Knights Ferry is an unincorporated historic community in Stanislaus County, California, United States. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, it is about east of Modesto on the Stanislaus River. The Willms' Ranch near the town, was one of many filming locations for the television series Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie. Knights Ferry is home to the Knights Ferry Bridge, the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi River at in length. It is also home to a K-8 elementary school and a museum about the history of the town and also about local wildlife. The town's ruins include a mill and a jail. History When gold was discovered in California in 1849, Dr. William Knight rediscovered a place which he and John C. Fremont had previously found to be a favorable river crossing, and established a ferry boat there. Soon, the ferry boat prospered and Knight and Captain James Vantine built a hotel and trading post near the crossing. On November 9, 1849, Knight was killed in a gunfight and was buried in an unmarked grave. Knight's family believed he was stabbed to death in his bed and was buried near the gate in the yard of John Dent's house, which was Dr. Knight's place at the time. John Dent and his brother Lewis immediately took possession of Bill Knight's property at Knight's Ferry following the murder. After Knight's death, Vantine operated the ferry alone until he formed another collaboration with John and Lewis Dent, whose sister Julia married future U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. In 1852, Vantine sold his properties in the area to the Dents and moved elsewhere. A new townsite under the name of "Dentville" was laid out by John Dent. The inhabitants continued to call the town "Knights Ferry" and "Knights Crossing". In 1852 a toll bridge replaced the ferry, but it was destroyed by the Great Flood of 1862. The new covered bridge was built at a higher level than the previous one, and it still stands today. This bridge was used for car traffic until it was closed in 1985 to prevent damage. In addition to being the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi River, the bridge is one of the nation's finest examples of a Howe truss covered bridge. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. Knights Ferry became the county seat in 1862, replacing La