After Knight's death, Vantine operated the ferry alone until he formed another collaboration with John and Lewis Dent, brothers to President Ulysses S. Grant’s wife, Julia 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. 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. The bridge was used for car traffic until it was closed to prevent damage in 1985. 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.