Martinez-Benicia Ferry - Martinez, CA
Posted by: 
heringermr
N 38° 01.210 W 122° 08.230
10S E 575734 N 4208404
A marker mentioning the Pony Express placed by E Clampus Vitus in Martinez, California
Waymark Code: WMAQ2V
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 02/10/2011
Views: 5
The marker reads:
Martinez-Benicia Ferry
"Gateway to the Gold Fields"
Founded by Dr. Robert Semple in 1847, the Martinez-Benicia Ferry was the first established and longest operating ferry service in the S.F. Bay area. In 1850 Oliver Coffin took over the operation and with his brothers purchased a new ferry boat, the "Carquinez," and built the ferry street wharf, once located 100 feet west of this spot. The Pony Express, on one of its trips to San Francisco, first set foot in Contra Costa County at this site on April 23, 1860, after an early morning ferry trip from Benicia. With the opening of the George Miller Jr. Memorial bridge the ferry ceased operations September 14, 1962.
Dedicated September 20, 1997
Joaquin Murrieta Chapter Thirteen
E Clampus Vitus
Visit Instructions:
1) Locate and photograph a monument or memorial to the Pony Express, be it a stone or a mural or a roadside sign.
2) The standard rules apply: a photo of the goal and one of your GPS unit - no vacation photos or web downloads will be accepted.
3) Include the coordinates of the location and the name of the city or town in your log.
4) Feel free to include as much history as you'd like. Educate us!