Knights Ferry Wooden Bridge - California
by Mountain Dreams
Title
Knights Ferry Wooden Bridge - California
Artist
Mountain Dreams
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Knights Ferry bridge in Stanislas County, California, in the Sierra Mountain foothills east of Modesto is the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi River. The bridge crosses the Stanislaus River in the county of the same name.
When gold was discovered in California in 1849, Dr. William Knight rediscovered a pass he had crossed with explorer John C. Fremont, and he established a ferry service, which prospered, and the settlement was named Knights Ferry (or Knights Landing) in his name. Knight was killed in a gunfight on the town's main street; he was buried in an unmarked grave.
In 1852 a toll bridge replaced the ferry. It was destroyed by a raging flood in 1862. The new covered bridge was built at a higher level than the previous one, and it still stands today. The bridge was used for car traffic until it was closed to prevent damage in 1985.
Knights Ferry was also the county seat in 1862, as it replaced La Grange. It was soon succeeded by the new, prosperous railroad boomtown of Modesto in 1871,
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May 22nd, 2015
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