War Boomtown

As World War II approached, Richmond was a sleepy city of some 23,000 residents, but beginning in early 1941 it underwent a radical transformation into a prime site for wartime production because the Santa Fe Rail line was already there, the expansive waterfront offered a deep water port, and there was plenty of available land. As shipyards were constructed, the population boomed to over 100,000 as people came from all over the country to find jobs and support the war effort. The stores were bustling, the city was full of people, and wartime activity brought employment and a major economic boost. Many who arrived to work in the shipyards stayed permanently. This section of the Bay Trail passes through the former site of Kaiser Shipyard #3, now the Port of Richmond and part of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, where dry docks, rail lines, maritime machinery, a whirley crane, and historic ships remain as evidence of the area’s shipbuilding past.

Richmond, California · United States