and TNT (Trinitrotoluene) for the Allied Forces. In 1915 the plant manufactured 20,000 pounds of explosives daily, but in 1917, after the U.S. entered the war, the average zoomed to 80,000 pounds. Hercules boys go to war. Before the war, TNT was not manufactured in any great volume due to lack of demand. During the war years, however, TNT became the main product of the plant. The Allied Forces utilized this highly dangerous and explosive product as a bursting charge for their explosive shells. After the declaration of war was signed, the U.S. Government requested that seven additional TNT lines be built in Hercules, raising the total to twelve lines. These additional lines were hurriedly constructed in early 1918 and were in partial operation a few months ... ' '. I- I , .,., 'f"~' :'i:~~i.". The dormitories, home for workers during the Great War. later. By September they were producing over seven million pounds of TNT a month, making Hercules the largest producing plant in the U.S. With this expansion, the company was inundated with a wave of new workers. These additional employees lived in dormitories which stood directly opposite the east entrance to the Clubhouse. The twofloor structure was in the shape of an "H" with extending wings and a veranda encircling the entire bottom story. It contained adequate rooms where, for a $20 monthly fee, the men slept, washed and showered. Other boarding houses extended down the hill behind the main one near the site where tennis courts were later constructed. People who lived there reported these dormitories provided a comfortable residence. Feeding these extra employees at the Hercules Powder Company proved to be no problem. Concerned for its new employees, the Company quickly built a long dining room beneath a beautiful grove of trees across The Bachelors' Club used for a guest bouse and recreation from the Clubhouse. center. . At first, only the single men who lived in the dormitories frequented the establishment. However, in the following years this eatery became known for its excellent meals and soon more non-bachelors began to eat there. Since the plant was constantly in operation, dining room hours were scheduled to serve each shift. Three highly skilled chefs worked to keep the restaurant open around the clock, creating delicious meals from the fresh food kept in the ice plant in the dining room's basement. After the war, the majority of new workers were no longer needed and the dining room was closed. Consequently, the bachelors 9 �.~ ,~. " ~ "! ,l "., ' ~' "",.~~,. f .. of Hercules were forced to look elsewhere for a good hot meal. The H erc ules Powder Company prepared against German spies on the assumption that a munitions plant would be an object of first attentio n by destructive agents. As a result, full time guards were hired to patrol the perimeter of the plant and adjacent -lands. These 100 gtwrds were ex-National Guardsmen and soldiers from the Spanish-American W ar. They were statio ned along the fence-line about 300 feet apart, within signaling or yelling distance . Some patrolled the border o n h o rseback. Guards were fed in the same manner as plant wo rkers. Th eir quarters, which housed ahout 80 men, were located near the main entrance, about 300 feet east of the administration building in a roomy o ne-story huilding. These guards remained at the plant for the dur ation of the war. 10 THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING Periodically, Hercules Powder Company's home office in Wilmington, Delaware sent men on junkets around the country to check operations at company plants. Consequently, the Hercules people were used to keeping their best foot forward at all times. Thi s undoubtedly came in handy when two Russian military inspectors representing the Czar came to look the plant over just befo re World War 1. In addition to the industrial wonders of Hercules, the town wanted to show off its society to these visiting dignitaries. They most probably lo dged in the special rooms in the dormitories that were kept reserved and ready for guests of such import ance. Of course, they dined with the cream of town's society at White Columns, then the home of Superintendent Armstrong. They were given royal treatment befitting the Czar's top aids. These gentlemen must have liked what they saw because Hercules subsequently received orders to ship dynamite and black powder to their home land, Russia. Since this happened before the fall of the Czar's dynasty in November, 1917, one can only speculate as to what part Hercule's muniti ons played in the Russian Revo lution . �THE SOCIAL SCENE T he social scene in Hercules was a flurry of activity in the 1910's. When the Clubhouse was built, the workers formed an exclusive club and adopted its constitution on January 12, 1911. Only Causasians were allowed to join even though many Chinese were also employed at that time. For the monthly dues of one dollar, the Club promoted the "social, literary and athletic welfare and pleasure of its members." The Superintendent of the Powder Works was automatically President of the Club and supervised its activities. The remaining officers were elected officials nominated from among the workers at the plant. The men spent evenings there using the bar facilities where beer and wine were sold. According to many, the best part about belonging to the Club was the monthly dinner for members only. Laughs a former member, "They were something-a big stag affair!" These "feeds" often turned into poker and crap games with high stakes. They also had a "special entertainment" just for the men. "In the fifties they used to run porno films," recalls a former member, "just to give the men something to do." TRIANGLE PARK Bordered by the well-kept homes of plant employees, Triangle Park was a small landscaped jewel of manicured lawns and tall, sturdy palm trees where children ran free. Even before World War I, the Village ladies, who were rarely allowed in the all-male Clubhouse, started a tradition of meeting in the park. During the Great War, the Community Center was constructed in the park's widest area and, subsequently, the multi-service structure served the entire Village. In the twenties, dance classes were taught so people could "show their stuff" when community dances were held. Occasionally, the center was used for town meetings and as a voting place. A library was also housed there. In 1918, parents petitioned for the opening of a kindergarten. The Community Center was chosen as the best location since the park had recently been improved and the lawn replanted. After May of 1923, children ran to the park after school to play in their new playground. City taxpayers appropriated money for $1,000 worth of swings, slides and other recreational equipment for their children's use. Even though this was considered an enormous sum of money, the Villagers felt it was an important feature for the community. Later, when automobiles became more accessible, people travelled to Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco for leisure time activities. The idle building was sold to St. Joseph's Church in Pinole. To facilitate its transport, the building was split into three pieces and reconstructed at its present location in Pinole where it serves as the St. Joseph's parish hall. The lovely Triangle Park still remained, however, as a place for Hercules children to spend many happy hours together. Ladies in the Triangle Park. 11 �The Club also provided fun for the women. The Halloween, Valentine's Day and other holiday dances were big social affairs. People from Piuole also attended these dances when invited by a Club member. The young people in Hercules got a great deal o ut of the Club, too. Every year they accompanied their parents on a Club-sponsored family picnic which was held on the beautiful plant grounds in Refugio Valley. At Christmas the Club threw a big Yuletide party at which each child received a gift. The Clubhouse became a way of life for the men. Their wives, however, were usually left home to tend to their chores. Between 1910 and 1925, few women worked in the plant. Aside from the traditional jobs as secretaries and telephone operators, most positons in a dynamite plant were considered too dangerous for a "delicate lady ." Consequently, they were mainly housewives and mothers looking after each other's children in the family-like atmosphere of the Village. If they wished to go clothes shopping, they walked to Pinole. However, every morning a man from Ruffs store in Pinole came to the back door taking orders for groceries. Later that day, the food was delivered by a horse and buggy. lee from the ice plant was also brought to each home to be used in the iceboxes which were the only means of preserving food. Once a week a Chinese merchant from San Francisco traveled to Hercules on the Southern Pacific train. He carried his wares in wicker baskets attached to a long pole that he wore oxen-style and visited each home selling fresh fruit, vegetables and, to the children's delight, Chinese candy. . Without modern conveniences, housewives were fa ced with the never-ending task of keeping house. They washed clothes with a 12 '. '..1' -~ • . .,- '--" <, 5- l: '. i" ~. Chinese merchants preparing their wares for sale. wringer washing machine and hung them to dry on a line. They scrubbed floors and cleaned carpets without the help of an electric vacuum. Cleaning was more difficult because wonder cleaners had not been invented yet. Of course, there were no quick foods or microwave ovens so cooking a meal was often a chore in itself. Occasionally, the ladies would gather in the Triangle Park's community center to gossip and play Whist. At 4:30 p.m., however, they headed ho me to greet their husbands who left work at 4:45 p.m. �GROWING UP IN HERCULES W hile their fathers worked and their mothers tended the house, the boys o f Hercules were often found creating mi schief. Once they placed railroad ties across Santa Fe Avenue, which wrecked cars that came along. They switched pull carts from the Southern Pacifi c Depot to the Santa Fe and vice-versa, raised one of the Fernandez' buggies up the post office flagpole, and when boredom really set in, tipped over outhouses in people's back yards. Street lamp "globes" in the town became the practice targets for boys who drew these tempting objects into the sights of their sling shots and air pistols. After citizens complained about the darkness on the streets, the Board of Trustees passed an ordinance outlawing the use of such weapons. Although slingshots and air pistols were banned, many boys took hunt~ ing rifles to the black powder plant in Refugio Valley, shooting the plentiful rabbit, quail, dove and opposum. The boys also swam from rafts fashioned from stolen railroad ties and scrap lumber. These rafts, which resembled a small island, contained as many as eight rail~ road ties nailed together. They paddled them as far as a mile and a half out into the waters of San Pablo Bay. The Hercules Powder Company permitted fishing from its wharf and the boys took full advantage of this privilege. Their make-shift fishing poles made of sturdy branches and a string with hooks, pulled in large numbers of sea perch, commercial crabs, striped bass and flounder. This sport lasted until the boys foolishly snuck cigarettes in the little building at the end of the wharf. Smoke seeped o ut the window, giving the boys away. Consequently, the wharf was marked off limits to all, including the innocent non~smokers. The youths' shenanigans knew no bounds. The ultimate thrill of bravery was to maneuver a waxed piece of wood, called a "sled," down the slippery grass on the 100 foot long hillside by the Masonic Lodge. They rode with reckless abandon, sometimes getting hurt , but always having fun. They also "borrowed" push-carts from the carpentry sh ops and pulled them to the to p of a nearby hill. At the summit, the boys care~ full y pointed their vehicles toward the opening that led to the wharf and on the word, "go," hung on for dear life as the carts zoomed down the hill. Skillful drivers could "bump" the end of the wharf without falling into the Bay. On Halloween, mischief of all types abounded. The boys' antics became a problem so the town's Board of Trustees appointed a special for ce of three men to , keep watch on Halloween night. If caught, the boys had the misfortune of being lectured and reprimanded by the plant's Superintendent. Four inches of snow fell in 1913-the first many Hercules youngsters had ever seen. One young boy walked o utside with his mother to see the gentle flakes falling softly to the ground. Deeply impressed by the sight, he said, "Mommy, have I died and gone to heaven?" While it lasted, the snow was a wonderful playground for youngsters and they took full advantage of it. The girls made their own fun, rarel y joining the boys in their adventures. Bicycles were their main source of entertainment. The girls biked to their friend's houses and then wandered around the area in a group. As they grew older, the girls traded their bikes for tennis rackets. They gathered at the courts for "as long as there was light to play by," recalls one wo man who joined the fun as a girl. In the evening, the girls often congregated to listen to music and visit. Big events such as the dances at the Clubhouse were anticipated f9r days. Great thought went into what to wear and the buying or making of new clothes. Birthday parties were big events celebrated with the traditional cake and ice cream. 13 �The girls were not allowed to work at the plant, but the boys were offered several opportunities to make money. Because minors were forbidden in the area where explosives were produced, many of the older boys worked in a non-explosive part of the plant called the sack wash. The sack wash, where nitre bags from Chile were cleaned was located at the water's edge near the bridge over the Southern Pacific tracks. Here boys 16 years and over worked for 35 cents an hour. boiling the bags in fresh water washes and then hanging the dripping sacks on clotheslines where they were dried by the Bay breezes. The sons of the plant's superintendent earned spending money by selling the milk that was left over after milking the cows that were kept in their parent's stables. They delivered the milk in porcelain buckets after school to the villagers. Setting pins for the bowlers in the Clubhouse basement was another after-school job. Hercules and Pinole boys were notified of job openings by the- manager of the Club. Each of the boys had his night to set pins for which he received a very good wage compared to wages offered for other jobs. 14 �THE HILL PEOPLE AND THE VILLAGERS cA lthough Hercules was geographically separated into the Village section for the plant employees and the Hill section for the bosses, a former Hill resident explained, "all of Hercules was one big family." There was little difference between management and workers. An employee often called on a manager for a ride to town or a loan of money. Socially, they considered each other equals and frequented all of the same functions. The people on the Hill did have certain privileges not usually given to anyone else. Living on the Hill itself was considered the biggest advantage of being a boss. The Hill people had exclusive rights to the gas tank located at the side of the Clubhouse. The Village people had to go into Pinole. The children who resided in the management area were Wearing masks during the 1918f\uepldemic. driven to school while youngsters living just yards down the slope of the Hill walked. This upset some people but it became an established tradition and, like most traditions, hard to break. In addition, everyone who lived on the Hill had his own gardener, while the people in the Village tended their own yards. Material differences were forgotten and the residents of the Hill and Village came together when they were faced with a common problem. In the fall of 1916, the people of Hercules were faced with such a problem-a mild intestinal disease which was caused by polluted Pinole Creek water that was used for auxiliary drinking water and fire supply, and by the general unsanitary conditions from open outhouses. THE STATUE OF HERCULES Hercules, the mighty mythological hero, stood draped in his lion skin robe, powerful and ready, his club resting upon his shoulder with his hands clasped tightly around the handle. Towering a lofty 13 feet high, this massive chicken wire and stucco work of