Town of Danville to Unveil Historic School Street Plaque
The Town of Danville is pleased to announce the unveiling of a historic plaque honoring School Street in Downtown Danville. The event will take place on Thursday, December 18 at 3 p.m. at 600 Hartz Avenue, near the historic School Street site, and marks the latest in a series of plaques commemorating Danville’s rich and storied past.
School Street served as a vital road in early Danville, running east to Halverson Creek and providing back-door access to the original Danville Grammar School. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the street was home to 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. Just steps away, the Danville Creamery operated from 1900 to 1906, processing local cream into butter and cheese sold in Hayward. This allowed ranch families to expand their reach into the broader regional market.
The street also holds a deeper cultural legacy. Until 1942, the Fukuchi family operated a Japanese store and school from their home on School Street. That chapter came to a painful end during World War II, when the family was forcibly removed to a concentration camp in Arizona as part of the federal internment of Japanese Americans.
In later years, the site evolved into a gathering place for the community, housing restaurants like Dan McGrew’s, Tiger Alley, and Faz. 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.
The Town invites the community to join in this special event to honor the legacy of School Street, the Halverson family, and the creek that helped shape Danville’s early identity.