Uploaded April 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Hercules, CA, history dates back to 1879 when California Powder Works build a plant to manufacture dynamite sold under the name of Hercules Powder. The plant remained in operation, producing various explosives and fertilizers, until 1976 when it closed. Today, the city is a bedroom community for Oakland, San Francisco and other Bay Area cities. Union Pacific’s Martinez Subdivision, often referred to as the Cal-P Line, passes through Hercules along San Pablo Bay and provides trackage for Amtrak, Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin line trains.
Hercules, CA, history dates back to 1879 when California Powder Works build a plant to manufacture dynamite sold under the name of Hercules Powder. The plant remained in operation, producing various explosives and fertilizers, until 1976 when it closed. Today, the city is a bedroom community for Oakland, San Francisco and other Bay Area cities. Union Pacific’s Martinez Subdivision, often referred to as the Cal-P Line, passes through Hercules along San Pablo Bay and provides trackage for Amtrak, Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin line trains.
