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| Landmark #149 | San Joaquin County | Visited: April 4, 2015 | Plaque? NO. 🙁 |
| What is it? | Nothing left but the river! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: This river ferry, established in 1849, was purchased by John A. Benson in 1850. In 1852, Benson laid out the then-principal wagon road between Sacramento and Stockton. Following Benson’s murder in 1859, the ferry was operated by his son-in-law, Ed Gayetty.
OTHER TIDBITS: This ferry was actually built in 1849 by A.M. Woods and Edward Stokes! After only a year, they sold the ferry to John Benson, who set about settling Mokelumne City, hoping to make it the seat of its own county! He gathered signatures and sent the petition to Congress, but in 1859, his employee, Green Palmer, shot Mr. Benson, whom he believed had been cheating on his wife! The petition failed in Congress, and three years later, the entire city was wiped out by floods. |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: S bank of N Fork Mokelumne River 100 ft W of County Rd J8 3 mi N of Thornton, CA 95632 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~360mi (580km) — 6hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |
