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| Landmark #347 | Stanislaus County | Visited: June 27, 2015 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A covered bridge and the ruins of an old flour mill mark the site of Knights Ferry! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Once called Dentville, this picturesque mining center and trading post was founded in 1849. An early ferry carried Argonauts on their way to the southern mines. The rare wooden covered bridge, reportedly designed by Ulysses S. Grant, brother-in-law of the Dent brothers, and the old flour mill were built there in 1854. The town served as the county seat from 1862 to 1872.
OTHER TIDBITS: What a silly description! It doesn’t even talk about the man who gave this landmark its name! Dr. William Knight was a fur trader and medical doctor who first settled this town in 1849. He partnered up with a fellow named James Vantine and with a whaling vessel established a ferry that would bring him $500 a day in profits (about $15,000 by today’s standards)! Unfortunately, his brilliant career was cut short when he was shot dead in the street by someone whose name has been lost to history! The site began to take on its modern look in 1854 when David Locke moved onto the scene, building a bridge over the river and setting up a flour mill. His bridge washed away when a flood brought another bridge hurdling downstream into it, so in 1883, the present covered bridge was built. At 330 feet in length, it is the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: On Sonora Rd, 1.4 mi W of State Hwy 120 (P.M. 16.4) Knights Ferry, CA 95361 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~326mi (525km) — 5.5hrs |
| When should I go? | Knights Ferry is open every day from dawn until dusk! |