art was constructed in the summer of 1913, the year after the Hercules Powder Company took over the plant from DuPont. It was placed on a hill overlooking the Southern Pacific railroad tracks and San Pablo Bay. A popular mode of transportation in those days was the passenger railroad that ran some 50 feet from the site of the statue, placing it in plain view of the riders. Clad only in his lion skin with _• its tail extending to the base of the statue, railroad passengers were surprised, shocked and embarrassed to see that Hercules "was exposed in every manner." People took a disliking to the sight of "his tail and other appendages hanging out." Many complaints were made to the company by people not known as connoisseurs of the arts, and as a result, the statue was dynamited in the late 1920's. The statue had seen the war come and go and the expansion of the plant and the Village . He had heard the roar of the '20's and then left with the ending of the happy years and the birth 6 ~ of the Depression. Hercules. IS �of fo 01 w Ie tr w b \\ d i ~ ( This was just a mild foreshadowing of a sickness called "The Spanish Influenza," a serious intestinal disease which claimed many lives around Contra Costa County and the nation. On October 24, 19 18 , the Board of Trustees passed an emergency ordinance directi ng people to wear gauze masks in o rder to curb the Spanish Flu epidemic. They stressed that "no person b e allowed in the streets, walks, or public places in the Town of Hercules unless th e nostrils and mouth are protected by a gauze m ask." Public and private gatherings of any kind were prohibited. These precautions weren't taken soon enough. By Halloween of 19 18 , fo ur Hercules citizens h ad died . That same evening, the Hospital Assoc atio n of Hercules gave people hope by saying, "as a result of the mask ordinance, the epidemic was gradually coming under contro\." This statement proved premature. By N ovember 29, over 475 cases had been t reated . Of these, fourteen deaths resulted. Soon after, the illness began to di ssipate and Hercules went about the everyday business of livi ng, saddened by the loss of friends and family. 16 READING THE NEWS Through the years, citizen s were kept abreast of the latest news and gossip through The Hercules News, the Herculite, and the Hercules Mixer. The Hercules News , the fir st newspaper published in the City, was read faithfully until 19 10 when it ceased operations. No purely local paper existed again until the Herculite began its operations during World War II. The editor-in-chief Goldie Sill published news from the plant and village, ran safet y messages, and featured the popular cartoons and caricatures by Bud Gegan, a plant chemist. A faithful reader claimed the paper contained "all the deliciolls little tidbits that anybody could think to tell o n somebody else." Although Goldie wrote many articles, she also relied upon her reporters in every department of the plant. The bi-weekly, which was printed in the administration building basement, was handed to the men with their paychecks. The Hercules Mixer, a company-wide monthly magazine published at headquarters in Wilmingto n, Delaware, had been popular among plant employees since its inception in 191 9. Readers of both publications claimed that the Home Office in Delaware develo ped "some sort of bug" about the Herculite competing with the Mixer. Th e Herculite was forced to cease publication after years of popularity. The Mi xer remained popular. By the late forties they had a staff of over 50 people fro m nearly all the plants throughout the world. Every edition had an average of 30 pages and was distributed to all the employees of the Hercules Powder Company. Still published, the Mixer comes out only quarterly, and each time it does, the magazine provides o ldtimers from Hercules with a reminder of the past. �HARD TIMES: THE DEPRESSION YEARS R udy Vallee crooned over the radio airwaves while Edward G. work records and 25 to 30 years experience suddenly found themselves Robinson and Gloria Swanson loomed larger than life from out on the street looking for work. A regular number of men frequented the Hercules Employment the silver screen. People read everything from Gone With the Wind to War of the Worlds. They heard about a short, politician in Office only to hear the personnel manager tell them that there were no Europe who seduced the German people with his fiery speeches. This openings available. The few who did get jobs recall getting them only was the thirties and the era of the Depression. by determination and luck. "I probably went up there just about every The Depression had an effect working day for almost a year and everywhere. The cruelest years applied," recalled one job hunter. were 1932 to 1935 when an average The reply was always the same, of twelve and one half million "nothing doing today; nothing doing today .... " After a year of Americans were unemployed. Men, women and children living in the frustration, the man sought out poorer sections of the country the plant manager. The manager stood in breadlines, hungry and listened to his story, talked to his foreman, and found him a job. cold. The most appropriate phrase and song was "Buddy, can you Most people were not as fortunate spare a dime?" -due to lack of sales, very few In Hercules, due to a lack of jobs existed. demand for their products, the The Depression's effect on those Hercules Powder Company experiwho continued to work at the enced a slowdown in production. plant was not outwardly visible for it was masked in the neatly kept Following President Franklin D. little homes, the trimmed lawns Roosevelt's dictum, it chose to meet the most immediate problem and the grand palm trees. However, first; that of keeping as many the people of Hercules were like people working as possible. Conone family and the plight of those sequently, in 1933 employees went who were laid off touched and influenced the lives of friends and from a 6-day to a 4-day work week, relatives who remained employed. decreasing the number of men who Lay-offs and lack of money were were laid off. not the only problems people Still, many men lost their jobs. Those fortunate to have a job work at the ammonia oxidation plant. faced. Workers at the plant also One former employee recalled the had to cope with the long and short term effects of dynamite on day the assistant superintendent came to the plant after lunch, most their health. reluctant to tell them that "tomorrow your time is terminated." Unemployment insurance did not exist and, as was true of most The "powder" or "N.G." (nitroglycerine) headache was one of these chronic hazards. It was caused both by dust inhalation and by the organizations, the Hercules Powder Company did not have a pension handling of black powder. When the men got the powder on their plan. Social Security had not yet been conceived. Men with sterling 17 �c f Working at the loading dock. 18 hands, the nitroglycerine entered the body, the heart beat increased in rhythm and blood rushed to the head causing a pounding pain. ''It felt like someone put an ice pick right thro ugh the center of my head," remarked one former sufferer. Nausea accompanied these headaches and many men became extremely ill. "There were many who never ate their lunches-they would just leave them and walk off," another employee recalls. Employees who trans- ferred to other sections in the plant after working with the po for long periods had to be taken away from the chemical gradt just as a drug addict must reduce his drug dependence sIc Sickness would result from an immediate change. Many men who worked in the powderline complained that the I aches were a constant way of life. One employee recalled, "You'd I work on Monday and you'd get that headache and carry it through you until Friday night. Then you come home for Saturday and just 1 to get over it Sunday, and then you go right back to it again ." The remedy to lessen the pounding was to go home, lie quietly on the I room couch and apply cold cloths dipped in ice water to the r However, in the years of the Depression any job was h valued. Even though the men who produced dynamite suf physically, they kept their jobs so that their families co uld re: in their homes and