California Powder Works
When the outbreak of the Civil War cut off supplies of gunpowder to California's mining and road-building industries, a local manufacturer was needed.
The powder works was located on a flat adjacent to the San Lorenzo River, three miles upstream of Santa Cruz,[1] which is now the Masonic residential community of Paradise Park, California.
A dam was built on the San Lorenzo River upstream of the powder works on what is now Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
Horse-drawn wagons moved raw materials and gunpowder between the wharf and the powder works until the South Pacific Coast Railroad was built.
The powder works operated a proving ground at Santa Cruz beginning 1892 using guns provided by the United States Inspector of Ordnance.
Hercules's isolated location at the time, plus its proximity to rail and water transportation along San Pablo Bay, made it an ideal choice.
The explosives manufactured at Hercules played a significant and decisive role in the United States Army's efforts to contain the fires started by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, as recounted by General Funston.
Circuit Court in Delaware found that Du Pont had been operating an unlawful monopoly, and ordered a breakup of its explosives and gunpowder manufacturing business.
This work included the production of noise contour maps for all major highways and arterial roads, as well as a citywide mitigation plan.
Considerable study has been made of the heavy metal lead accumulated as upper layer soil contamination from prior air pollution smokestack emissions from the California Powder Works operations from this era.
Many buildings used to house company employees were set afire and a community effort was required by residents of Santa Cruz to prevent fires from reaching powder magazines closer to the city.
Powder works wharf demolition begun in 1883 was completed before construction of the Neptune Casino at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in 1904.
When the Panama Canal simplified transport to the Pacific Fleet, DuPont consolidated production facilities in New Jersey[11] and terminated operations at Santa Cruz in 1914.
