Kingston, California is a ghost town located in Fresno County. Once a bustling settlement during the California Gold Rush, Kingston’s remnants whisper tales of a bygone era. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Fresno County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 36.4161° N, 119.8668° W
Elevation: Approximately 210 feet (64 meters)
Time Zone: Pacific Time Zone (PT)
Established: 1853
Disestablished: Not officially disestablished, but declined rapidly after the late 1800s.
Comments: Kingston was founded during the California Gold Rush as part of the booming mining era. It was strategically located on the banks of the Kings River, serving as a crossing point for the Stockton-Los Angeles Road. The town prospered due to its proximity to the river and its position as a stop for travelers and miners.
Kingston is a former town that is no longer in existence. It was originally in Fresno County until 1909, when Fresno County lands in the vicinity south of the Kings River were transferred to Kings County, California Ghost Townlifornia. It was located on the south bank of the Kings River 8.5 miles (13.7 km) northwest of Hanford at Whitmore’s Ferry.
Remains: Very little endures of Kingston today. Most of the original structures have succumbed to time and natural elements. Some foundations and scattered artifacts can still be found, offering a glimpse into its past.
L. A. Whitmore established the ferry in 1854. Lucious A. Whitmore founded it in 1856, operating the first ferry to cross the Kings River. The town of Kingston grew up around the ferry where an old Spanish road called El Camino Viejo á Los Angeles (The Old Road to Los Angeles) crossed the river. Kingston became a stopping place on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 to 1861 and a stage route between Stockton and Visalia after 1858.
Kingston had a post office from 1859 to 1862 and from 1866 to 1890, when the service transferred to Lillis. Until at least 1872, the only store between Millerton and Visalia was in Kingston. The first school in the area was probably established in Kingston as early as 1860.
Current Status: Kingston is a ghost town, with no active community or significant remaining infrastructure. The area is primarily agricultural, with farmland surrounding the former town site.
On December 26, 1873, Tiburcio Vásquez and his bandit gang made a bold raid, robbing the entire village. Reportedly 35 or more men were tied up and over $2,000 in loot was hauled away. Subsequently, the town declined and by the 1890s Kingston was abandoned. Oliver Bliss’ livery stable was the last remaining building until 1930.
Remarks: Kingston’s decline began as the gold rush subsided and transportation routes shifted. Its brief prominence reflects the rapid rise and fall of settlements during the gold rush era. The town’s history mirrors the transient nature of frontier life and the relentless pursuit of fortune. Kingston provides an intriguing, albeit sparse, peek into the past for those interested in California’s rich history.
Oliver H. Bliss operated the Kingston ferry after Whitmore, beginning in 1859. Bliss built a temporary toll bridge with two boats and planking in 1872. In 1873, John Sutherland purchased Bliss’s interest in both the ferry and the bridge and built a permanent bridge that year. The site of the town is now a California Historical Landmark (#270), which can be found in Kingston-Laton County Park in Kings County.
