by Dean L. McLeod (Author)
To many commuters driving past Bay Point on nearby Highway 4, it would appear that the community sprang up as a housing development sometime in the very recent past, but its unique history is much more than that. During the frontier days, the area was comprised of ranchers and farmers. The large 19th-century district sprouted smaller neighborhoods at the beginning of the 20th century. Nearby the communities of Clyde, Nichols, and later West Pittsburg, the main town was Bay Point, which changed its name to Port Chicago during the Great Depression. In fact, it wasn't until 1993 that the historic name was restored to part of the original district. Today, Bay Point is a residential and business destination, home to tens of thousands of people, as well as high-profile corporations.