food would be on the table. This fore survivia'l and a special sense of loyalty held the workers toge �TOWARAGAIN 'P earl Harbor had been bombed and the country was at war. Fear abounded; people saw the enemy everywhere, especially in people of German, Italian and Japanese descent. Because the Hercules Powder Company manufactured war supplies, the German and Italian people here came under especially close scrutiny. One Italian-American remembered that his father, who was not a U.S. citizen, was forced to move to Concord, "because it was miles away from the defense plant at Hercules." Germans and Italians were allowed to return after signing loyalty oaths. Most of these people were not bitter about how they were treated ; they believed it was for the good of the country. Feelings were different toward the Japanese. Even though no ne lived or worked in Hercules, there was a great deal of anti-Japanese feeling. Although some animosity existed towards the Italians and Germans, the anti-Japanese feelings had racial overtones. "They were different than we were, " explained one plant employee. Since Hercules was a defense plant, people were patriotic about the defense of their country, their freedom and their boys overseas. The war put many people back to work, ending the long Depressio n, and no one remembers complaining about the discrimination. Today, however, thirty-five years later, many people are questioning the government's decision to relocate people because of their nationality . One white American sits back in his chair and sighs, "War thinking is no thinking. It's no n-think." It was this "war thinking" that led people to fear the enemy even in the quiet town of Hercules. The United States feared that aggressors, both internal and foreign, would try to damage the war effort in every way imaginable. Because the government thought that the munitions plant could become a target of saboteurs, 80 Missouri Reserves, men from from 25 to 75 years old, worked as guards during th~ war, residing in the Clubhouse's top floor. The around-the-clock guards checked in for duty where the Hercules Post Office is today. Other watch houses were located at various points The Guardhouse which later became the Hercules Post Office. alo ng the "Burma Ro ad," which ran along the plant's perimeter inside the fence. They patrolled thi s road on three-wheeled motorcycles. A sabotage scare that occurred in Hercules during World War II happened o n a cold, frosty N ew Year's Eve in 1943. A solitary watchman, stationing himself on the bridge, leaned his Browning automatic rifle against the rail and stomped his feet to keep warm. The rifle fell to the ground discharging a single bullet that shot through the main natural gas line. Officials closed down the entire plant for over three hours to make repairs. Since no reported incidents of sabotage occurred, abandoned cars and trespassers became the guards' most pressing problems. One night a watchman spotted a trespasser in the dynamite storage area and gave chase. When the intruder picked up speed, the guard shot at him missing completely. The angry trespasser turned and yelled, "What the hell did you do that for?" The stunned guard fired five more shots and missed each time, allowing his intended victim to escape. People never felt quite as safe after this incident. 19 �WOMEN WORKERS AND UNIONS W omen became an important part of the plant's working force during World War II because most able-bodied men went overseas. Jobs previously reserved for the men were offered to their wives, sisters and girlfriends. Women had always worked in the hazard-free jobs such as secretaries and phone operators, but in the 40's they worked virtually everywhere. The shellhouse, where dynamite was packed, was staffed mainly by women, even in the late 1800's. Now women were also found in the powder line, acid department and power house. In the pre-war years women lacked an education in the labor crafts and thus were unemployable as machinists, carpenters and blacksmiths. According to one male employee, women did "little knick-knack jobs" such as reading gauges. However, some had operators' jobs, making dynamite with male co-workers. Their inexperience in jobs formerly held only by men caused some resentment. Some men felt they were a burden until they learned the necessary skills. Then, this resentment faded away and lasting friendships developed. The women received the same wages as men for the same jobs. Women with a wide education in chemistry who worked in the laboratory earned more money than less-educated males. However, discrimination did exist in Hercules. No woman held a management position. They were not allowed in the all-male Clubhouse. This tradition lasted until the 1970's when the barriers fell and they \vcre welcomed at the Club by almost everyone. Another far-reaching change occured in the 40's: unions. In the early ycars of the Hercules Powder Company, employees had no connection with the union. One old timer explained that "in those days you had to work hard any place. You didn't have no union to protect you like you do now." The Depression of the 30's brought a yearning for power among certain factions of the labor force. They wanted the support of an organization that would help them get fair treatment from their employers. However, some people feared a union would only change the informal relationship between labor and management. "It was an old man's home until the union came in," one worker remembered, with employees and bosses co-existing "like one big family." Pro-unionization people tried desperately to win support from coworkers, with little success. Finally, however, the plant superintendent 20 Workers at the plant called the plant employees together and, as one worker stated," started preaching a sermon about the union." The listener remembers that "he said we didn't need a union, we would never get a union because we were just small potatoes." This last remark angered some workers and made them more determined to unionize. Thus, it was the superintendent's speech against unionization which helped change the minds of many who were originally opposed to the idea. In 1942, the Mine, Mill and Smelter Union became the bargaining unit for the workers, and continued in this role for about six years until the federal government, with its McCarthy "witch hunt," claimed that Communists worked for the union. Not wanting to be called communists, the laborers quickly changed to the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers Union in 1948, an affiliation that lasted until the plant closed down thirty years later. Reactions to the union were mixed. One former O.C.A.W. member maintained, "Basically, I'd say the unions did good because they protected your seniority, but I think they could have done more." Other employees are unwavering in their opinion that the union hurt the plant "because if a man didn't want to work ... you couldn't fire him," and "It made bums out of good men." Conversely, there are people who praised the union. Even a laboratory employee who never joined because of his position praised the O.C.A.W. "It did help them get salary increases and more benefits." Relations between the organization and the Hercules company were good, however. No strikes occured when Hercules, Inc. owned the plant because they met the demands of the union within reason. �EXPLOSIONS: AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD -------------------------------------------- ~ - - - - --- ---~ THE 1944 EXPLOSION On a cool December morning in 1944 operations were running normally when everything seemed to lea p into th~ air. An ~arsplitting roar accompanied by a huge pillar of smoke leaped mto the air and then mushroomed o ut. Almost immediately after the nOI se of the blast died down, you could hear the moans of the injured and the screams of the wo~en. The nitroglycerine rnixer had exploded, killing ~wo men and .1I1Junng a total of 25 in the immedi ate area. One woman m the recreatio n h all of th e Triangle Park suffered a fra ctured skull when the ceiling of the building collapsed. The injured were c<lrried to the plant hospital 111 the Administration Building and to an emergen cy fir st aid station. A blast survivor