[1] It was located on the south bank of the Kings River 8.5 miles (13.7 km) northwest of Hanford at Whitmore's Ferry.

[1] It was founded in 1856 by Lucious A. Whitmore who operated the first ferry to cross the Kings River.

The town of Kingston grew up around the ferry at the place where an old Spanish road called El Camino Viejo á Los Angeles (The Old Road to Los Angeles) crossed the river.

On December 26, 1873, Tiburcio Vásquez and his bandit gang made a bold raid, robbing the entire village.

[5] Source: "List of Butterfield Overland Mail Stations "Itinerary of the Route"" (PDF).