Giant was an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

, now annexed to Richmond

Richmond, California

Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...

 in Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County, California

Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It lies at an elevation of 23 feet (7 m).

History

The town was established in 1892 as a company town by the Giant Powder Company. The company moved its manufacturing facilities to this location, currently in Point Pinole Regional Shoreline

Point Pinole Regional Shoreline

The Point Pinole Regional Shoreline is a regional park on the shores of the San Pablo Bay, California . It is approximately in area, and is operated by the East Bay Regional Park District.-History:...

, after a factory explosion demolished the two previous plants in Glen Canyon (San Francisco) and Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...

. The Giant Powder Company was the first company in America to produce dynamite. The relocation of the plant to this location facilitated the growth of nearby Hercules

Hercules, California

Hercules is a city in western Contra Costa County, California. Situated along the coast of San Pablo Bay, it is located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area, about northeast of San Francisco. The city has a 2010 population of 24,060 according to the U.S...

. California Historic Landmark NO. 1002-1 is at this location.