recalled that "even before I he ard the bla st so mething seemed to fo rce the air out of my lungs. It seemed a long time b efor e I co uld rega in my breath." The bl ast's tremendous force "damn near wiped out eve ry window in the village" and sh attered windows in three counties, injuring more people there . It was the coldest time of the yea r, so the H ercules Powder Company quickly employed a contractor who, along with others, worked night and ~ay putting tar paper over the broken windows to keep out the fr eezmg December winds. Some people li ved in darkn ess fo r over a month. Since it was wartim e, the Navy moved in and took control of the chaotic H ercules Village and plant. TheY' roped off the are a to insure th at no o ne entered or left without proper permission. Telephone communications with Hercules were pre-empted fo r emerge nc y calls only, including man y to the m ain office in Delaware to report d amage. The Federal Bureau of Investigatio n arrived o n the scene one hour after the ex plosion to investigate the possibilit y o f enemy sabotage . ~ o evidence of an Axis Po wer scheme was ever reported or made publIc. M ost fo rmer emplo yees do ubted that sa botage was the reason for the explosion, and by piecing together informatior:, the fa cts in the case hcca mc clearer. Two buildings, the nitrogl ycenne neutralt ze r and the storehouse, were dcstroyed. Nitrngl ycerine was carried by gravity .down a V -shaped gutter from the neutralizer to the storage where It fell mto a tank of wmer which cushioned its fall. Observers helieve that "whatever ha ppened, it h appened at the storage. That nitrogl~ ce:ine running in th e gutter- it just fused it ri ght o n up to the ot her bUlldmg and bl ew up the two huildin gs at the SClmc time." SHEEP PROVIDE FIRE PROTECTION The sound of the fire alarm caused shivers of fear to run down the spine. Workers knew how dangerous fire was in an explosives plant and how quickly it could spread through the dry grass around the plant. An innovative employee suggested using sheep to eat the grass and alleviate the problem. Soon 2,000 to 3,000 company-owned sheep were ro aming around the plant eating the grasses. The company hired a full-time herder who lived in a shack near the present-day Bell Telepho ne building on Syca mor~ Avenue. He, with his dogs, raised the sheep and gathered their woo l. When work at the plant slowed down during sheari ng time, employees helped the herder shear the sheep . In later years, the company sold the sheep and gave up its exclusive right o n the sales of the wool and the responsibility of supervising the grazing. The new o wner kept the she~p on ~he land where they continued performing their fire prevention duties. Later, packs of dogs from the Hercules and Pinole areas began killing the sheep in large numbers. Consequently, the sheep were moved and replaced with cattle. . Controlled burning programs were instituted as another fIre prevention measure. When the explosives production was shut down , crews carefully burned the tall, dry grasses growing aro und the buildings. Due to high risk of uncontrolled fire s, this process was abandoned. Thereafter, crews cut the grasses by hand. 21 �THE 1953 EXPLOSION DYNAMITE DEPAR 3 ACCIDENT FREE YEARS THE 1948 EXPLOSION Three and a half years aft er the tragic 1944 explosio n, another blast killed two workers. It occurred in the nitroglycerine manufacturing department. "I was running the dynamite machine ," o ne survivor recalled, "and knew there was an explosion before I heard it. There was glass dancing along the floor, so I reached up and shut the tamps off (stopping the machine process). You get the flash first but I was too far away to get the flash . Then the force of the explosio n pushes air into its center and sucks it o ut and then yo u get the bang last . If you hear the bang, you're safe!" The explosion destroyed one large plant creating a gaping hole several feet deep, shattering windows in Hercules and Pinole, and causing reverberations felt in neighboring cities. "As we made our way to the blast site, word circulated that there was nothing left but a hole in the ground," stated a \vorkman. "It looked like a crater. The dirt was pulverized to as fine a dust as you ever saw in your life. It was a squarish-round hole where the building once stood." Bulkheads, the dirt mounds designed to confine the blast from spreading, were almost completely destroyed. A one ton chunk of metal roc keted into a eucalyptus tree where it sat suspended off the gro und . Burning fragm ents of the demolished 50 by 60 foot building scattered like hail o ver a wide area. Within 40 minutes fire-fighting units brought all fires under co ntrol. The two men killed were the only workers in the building at the time of the explosion. Three hundred other employees who worked in the plant escaped injury. One man, however, who was closing up for the day at a similar nitroglycerine unit about 200 feet away, was hurled several feet through a doorway but escaped, suffering only shock and a sprained thumb. Ironically, the men in the Hercules plant were recovering from news of a similar explosion at the Hercules Powder Company plant in Kenvil, New Jersey. That blast, which killed three men, took place in the nitroglyce rine unit just four ho urs before the West Coast explosion. It was almost five years before the next major explosion occurred. Workers in the dynamite ingredient store house, known as the Dope House, were mixing chemicals. Suddenly, other workers smelled smoke and rushed to sound the fire alarm. All over the plant workers shut down their machines and rushed to the Dope House. The Dope House had caught fire, as it did periodically. Usually, the hoses were dragged in, the fire extinguished, and repairs made. "It was never anything too serious," one worker remembered, "We didn't know what we were getting into this time." H o wever, on that day, February 12, 1953, at 12:53 p.m., an explosion in the Dope House did occur. It flung bricks, metal, wood and bodies in all directions. The men in the area scrambled for cover to protect themselves from the falling debris that rained down upon them scattering fragments o ver a wide area. A metal crossbeam from the building landed in an upright position, stuck in the ground, glowing intensely with heat. Those present were shocked, horrified and frightened. The smoking remains of the building were strewn with the bodies of twelve dead men. Limbs torn from their bodies littered the area. Moans of the injured rose from the rubble. "You could see some of the men who were killed," one rescuer recalled. "This one guy was blown half in two and lying across one of the lines above us." Despite their shock, the workers searched for the injured and tended to their medical needs until professional aid arrived. Next came the cho re of locating, removing and identifying the dead. The mortuary deputized the men and supplied them with bags in which to place the remains of the dead for later identification. One man remembered picking up two arms. "It was so bad that it didn't bother you at the time because it was so unreal." Twelve men were dead and many more injured or maimed for life. The survivors couldn't block out the bloody event. Men who had fought in the battlefields of Europe remarked that the explosion site was as bad or worse than anything they had ever seen. "The whole thing is still pretty much of a screwed up mess. A lot of us are that way, although we won't admit it," recalled one survivor. "Things like that make a man sick and I don't care how tough you are, you're just never tough enough to see something like that and pass it up." Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Army intelligence arrived some time later to check for possible sabotage. Although o nly commercial explosives for mining and construction were manufactured, investigations were held for precautionary and official reasons. The entrance (0 and from the plant was closed. A survivor recalled that "nobody got in or out and you had to have a good reason if you wanted to get in there. Not even wives were allowed through the gate." No sabotage was discovered. �DYNAMITE TO FERTILIZER T he area's booming population coupled with the declining .market for dynamite and the danger to employees from its manufacture, led the Company to change its focus. In 1964 dynamite manufacturing was discontinued at the Hercules plant ending a nearly century old union of the town and explosives. Fertilizer became the new product. Throughout its history, the Hercules plant experienced changes due to expansion and new product development. The powder company was easing out of its role as a manufacturer of explosives as early as 1940 when an anhydrous ammonia plant (NH3 fertilizer) was built. A tide of growth began which continued for twenty-five years. The NH3 plant was a relatively new development that was supposed to be "the greatest thing since Haley's Comet." Later however, these new machines became outdated and the plant needed to expand even more. In 1959, Hercules began construction of a multi-million dollar manufacturing facility, the first of its kind in the western states. The company's goal was to annually produce eight million gallons of methanol, 50 million pounds of formaldehyde, and 11 thousand tons of urea formaldehyde composition. Completed in 1966, these were the last buildings constructed in Hercules' 25 year transition from explosives to fertilizer. Since it no longer manufactured black powder, the Hercules Powder Company was renamed Hercules, Incorporated. Before the plant was completed, the men who had worked in explosives went to special training classes on fertilizer production. In addition, newly-hired men (called "start-up" men) who were experienced in fertilizer manufacturing provided on the job training. Consequently, everyone received extensive training because, as one operator said, "You just don't go in and start a plant up without some experience behind you. It's just too dangerous!" The fertilizer business thrived in Hercules for a decade. However, one problem that Hercules faced in manufacturing fertilizer was controlling pollution in and around its plant facilities. In the late 60's and early 70's, the State of California and the federal government instituted stringent measures to eliminate pollution. Hercules, Inc. was forced to put in its own controls. One employee explains, "We did everything-it must have cost the company millions of dollars." Several chemists agreed that Hercules was "on borrowed time. Pollu- tion would have eventually closed the plant down." After inspections by various environmental agencies, the plant received some citations. One citation was for the nitric acid stack which emitted a heavy cloud of toxic red smoke. Water contamination was another potential The fertilizer plant. problem. One ma n ran water pollution control tests every day. According to some workers, the state went overboard in its water restriction, maintaining that "the state made us put it back cleaner than we took it out. It was getting a little hard ... but we survived." However, the Hercules Powder Co. barely survived in its last years. Men became suspicious. Ten years had lapsed since the ammonia plant addition. Machine part requisitions were rarely filled except those which replaced motors and parts that kept a particular unit running. One former employee remembers wondering why they didn't build new additions or make major improvements. "They didn't try to fix things up any," he claimed, "they just kept it running." Because of their concerns, the workers approached the plant manager to question him concerning the plant's future. The manager informed them that by the early 1980's the plant was either going to be sold to another company or shut down entirely. The reasons were obvious. Machinery became outdated and corroded. A worker remembered, "You'd weld a part and it would never hold because the plant was deteriorating." Competition was another factor. Other fertilizer factories had installed modern equipment and were producing their products more quickly. The Hercules plant was obsolete by comparison. The price of natural gas made it less expensive to produce fertilizers in other countries and import them to the United States than to produce them here. As a result, from 1974 to 1976 potential buyers toured the plant to look into a possible purchase. 23 �THE PLANT CHANGES HANDS I n 1976 the Hercules Powder Company sold the plant site to Valley Nitrogen Producers, a chemical and fertilizer producing corporation that owned other plants in California. VNP invested a great deal of money towards the plant's modernization. Most employees fared well financially from the change. Those 65 and over received their full pension from the Hercules Powder Company. Men who were 50 at the time of the sale could get part of their pension; those under 50 had to wait until they turned 65 to receive any of their pension. One employee, however, was 26 days short of turning 50 years old so was forced to wait until he reached 65 to get it. According to an employee who had worked for Hercules for many years and then continued working at the plant for VNP, the supervision towards the end of the Hercules Powder Company reign had been spread too thinly in the areas where dangers occasionally presented themselves. To aid this situation, VNP placed more supervisors em the hazardous job sites to insure that the men were able to perform their jobs more efficiently and to enforce the ever present safety standards. Although VNP made needed changes in the plant, . the attitude of the workers was not the same. The era of the "family" that Hercules Powder Company had fostered was definitely over. This became clear during the contract disputes which led to the eventual strike by angry employees. The plant at Hercules had operated without a walkout for over 95 years under the ownership of the Hercules Powder Company. While relatons between the company and the workers did become strained at times, no disputes became critical enough to cause a strike. The only strike in the plant's history was the bitter labor/management dispute which curtailed operations in 1977 after Valley Nitrogen Products had taken control of the plant. The workers struck for better working conditions and disputed holidays. However, the conflict was much more complicated, according to one worker, "I think it was a serious problem between Valley and the union. Valley wasn't in favor of the union or the union employees." Oldtimers with 20 and 30 years experience found themselves walking a picket line for the first time. They were disturbed by the violence 24 which occurred. One senior worker explained, "Some of the people developed a lot of resentment but I think it was only because they were personally involving themselves in something they had absolutely no reason to. It had nothing to do with what we were fighting for. They were letting their own personal feelings take control and venting them on certain people. This caused a good deal of problems." One chemist who wasn't allowed to join the union because he worked in the lab sighed, "It was a bitter experience having to go through a strike line." One younger employee with two years experience explained that although violence existed, it was not any more than in most other strikes. Many who walked the picket lines felt that belonging to the union was a benefit at the time. "It gave us a lot more strength because ... the Martinez Local brought all their strength to bear with us. It kept us from fighting a lone battle." These strikers felt that without the aid of their union they wouldn't have been able to make it through the three and half months. However, a management employee felt that, "there wouldn't have been a strike if it had not been for the union." �Today, over two years later, people believe VNP would have kept the plant running had it not been for the strike. The plant was not shut down completely during the entire course of the strike. VNP revived it for one month with outside help while the strike was going on. "We ran it perfectly-beautifully," boasts a manager. Some strikers disagreed. They felt that the company hired workers "off the street that had totally no experience." This inexperience reputedly lead to some serious physical injuries. Paying for these strike breakers proved too costly to the company. VNP was paying for their lodging and transportation of workers from other plants in addition