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History · Colton

Colton’s post office opened in 1879, and 38% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1893 on, and the census since 1900.

1879first post office
0on the National Register
38%homes built before 1940
12old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Colton’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Colton began

When was Colton founded?

1879

The Colton post office opened in 1879, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1882.

First census: 251 in 19002020 census: 401147 years
Founding year: the first Colton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1882.The full story ↓

What stands out about Colton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1893 to 1930, drew every building in Colton.On the map since 19103 editions of the USGS map, 1910 to 1982. Watch Colton change.A town in old photos12 old photos, postcards and papers, 1898–1936.
★ What stands out · Every building

Colton, building by building, 1893–1930

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Colton fire insurance map, 1893, sheet 11893Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the map

Colton on the map, 1910 to 1982

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Colton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Colton on the 1910 USGS mapColton on the 1964 USGS mapColton on the 1982 USGS map1910Pullman sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Colton.

By decade

Colton, decade by decade

5 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s–1910s8 items
Four Colton friends, Colton, Washington, circa 1898 - DPLA - b54eb4ac323ff545924cdd309c7ad3ecc. 1898Four Colton friends, Colton, Washington, circa 1898 -…Concordia Band, Colton, Washington, 1900 - DPLA - 56bb875d544b81cc7b61947fdc38fae31900Concordia Band, Colton, Washington, 1900 - DPLA - 56b…Frank Semlar, Colton, Washington, circa 1900 - DPLA - da4502f57fa95cf79af4426b474c9cc4c. 1900Frank Semlar, Colton, Washington, circa 1900 - DPLA -…North Steptoe Street, Colton, Washington, circa 1908 - DPLA - 4e5062f1700838ab72c350645b4762e6c. 1908North Steptoe Street, Colton, Washington, circa 1908 …PostcardColton, Washington, circa 1910 - DPLA - bb0a5843bdbd2f4794218976c588933cc. 1910Colton, Washington, circa 1910 - DPLA - bb0a5843bdbd2…PostcardPark Saloon, Colton, Washington, circa 1910 - DPLA - 3626641fa7f348ad92583c37f3801434c. 1910Park Saloon, Colton, Washington, circa 1910 - DPLA - …PostcardColton Football player, ca. 1910 - DPLA - add44407ba022c5ecc75dafcf9003a57c. 1910Colton Football player, ca. 1910 - DPLA - add44407ba0…Colton Football player, ca. 1910 - DPLA - ca34d36dc65afa373b79f97d4416aae9c. 1910Colton Football player, ca. 1910 - DPLA - ca34d36dc65…
1920s–1930s4 items
St. Scholastica's Academy, Colton, Washington, circa 1924 - DPLA - abf57f15d7a8106629f7b894d56096e2c. 1924St. Scholastica's Academy, Colton, Washington, circa …PostcardColton High School students and teachers, Colton, Washington, 1935-36 - DPLA - 7be30817f41d7b78b9399d8e47521b07c. 1935Colton High School students and teachers, Colton, Was…Colton High School students, Colton, Washington, 1936-1937 - DPLA - a9a0ca19a574d4cc46b688b0befdf2901936Colton High School students, Colton, Washington, 1936…Colton High School students, Colton, Washington, 1936-1937 - DPLA - ae8a94e76b20245b28cfc65734a16c211936–1937Colton High School students, Colton, Washington, 1936…
1940s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today6 recent
St. Scholastica's Academy, circa 19122014St. Scholastica's Academy, circa 1912PostcardSt. Scholastica's Academy, 19192014St. Scholastica's Academy, 1919PostcardSt. Gall's Roman Catholic Church, circa 19132014St. Gall's Roman Catholic Church, circa 1913PostcardNorth Steptoe Street, 19082014North Steptoe Street, 1908PostcardBird's-eye View, Looking South, circa 19122014Bird's-eye View, Looking South, circa 1912PostcardOld Fashioned Threshing Bee, circa 19602010Old Fashioned Threshing Bee, circa 1960Postcard
The story

How Colton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Colton.

Read it all →

Colton was first settled in 1879 by J.A. Cole, and was founded in 1882 by J.B. Stanley. Colton was incorporated in 1890; however, the incorporation documents were not recorded until 1893.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Colton, 1879 to 1955

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1879Post officeThe Colton post office opens
  3. 1891Born hereAlbert H. Rooks is born here
  4. 1898In the archiveFour Colton friends, Colton, Washington, circa 1898 - DPLA - b54eb4ac323ff545924cdd309c7a…
  5. 20th century
  6. 1900In the archiveConcordia Band, Colton, Washington, 1900 - DPLA - 56bb875d544b81cc7b61947fdc38fae3
  7. 1910In the archiveColton, Washington, circa 1910 - DPLA - bb0a5843bdbd2f4794218976c588933c
  8. 1910On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1924In the archiveSt. Scholastica's Academy, Colton, Washington, circa 1924 - DPLA - abf57f15d7a8106629f7b8…
  10. 1935In the archiveColton High School students and teachers, Colton, Washington, 1935-36 - DPLA - 7be30817f4…
  11. 1955Born hereMike Kramer is born here
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Four Colton friends, Colton, Washington, circa 1898 - DPLA - b54eb4ac323ff545924cdd309c7ad3ec
Retake this viewFour Colton friends, Colton, Washington, circa 1898 - DPLA - b54eb4ac323ff545924cdd309c7ad3ec, c. 1898

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Colton’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Colton, census by census

01002003004001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 418

Between 207 and 418 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Colton’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Colton

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Albert H. RooksUnited States Navy Medal of Honor recipient · b. 1891
M
Mike KramerAmerican football player and coach · b. 1955
Help out

Finish Colton’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
4 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFour Colton friends, Colton, Washington…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Colton’s history

What year was Colton founded?

The Colton post office opened in 1879, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1882.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (18), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.