Bay Point

Regional Settings

Location

Bay Point is situated on the north side of beautiful Mount Diablo State Recreation Area. The community is located along State Highway 4 in a growth corridor. California's San Joaquin Delta lies to the north, with local marinas for boating access. The commerce and culture of San Francisco is 40 miles southwest, and California's state capital, Sacramento, is 62 miles northeast.

Brief History

The land that the Ohlone Indians occupied for thousands of years has undergone several transformations in the last 200 years. Spaniards came upon the area in the late 1700s in search of easy trails. When Mexico won its freedom from Spain in 1821 it awarded large estates in the area to soldiers and supporters, who turned to cattle ranching. California became a U.S. state in 1849, and shortly thereafter, coal was discovered nearby. Both world wars influenced the area's industrial development. During World War I, U.S. Steel built a plant in neighboring Pittsburg, and World War II saw nearby Port Chicago serving as a military ocean terminal. The community which had been known as "West Pittsburg" saw one more change in the early 1990s-it became "Bay Point," reflecting both its location and its independent identity.