DATE: January 28, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sally Gomez, County Librarian
David Rodriguez, Chair, Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission
SUBJECT: Historical Landmark - Whitmore Ferry
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve designation and placement of Whitmore Ferry on the County's Register of Centennial Places; and
2. Authorize the Chairman to execute the certificate for a Centennial Place.
REPORT
Approval of these actions will allow the Whitmore Ferry to be placed on the County's Register of Centennial Places comprised of physical surroundings and localities used for special purposes with 100 years or more of activity in Fresno County. It would become the 353rd landmark on the local register. The Historic Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission recommends historic sites and structures to be listed on the Fresno County's List of Historic Places. Approval by the Board of Supervisors encourages preservation of our County's history.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board could choose to not approve these actions, which would result in the Whitmore Ferry not being added to the list of historical places at this time.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions.
DISCUSSION:
The Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission recommends your Board approve the application for Whitmore Ferry to the County's List of Centennial Places.
Whitmore Ferry, commonly known as Kingston Crossing straddles the Fresno and Kings County line. The crossing on the Fresno County side is located in the Laton-Kingston Park, right outside of the town of Laton. It was in about 1854 that L.A. Whitmore established this ferry across the lower Kings River. Its official license was issued by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors on April 2, 1855. From 1854 to 1873, the Ferry served residents of Fresno County as a means of crossing the Kings River until the permanent bridge was completed. Although there is no lo...
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