Thank you to the Hayward Area Historical Society for providing this content. Despite the name of the organization, the Society also covers the history of Castro Valley. You should check ’em out today!

In several issues of the Castro Valley Forum it states that Daughtrey’s has been in Castro Valley since 1948. This is false; according to the Daily Review, Daughtrey’s held its grand opening in Castro Valley on October 20, 1949. Keller Daughtrey, who already owned a self named store in Willows, California, opened his Castro Valley store at the corner of Nunes Avenue and Castro Valley Boulevard (the building is still there today as “Cabinets Etc.”). Daughtrey’s originally shared the building with “Culbertson’s Drug Store”.  In 1951, Daughtrey’s expanded within the same building, taking over the half that was occupied by the drug store, adding about 2000 square feet of floor space. Daughtrey’s continued it operations at the Nunes Avenue and Castro Valley Boulevard location until late 1965. During that time the original store underwent another small expansion.

The building that is today referred to as the “Daughtrey’s Building” at 3295 Castro Valley Boulevard was actually not completed until 1965. It was built by Able Builders (located on East Lewelling) and designed by the architectural firm Apaydin, Angell and Lockwood of Berkeley. The building was built at a cost of “more than half a million dollars” (a little more than 3.5 million in today’s dollars). The new store held its grand opening on November 3, 1965.

Between 1965 and the summer of 1991, Daughtrey’s operated continually from the iconic 3295 address. Keller Daughtrey remained the store’s owner until he sold the store in August 1991. The store was sold to Klines Department Stores, an Ohio based company. After the store was sold we were unable to pinpoint the exact closure date of the Kline owned Daughtrey’s. Aside from a few short lived businesses, the Daughtrey’s building has remained vacant. In the spring of 2011, Alameda County’s Redevelopment Agency bought the building. Since that time multiple plans including tearing down the building have been proposed.

In summary: Daughtrey’s opened at its first Castro Valley location in October 1949. The store remained at the corner of Nunes Avenue and Castro Valley Boulevard until November 1965, undergoing at least two expansions. The “Daughtrey’s Building” as it is commonly known opened in November 1965 and was owned and operated continuously by Keller Daughtrey until summer 1991.*