Fleming Point facts for kids

Fleming Point is a rocky piece of land that sticks out into the San Francisco Bay in Albany, California. It's like a natural pier on the eastern side of the bay. The Albany Bulb is a part of Fleming Point that was added in the 1960s. It was made from leftover materials from building projects.

A Look Back: The History of Fleming Point

Fleming Point gets its name from John T. Fleming. He lived in this area in 1853. He bought the land from Jose Domingo Peralta.

Early Factories and Explosions

In the 1800s, Fleming Point was home to factories that made explosives. These included the Giant Powder Company and Judson Dynamite and Powder Company. The Giant plant had two big accidental explosions. One happened in 1880 and another in 1892.

These factories that made explosives were a major part of the Albany waterfront. They stayed there until 1905. After that, other chemical factories took their place. These new factories were a bit safer.

From Dump to Race Track

By the early 1900s, people from Berkeley started using the point as a place to dump their garbage. This was one of the reasons the City of Albany decided to become an official city in 1908. They wanted to have more control over their land.

Today, Fleming Point is where you'll find Golden Gate Fields. This famous horse racing track held its very first race on February 1, 1941.

The Land Itself: Geology of Fleming Point

Near Fleming Point, the waters of the bay have shaped the land. They have cut into the cliffs, showing layers of rock. You can see alternating layers of sandstone and shale. Sandstone is a type of rock made from sand grains. Shale is a soft rock made from mud.

Sometimes, the dark shale layers look like lenses. These "lenses" can be quite long, up to twenty feet. They can also be about a foot thick in the middle. This shows how the different types of rock were laid down over time.