Port Chicago, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Port Chicago
|
|
|---|---|
 Port Chicago
Location in California
Port Chicago
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Contra Costa County |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
Port Chicago was once a small town located in Contra Costa County, California. It sat on the southern banks of Suisun Bay. The town was about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east-northeast of Martinez. Its elevation was 13 feet (4 meters) above sea level. Port Chicago is most famous for a terrible explosion. This event happened at its Naval Munitions Depot during World War II.
Contents
What Was Port Chicago?
Port Chicago was a small community in California. It became well-known because of a major historical event. This event was a huge explosion at its naval base. The explosion happened during World War II.
Early Days of the Town
The area where Port Chicago was located first saw settlers between 1850 and 1851. These early settlers included people like Josiah Knight and Samuel E. Strode. Daniel Cunningham was the first person to settle there permanently.
The town was originally named Bay Point. The Bay Point Land Company officially created the town. They filed a map of the area at the Contra Costa County Recorder’s Office. The Southern Pacific Railroad also had tracks running through the town.
In 1931, the town's name changed. This happened during the Great Depression. A local business leader, Walter Van Winkle, suggested the change. The town's name became Port Chicago. The Baypoint post office operated from 1897. It changed to the Port Chicago post office in 1931. The post office closed in 1969 when the town itself ceased to exist.
The Port Chicago Disaster
The Port Chicago disaster was a very serious event. It happened on July 17, 1944. This was a deadly explosion of weapons. The explosion took place at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine.
What Happened?
The weapons were being loaded onto a cargo ship. This ship was going to the Pacific Ocean for the war. When the weapons exploded, 320 sailors and civilians died. Another 390 people were injured. Most of those who died or were hurt were African-American sailors.
The town of Port Chicago was also badly damaged. Large pieces of hot metal and unexploded bombs fell on the town. Luckily, none of these bombs exploded. Over 300 buildings in the town were damaged. More than 100 people in the town were hurt. However, no one in the town was killed.
Why Port Chicago Disappeared
In 1968, the federal government bought all the property in Port Chicago. They then tore down all the buildings. This was done to create a safety zone. This zone was around the nearby Concord Naval Weapons Station loading docks. Because of this, the town of Port Chicago no longer exists.
Port Chicago Highway Today
The Port Chicago Highway still exists today. It is a road that goes from the city of Concord. It passes through the area where the former town was.
During the 1990s, a part of the highway was blocked. This section went through the Concord Naval Weapons Station. It was blocked for safety and security reasons. Today, the Port Chicago Highway is interrupted. It stops just past the town of Clyde. It then continues on the other side of the U.S. Army's Military Ocean Terminal, Concord. This area is now in the community of Bay Point.
