Over the last two weeks, the Colton Area Museum Association (CAMA) has ramped up its community outreach by hosting the first of a series of student tours to promote the rich and legendary history of the City of Colton. Students from Lincoln Elementary School under the direction of teachers Mrs. Segura, Mr. Hall, Mrs. Peterson, and Mrs. Macias, took to the streets for a walking field trip, and headed south from their Olive Street campus to an exciting tour of the Colton Area Museum. “It was a great trip…a very good learning experience,” says teacher Mr. Delgado, one of the accompanying teachers on the trip.
For the last 10 years, the Colton Area Museum Association has offered special tours for elementary students in the spring of each year. Third-grade students who study local history, have this opportunity to broaden their experiences by seeing first-hand, real artifacts and pictorial essays, as well as hearing interesting stories of past events, places, and people who have shaped the community we all know and love.
“It’s important for our students in the community to learn about Colton history.” says CAMA President, Mike Murphy, who welcomed approximately 100 third grade students, each class separately, of course, while effectively separating them into smaller groups of eight, to be led by individual docents tour guides, who are association members.
The new Earp-Traintown Museum was noted with great interest from every student who attended. Celebrating its first year, this project has been in the works for several years and has become a community favorite among “students” of all ages, including adults. “I loved the trains, and thought the Earp guns were cool,” says third-grade student, Robert, who enthusiastically pretended he was part of action at the OK corral. “We look forward to working with other elementary schools in the Colton District,” added Mr. Murphy.
Community residents and visitors alike are invited to visit the Colton Area Museum and attend its special “guest speaker” programs, which regularly fall on the second Saturday of each month. Regular CAM hours are Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:00pm-4:00pm, and on Saturdays 11:00am-2:00pm. The Earp-Traintown museum is located in the lower level and is open on Saturdays 11:00am -2:00pm. The CAM address is 380 N. La Cadena Dr. in Colton.
For more information about the museum and it programs, including guest speaker dates, special tours, and the Earp-Traintown museum, contact the museum at 824-8814, or Dr. G at 213-3730.