Last week, Dr. G, Council Member and well-known Historian and Community Advocate, was the guest speaker for the monthly Colton Chamber of Commerce “Rise n’ Shine” Networking Meeting held via Zoom.
The public and interested business leaders were invited to the networking event to hear Dr. G talk about the Historical Districts of Colton. The early morning session began with a brief welcome by Christina Gaitan, Director of the Colton Chamber, followed by announcements then the presentation.
Dr. G wasted no time in delivering his message by stressing that the history of Colton was important to promote to the current public, but also “to perpetuate throughout generations so people know about our roots,” as Dr. G mentioned.
For these reasons, Dr. G focused on the six historical districts which are known in Colton; Ninth-Street Historical District, La Cadena Historical District, Terrace Historical District, Citrus Park Historical District, San Salvador Historical District, and the Agua Mansa Historical District.
Each district was introduced to the Chamber group with a map, description, background information, significance, basic facts, and sample photos. All of the Historical Districts were presented via Zoom using a PowerPoint program.
Throughout the presentation, Chamber Board Members jumped in with questions and were provided informative answers for their consideration. Some of the basic facts that were presented include historical names for our main corridors; for example, La Cadena Drive was first called San Bernardino Street, then Center Street, Eighth Street, and finally La Cadena Drive. Another example was the evidence provided which described the trolly-car systems in Colton. As Dr. G explained, “Colton had three trolly lines at some point: The Kite route (c1902), the Colton Line (c1907), and the Colton-Riverside Line (1909).” Additionally, more evidence was presented showing that the last used system made its final run in 1940, followed by the removal of the metal rails in 1942 to be used by the WWII war Production Board.
“The presentation at the Rise n” Shine event was very interesting,” commented Christina Gaitan, who added, “We learned lots of new information about Colton history, including the final location of the original San Salvador bell.” For more information about the Networking events and the Colton Chamber of Commerce, contact Christina Gaitan @ 909-699-3326, or the Chamber office @ 909-825-2222.
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