Danville History Part 1

ASSIGNMENT #2 PART A

1.old salon/2. bakery/3. more bakery 4. foward motion sports

Danville today as we drive through the town

For over 130 years, Danville has been a place of change and growth, as it is referred often as the "Heart of the San Ramon Valley". Danville was first inhabited by Bay Miwok Indians, living in the valleys by the creek's banks and then living up on Mt Diablo during the summer months.It was later part of the huge Mission San Jose grazing land and even later a Mexican land grant called Rancho San Ramon.

Danville was settled and named after Americans drawn here by the California Gold Rush. Daniel and Andrew Inman bought 400 acres of Old Town with their mining earnings in 1854,after living in the area for the summer, two years earlier. By 1858, the community had a blacksmith, a hotel, a wheelwright and a general store and the townspeople wanted a post office.

The name for this new town was debated and several names were thrown in, as Dan Inman had stated and Imnanville was suggested but they decided against that and just named it

Danville, after Dan Inman and close enough to the last name of the Inman's. It was considered

though that the name could of come from Andrew's mother-in-law, who was born and raised near Danville, Kentucky. But many think it was named after the energenic young Dan who was later an Alameda County Assemblyman and Supervisor.

The Danville Post Office opened in 1860 with hotel owner Henry W. Harris as the first postmaster. Harris reported in 1862, that there were 200 people living within the city limits, with 200 ballots casted in the last general election.Hearing the stories of prosperity to be found in California, people from the mid-west and east coast began to settle in Danville and also in the surrounding valleys. Most new residents had been farmers and observed that the valley was fertile and the weather was good and overall a great place to settle. The 1869 census counted

nearly 1,800 people in the combined Danville and Lafayette area. Most squatted on land or purchased land, from the Mexican and other owners and established ranches, farms and also

businesses.

Settlers raised cattle and sheep and grew wheat, barley and onions. Later the farms produced hay, a wide variety of fruit crops like apples, plums, pears, walnuts and almonds etc. In the mid 1800's, horses and wagons hauled these products north to the dockss at Pachecho and Martinez, following Road #2, which wound by San Ramon Creek and was almost impassable during the rainy season, because of flooding.

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Please go to Blog #3 for information why Danville is historically significant and there will be even more information on Blog #4 on the Southern Pacific Railroad-San Ramon Valley line which brought agriculture, beef and alot more from the San Ramon Valley to the world.

*Information on Danville History is donated by the Museum of San Ramon Valley located at 205 Railroad Ave., Danville Ca 94526 925-837-3750

**Please go and check out the Abraham Lincoln exhibit at the Museum of San Ramon Valley as it has some very nice Civil War pieces and exhibits that all will enjoy, about the Civil War and also President Lincoln.

** Now availiable is a nice book on Vintage Danville: 150 years of Memories..which is a coffee table book which commemorate's Danville's 150th anniversity. The book chronicles Danville's roots, people and the achievements of the Danville community. Local Danville residents, Beverly Lane and Laura Grinstead, put all their effort into this great book with illustations, photographs and experiences, which capture the sprit of the people, places and culture of Danville. The book costs just $35.00 and you can pick up your copy at the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, as they got plenty of copies to buy there.