Polytechnic Way Street Sign

The name Polytechnic Way marks the precise location where the California School of Mechanical Arts once stood before it moved to another part of the city. Industrialist James Lick founded this institution in the late nineteenth century to teach trade skills to young men, and this street served as the primary access point for students entering the campus. The school focused on practical education like machine shop practice and architectural drawing, which directly influenced the technical development of the city during its period of rapid expansion.