Benson's Ferry

San Joaquin County · 3 miles north of Thornton · location approximate

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, his son-in-law, Ed Gayetty, operated the ferry.

1971 register text, presented as a historical document. It uses the period's terms for Native people; the state's landmark listings still carry most of this wording, and the California Office of Historic Preservation maintains the program's current texts.

Many of these plaques have since been recast or their texts revised. The California Historical Landmarks program and its current texts are maintained by the California Office of Historic Preservation. California Office of Historic Preservation ↗

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Marker data: State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation, California Historical Landmarks (1971)

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