Dispatches from Hercules early days, all courtesy of the San Francisco Call. As you'll see, tragedy struck our town in more ways than just dynamite explosions.
Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
PROBABLE INFANTICIDE.
The Dead Body of a Baby Found Near the Hercules Powder Works.
Find out what's happening in Pinole-Herculesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Vol. 71., No. 122, April 1, 1892
MARTINEZ, March 31 -- The body of a female infant was found in a pool of water about fifty yards to the north of the Hercules Powder Works, near Pinole, this morning. Coroner Curry was notified and secured the body and brought it to Martinez. Examination proved that it was a fully developed child, which had died after birth. It is supposed to have been washed in from the bay, as its appearance indicates that it had been in the water two or three days. An inquest will be held to-night and the remains will be buried tomorrow.
NOTED PIONEER BURIED.
Vol. 99, No. 10, March 20, 1906
MARTINEZ, March 19 -- The funeral of Edward Walton, a pioneer resident of Contra Costa County, whose widow is a direct descendent of Lord Calvert of Baltimore, was held today. He was the father of sixteen children, seven of whom are now living. One of his sons, George Walton, is superintendent of the cotton department of the Hercules Powder Works near Point Richmond.
MEMORY IS LOST BY AGED MAN
Victim of Affliction Fails to Recognize Members of His Family
Vol. 109, No. 40, January 9, 1911
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
VALLEJO, Jan. 8 -- A peculiar case of loss of memory which is baffling local physicians is that of Thomas Hubbard, an employee of the Hercules powder works, who has been brought here to be examined. Hubbard went to San Francisco a few days ago and seemed to be all right until he crossed the bay on his way home. He was found wandering about the ferry station in Oakland by Southern Pacific detectives. As he had a ticket for Pinole they put him aboard the train.
At Pinole he was met by Superintendent H. McCullough, whom he failed to recognize. He is 80 years old and has been employed by the company for 30 years. He seems to be unable to recognize any member of his family.
A special thanks to Rob Shea.
These articles were sourced from the California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc. The collection has digitzed more than 400,000 images from newspapers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Images dated between 1846 and 1922 are in the public domain and not subject to copyright.