|
The town of Knight's Ferry was founded in 1849 by William Knight. He established the first ferry service to cross the Stanislaus River at this location. The crossing was very popular with those heading for the southern gold mines and the ferry very quickly became highly profitable. William Knight was killed on Nov. 9, 1849 after which John and Lewis Dent took over operation of the ferry. In 1854, a bridge spanning the Stanislaus River was built and the ferry terminated operation. Destroyed by a flood in 1862, the old bridge was replaced by the current structure in 1864. At 110 meters (330 feet), it is the longest covered bridge in the western United States. The main attraction is, of course, the bridge. There are also a series of preserved buildings from the gold rush days, including a water powered mill and generator. Knight's Ferry is located on Sonora Road 1 mile north of CA-108, about 15 miles east of Oakdale. For a great overview of what it was like to travel from the Bay Area, through Stockton, Knight's Ferry and on to Yosemite by horseback in the late 1800's, you can read a personal journal by Charles Palache, "Six Weeks in the Saddle." Palache was a renowned Professor of Mineralogy at Harvard University.
|
|
