Glen Canyon Park

Glen Canyon Park hides a volatile history behind its serene, grassy slopes. In eighteen sixty-eight, this rugged ravine became the site of the first commercial dynamite factory in the United States. Operating under a personal license from Alfred Nobel, the Giant Powder Company chose this location specifically because of its isolation from the city. The venture proved dangerous, ending abruptly in late eighteen sixty-nine when a massive explosion leveled the complex. Today, a plaque near the Elk Street entrance marks the site as California Historical Landmark number one thousand two.