to their salaries. When the company could no longer afford the expense, the Hercules plant was closed down temporarily. Later the plant was closed permanently. Cost and profit contributed to the final shutdown that ended the strike and laid off employees. The company found that it was easier to shut down the plant than try to keep it running with the strike still going on because, as one observer stated, "business in this fertilizer business was going down and down." It actually became cheaper to purchase the product from another country and ship it to Hercules than it was to manufacture it here. The cost of natural gas, a vital part of fertilizer production, had skyrocketed with inflation. The infamous drought of 1977 also added validity to the idea of closing the plant because the farmers had no need to fertilize their crops if they couldn't irrigate. Some company employees felt that the drought hurt most of all. Even though the drought was harmful, other people feel VNP would have kept the plant running anyway if they could have settled the strike. However, the strike was not settled so the plant was shut down, leaving many without jobs. The employees were given the option to transfer to one of the other VNP plants in EI Centro, Helms or Bakersfield, California, retire if they were of age, or look elsewhere for employment. This caused bitterness and resentment towards the company which is still felt years later. Immediately after the shutdown in November of 1977 the plant was offered for sale. It remained idle until 1979 when it was purchased by a group of investors called Hercules Properties, Ltd. 25 �THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE cA fter Hercules, Inc. ceased producing dynamite in the 60's, the company realized that it no longer needed the large parcels of surrounding land which served as a buffer zone. They decided to create a new city on the land outside the plant. The City Council developed a General Plan to form a new city. After two years of working with consultants and holding numerous public hearings, the General Plan for a city of 22,000 residents by 1990 was adopted by the Council. Hercules, Inc. had originally intended to develop the land rather than to sell it to other developers. After a close examination of the immensity of the project, they decided that their lack of experience in the development field would make the project undesirable. They began selling the land to other developers. In 1974, Centex H omes of California, Inc. purchased the first section of land, a large residential area near the noth-eastern boundary of the City. The Centex purchase was a gamble . No o ne was sure that people would be willing to move to this part of the East Bay. Most new housing was being constructed in Central Contra Costa County and Alameda County. Woodfield Park looking towards Lupine Street. 26 The work that went into the General Plan paid off. People lined up to buy the new Centexhomes finished in 1975. New residents were attracted to the rural feeling of open space and to affordable houses. Hercules was a booming town once again. Twenty-five percent of the area in the City will be open space and parks. The natural environment and the country feeling can still be maintained; the developer proved that tract houses don't need to be "ticky-tacky boxes all in a row." The General Plan calls for housing to satisfy the needs of all types of families and individuals. Projections call for single family houses, patio homes, townhouses, condominiums and apartments. To help manage this growth, the Council hired Ralph Snyder to be City Manager. His job entails supervising the growth by working closely with City staff and developers and overseeing the day-to-day workings of the City. Since Hercules is still small, the Council has contracted with KCA Engineers of San Francisco to perform planning inspection and engineering functions. Bill Chapman is designated City Engineer and Gary Odaffer is the City Planner. The planning process is a complex one involving staff work with developers, City C o uncil input and public hearings. Each neighborhood will have an elementary school and adjacent public park. Two proposed school/park combinations are completed. Woodfield Park, named after the late Mayor Gene Woodfield, is next to Hercules School. Both the school and park have been in use since September, 1978. The park contains two tennis courts, a baseball field, playground equipment and a large grassy area for play. The Ohlone Elementary School, named for Indian tribes who once lived in the Hercules area, opened its doors to children living in the Sunstream and Country Run developments in September, 1979. The adjacent Ohlone Park is located among huge stands of eucalyptus and oak trees. Its primary use is for passive activities such as picnicking rather than for sports. Like Woodfield Park, it is located in the middle of a residential area, providing a recreational facility within walking distance of people's homes. The Refugio Valley Community and linear Park spanning the City from east to west will provide a focal point for the community. A bike path and jogging trail will wind through the City from Refugio Valley �to a water front park near San Pablo Bay. Long range plans of the East Bay Regional Park District will connect the Hercules bike and foot paths with a trail system reaching from Richmond to Martinez. At the junction of Refugio Valley Road and Sycamore, a man-made lake, an amphitheatre, a large playfield, and tennis courts are planned. At the eastern end of Refugio Valley Road will be a tot-lot and picnic area. The waterfront park will include the historic area known as the "Hill." The Council has expressed an interest in purchasing and renovating the Clubhouse so it can once again be used as a recreation center for the citizens of Hercules. The houses and office buildings on the Hill may someday house restaurants, art galleries and small offices. No new buildings will be constructed so that the area can remain much as it was when Hercules, Inc. operated the plant. Many of the houses in the Village also will be preserved. However, the Village no longer looks the way it did when the company town was in its prime. When Hercules, Inc. slowed its operations, fewer workers and fewer homes were needed. In order to avoid the fire hazard of empty houses, the company tore down the unused structures. Today, 34 houses remain standing. An architectural historian has determined that 20 of these houses are structurally sound enough to rennovate. Several plans for an historic district have been presented to the Council. The Council has yet to decide which would be most appropriate. Plans call for the meadow area to be part of a new housing development. The Triangle Park would be the site of a recreation center for new residents of the meadow area. The commercial and civic center of the city will be located on Sycamore Avenue. A twenty-five acre shopping center on Sycamore across from Refugio Valley Road will be completed in late 1981 or early 1982. An Alpha Beta super market, a major drug store, a hardware store, a junior department store, banks, shops and restaurants will be included in an attractive, creatively landscaped shopping center. The Hercules Community Services Center will be adjacent to the shopping center. Although no plans are finalized at this time, the Civic Center may include city offices, the police department, Council Chambers, meetings rooms, a theater and a day care center. The building will be energy efficient perhaps solar heated or placed underground to use the natural cooling effects of the earth. The Council and the community will give a great deal of input before plans are finalized. Tentative schedules call for completion of the Civic Center in 1981 or 1982. In the acre of land located between the Bell Telephone building and I-80, office buildings for real estate, insurance, a savings and loan and similar businesses will be built by a private partnership. In addition, small parcels of land are zoned for neighborhood commercial centers. These areas will have small grocery stores, repair shops and similar convenience stores. The industrial zone of the City consists of 560 acres of land in the western part of the city near the waterfront. The Pacific Refinery is presently located in the northwestern part of the city adjacent to Rodeo. Pacific Gas and Electric has storage tanks on the east side of San Pablo Avenue that are used for products PG&E purchases from Pacific Refinery. 