Transportation and the transformation of a small town: wagon roads, trains, pavement and the development of Colton, Washington

Kelli Ann Krench

Colton, Washington was established in 1879 as a result of a dispute between the businessmen of Uniontown and the town's proprietors. From the time of its founding, Colton was influenced by various methods of transportation. Railroads allowed the town to survive during the Panic of 1893 and pavement kept farmers and businesses in town running during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Overall, transportation kept the community of Colton moving forward during an age where technological innovation forced many small farming towns to fade into history. In the beginning, wagon roads brought immigrants to Eastern Washington. These early roads laid the foundation for future transportation networks in Eastern Washington and throughout the state. These dirt roads aided in the establishment of Colton after its businessmen decided to leave Uniontown. Dirt roads allowed horses to move large objects via wagon, or log rolling between towns. This method allowed businessmen in Uniontown to move their buildings, rather than rebuild their businesses. Railroads opened Colton up to a wider market which led to the diversification of crops produced by its farmers. Along with wheat, Colton shipped livestock, dairy products and fruit to ports in Tacoma and Seattle. The shift in crop production brought more people into the region looking for fertile soil and a fresh start. The completion of United States Highway 195 from Spokane, Washington to Colton, allowed farmers to ship their products further distances for better rates than the railroad provided. At the same time the highway kept Colton connected to basic necessities such as hospitals, preventing a mass exodus which occurred in similar farming communities across the United States. The premise of this work is based on primary documentation: railroad reports, census records and news articles from the Colton Eagle and the Colton News-Letter. The Whitman County Historical Society's Archives in Pullman, Washington and the Manuscript Archives and Special Collections department at Holland Library at Washington State University were both sources of valuable information. Washington State University Microforms and Owen Science Library provided additional information, allowing a more complete picture of transportation's effects on small towns.

Transportation and the transformation of a small town: wagon roads, trains, pavement and the development of Colton, Washington

Files and links (1)

Abstract

Metrics

Details