Historic Danville Road Honored With Memorial Plaque

DANVILLE, CA — The Town of Danville memorialized a culturally significant and historic road this month with its very own plaque.

School Street was honored on Dec. 18 at 600 Hartz Avenue, near the historic School Street, which served as a vital road in the early days of Danville, according to the city.

The corridor provided back-door access to the original Danville Grammar School. Then, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the street hosted John Halverson's Livery Stable, where local ranchers and train travelers could rent buggies, horses and wagons.

"It functioned as the rental car agency of its day and played a key role in supporting Danville’s local economy," the town said in a release.

Nearby, the Danville Creamery processed local cream into butter and cheese in the community from 1900 to 1906. The facility was vital to the regional economy.

"The street also holds a deeper cultural legacy," the town said.

The Fukuchi family operated a Japanese store and school from their home on the street through 1942. But their story came to a "painful end" during World War II, when the Fukuchis were forced into a concentration camp in Arizona as part of a federal internment of Japanese Americans.

In more recent years, the site became a hub for the community, where restaurants like Dan McGrew's, Tiger Alley and Faz would crop up.

"Today, School Street remains a vibrant part of downtown, and this plaque serves as a tribute to the families, businesses, and stories that shaped it," Danville officials said.