27 �The remainder of the land was purchased by a consortium of investors called Hercules Properties, Ltd. and by Suburban Realty. Most of it is undeveloped at this time. Plans call for industrial parks to be built in the undeveloped area. The Vallejo Nitrogen Products plant is also owned by the consortium. No final decisions on its use have been made, however, it is likely that one or two portions of the plant will be revived and the rest will be torn down to make way for industrial parks. The primary aim of the City's development is to build a livable, people oriented city where citizens can live, work and play. Open space aoo parks are planned carefully to include passive and recreational areas. The industrial zone and commercial areas will provide jobs and services for Hercules citizens as well as a tax base for the City. The City Council has been willing to look at innovative ideas to better serve the community. The Solar Aquaculture Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Solar Aquaculture wastewater system being built in the city will be the first of its kind in the nation-a very innovative step on the part of the Council. The system consists of a series of holding ponds through which the sewage flows. In each pond bacteria, diatoms, snails, small fish and water hyacinths, duckweed and other £lants which thrive on sewage will feed on the effluent. The effluent becomes cleaner as the plants and animal life digest the sewage until it is clean enough to use for irrigation and industrial water. If done naturally, the process is time-consuming. However, in Hercules, this process will be aided by a greenhouse built over the whole plant. The 28 sun shining into the greenhouse will keep a constant water temperature which will accelerate the process. In addition to recycling the water, the plan can have other environmentally sound features. The rapid growing water hyacinths can be harvested periodically. They can be composted and made into fertilizer or used as feed for hogs and cattle. Both the hyacinths and the sludge can be turned into methane in an oxygen-free environment. Methane can be used to generate electricity or to make gasohol. Due to the biological nature of the system few chemicals are required. This city-financed pioneer project began in 1976 when it was first presented to the City Council. Two years later the Council unanimously approved it and construction began in March, of 1979. On Earth Day, 1980 the plant was formally dedicated. The City also has made innovative moves with the Public Safety Department which officially began on July 1, 1978 and is headed by Chief Russell Quinn. Previously, the Pinole Police Department served Hercules on a contract basis. Since July, 1978, burglary and traffic, the city's biggest crime problems, have both been reduced by 40%. (Burglary in the city is less than 10% of the national average.) Chief Quinn claims the department's more personal approach to law enforcement contributed to this decrease. Officers periodically get out of their patrol cars to talk to residents. In addition, their appearance is different from that of most other policemen. Their pale blue uniforms and cars are less forbidding than the common black or dark brown of other departments in the area. The smaller, yet effective, weapons carried by the officers also make them appear less threatening. Vandalism and other crimes commonly related to juveniles are low. The Chief says this is because the police have a good rapport with the youth, claiming that whenever a youngster commits a crime, "we hear about it sooner or later from another kid." This again is because young people in Hercules are exposed to the officers daily. Council elections for three seats took place in April 1980, only the second Council election since Hercules started booming again in 1975. The leadership of the city was placed in the hands of Charles Collins, Michael Freeman, Lynn Judnich, Gorgonio Solidum, and Fred Wachowicz. All candidates and elected officials, like most citizens in Hercules. are aware of the uniqueness of the City and are striving to make it a comfortable livable place to raise families. Once again, the City of Hercules is developing a caring, family attitude. Today families in Hercules constitute a rich ethnic mix of Caucasian, Filipino, Black, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish heritages. Gone is the time when Chinese and Portuguese were the only identifiable racial groups. People of all ethnic groups live side by side; no longer are groups isolated as the Chinese were in the early 1900's. ~ I I 1! , I �Overlooking the new homes in Hcr.:ules. M ost Hercules residents are well-educated with middle class incomes. Unlike old Hercules where m anagement and laborers lived in separate areas, people with many manage ment and professional jobs live next door to people with blue collar jobs. N ow most of the women in Hercules work outside the home. Workers commute to San Francisco and Oakland, a drastic change from a company town where people walked from their compan y-ow ned homes to the plant each day. Present residents undoubtedly would appreciate housing expenses of $10 to $60 a month that existed in the company town. However, now people own their own homes that constantly increase in value. Even though time has brought many changes to the City of Hercules, some things remain the same . Like the old residents, Herculeans today take pride in their community. Through involvement in civic affairs they are striving to make the new Hercules an even better place for themselves and their families. A stress on open space and recreational areas continues. The family company town atmosphere is gone, but a friendly neighbo rhood feeling prevails. �BIBLIOGRAPHY We give our many thanks to these people who hcwe contributed to this book: Mr. & Mrs. Louis Accomazzo Mr. Edward Armstrong, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Tom Aspland Mrs. Jessie Buckley Mrs. Jessie Clark Mr. Edward Fairbanks, Ir. Mr. & Mrs. Louis Fran~is Mr. & Mrs. Jack Fraser Mr. Bud Gegan Mr. & Mrs. Louis Gozzano Mr. Lester Hegeman Mr. & Mrs. Herman Langford Mr. George Leighty Mrs. Phyllis Lease Mr. Merrill Lynch Mr. Frank Maderos Mr. Edward McDonough Mr. & Mrs. John McLeod Mrs. Edith McGrath Mrs. Muriel McLean Mrs. Lottie Pfieffer Mrs. Ruth Moses Mr. Bill Nethercott Mr. Manuel Pavon Mr. Lars Pedersen Mr. & Mrs. Edwin Randall Miss Eleanor Robison Mr. Tony Santaella Mr. Bernard Schilz Mr. Bill Thatcher Mr. Earnest Thoenges Mr. Fred Sill Mr. Peter Weiss Mr. Ralph Williams Sources and Materials From: Bancroft library, University of California, Berkeley Contra Costa County Recorders Office, Martinez Ethyl Kerns, West Contra Costa County Historic Society Jessie Clark Scrapbook Collection Pinole library Pleasant Hill library Richmond library Books and Periodicals: The Historv 0/ Explosives in America, by Arthur Pine VanGelder The Hercules News-1904 Editions The Oakland Tribune The Pinole-Hercules News The Pinole Weekly Times The Richmond Independent-Gazette Photographs and Pictures: Hercules Environmental Resources Committee (HERC) Mr. & Mrs. Louis Accomazzo Mr. Arnold Eilers Miss Helen Kaiser Dr. Joseph Mariotti Mr. & Mrs. Edwin Randall Mr. Dale Wyatt Mr. John Powderly Mr. Kevin McGrath Cover Design Ann Huckaba �Printed by Wheeler Printing, Vallejo, California � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Published Histories Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Bound pamphlet with cover, 8.5 x 11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Remembering Days Past 1879-1979 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980 Spring Subject The topic of the resource General history of Hercules. Description An account of the resource Written by a City employee, and published by the City. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Cori Ojala and Kevin McGrath Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Pamela Dorway-Worley and Patricia M. Perkins Histories