Editing Colton, Washington

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Colton
| official_name      = Colton, Washington
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| motto              = 
<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Colton WA aerial, May 2023.png
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Aerial view of Colton in 2023
| image_map          = Whitman_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Colton_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Colton, Washington
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Whitman County, Washington|Whitman]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_53.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 1.60
| area_land_km2      = 1.60
| area_water_km2     = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi   = 0.62
| area_land_sq_mi    = 0.62
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 401
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- General information -->
| timezone           = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
| utc_offset         = -8
| timezone_DST       = PDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -7
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 2562
| coordinates        = {{coord|46|34|03|N|117|07|32|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}<ref name=gnis/>
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 99113
| area_code          = [[Area code 509|509]]
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 53-13890
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2413231<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2413231}}</ref>
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Colton''' is a town in [[Whitman County, Washington|Whitman County]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], United States. The population was 401 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2023 |title=Census Bureau profile: Colton, Washington |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Colton%20town,%20Washington |access-date=May 11, 2024 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

==History==

Colton was first settled in 1879 by J.A. Cole,<ref name=atbocel>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0dctAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v9AFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2157%2C3490715 |work=Idahonian |location=(Moscow) |last=Hyde |first=Susan M. |title=A town built on celebration |date=June 3, 1989 |page=1B}}</ref> and was founded{{clarify|date=March 2024}} in 1882 by J.B. Stanley.<ref name=majors>{{Cite book| last = Majors | first = Harry M. | title = Exploring Washington | publisher = Van Winkle Publishing Co | year = 1975 | page = 143 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ| isbn = 978-0-918664-00-6}}</ref> Colton was incorporated in 1890; however, the incorporation documents were not recorded until 1893.

Plans for the formation of Colton were made in 1879. Several residents of the town of Uniontown, which was settled a few years earlier, had grown dissatisfied with the proprietor of that town. In June 1879, the town of Colton was surveyed and platted on the 480-acre farm of Gregor Kosher. That month L.J. Wolford moved his hotel to Colton and Chris Adamson moved his blacksmith shop to the new town. Dr. Cole erected the first new building on the corner of Steptoe and Broadway (now Main Street); J.B. Standley moved his small supply of merchandise into the new building. The town took its name from the first three letters of Cole, and the last three from Clinton, a son of Mr. Wolford, whose family was the first to live in Colton.

On October 10, 1879, John Standley was appointed postmaster and opened a post office in his own store. During the summer of 1880, a petition was granted by the county government at Asotin to separate Colton from the school district of Uniontown. The first school was opened in the Cole Building. Mrs. Viola Flowers was the first teacher.

Colton was a filming location for country artist [[Kenny Chesney]] in his 1995 hit song ''[[Me and You (Kenny Chesney song)|Me and You]]''.

==Notable natives==
* [[Mike Kramer]], former head [[College football|football]] coach at [[Eastern Washington Eagles football|Eastern Washington]], [[Montana State Bobcats football|Montana State]], and [[Idaho State Bengals football|Idaho State]]
* [[Albert H. Rooks|Albert Rooks]], captain of ''[[USS Houston (CA-30)|USS Houston]]'' (CA-30), posthumous [[Medal of Honor]] recipient
* [[Lowell Ward Rooks]] (1893−1973), army officer (brother of Albert)
* [[Opal Whiteley]], nature writer and diarist

==Geography==

Colton is located along [[U.S. Route 195]] in the [[Palouse]] region of southeastern Washington, just west of the [[Idaho]] border.<ref>{{cite news |last=Collingwood |first=Ryan |date=August 27, 2020 |title=Colton's merger with Genesee, Idaho, lets six Washington students play football this fall |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/aug/27/coltons-merger-with-genesee-idaho-lets-six-washing/ |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |accessdate=February 29, 2024}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|0.59|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all of it land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=December 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012 }}</ref>

'''Distances'''
* [[Pullman, Washington|Pullman]] - {{convert|14|mi}} north
* [[Lewiston, Idaho]] - {{convert|22|mi}} south-southeast
* [[Clarkston, Washington|Clarkston]] - {{convert|23|mi}} south
* [[Moscow, Idaho]] - {{convert|24|mi}} north-northeast
* [[Colfax, Washington|Colfax]] - {{convert|28|mi}} north-northwest
* [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]] - {{convert|87|mi}} north
* [[Walla Walla, Washington|Walla Walla]] - {{convert|127|mi}} southwest
* [[Kennewick, Washington|Kennewick]] - {{convert|151|mi}} west-southwest
* [[Boise, Idaho]] - {{convert|288|mi}} south

===Climate===
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6&nbsp;°F. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Colton has a [[Mediterranean climate#Warm-summer Mediterranean climate|warm-summer Mediterranean climate]], abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=420954&cityname=Colton%2C+Washington%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Colton, Washington]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1900 = 251
| 1910 = 393
| 1920 = 382
| 1930 = 269
| 1940 = 262
| 1950 = 207
| 1960 = 253
| 1970 = 279
| 1980 = 307
| 1990 = 325
| 2000 = 386
| 2010 = 418
| 2020 = 401
| footnote = Source:<ref>Moffatt, Riley.  ''Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850-1990''.  [[Lanham, Maryland|Lanham]]: Scarecrow, 1996, 335.</ref><br/>U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 11, 2013}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]],<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 19, 2012}}</ref> there were 418 people, 164 households, and 126 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|708.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 167 housing units at an average density of {{convert|283.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 95.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.7% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.5% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 3.1% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.1% of the population.

There were 164 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.2% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the town was 44.2 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.9% were from 25 to 44; 33.3% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.0% male and 49.0% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 386 people, 148 households, and 108 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|655.0|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 152 housing units at an average density of {{convert|257.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.41% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.04% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.78% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.78% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.78% of the population.

There were 148 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 29.0% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,500, and the median income for a family was $56,875. Males had a median income of $38,125 versus $28,611 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $21,506. About 3.5% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 5.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Whitman County, Washington}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Towns in Whitman County, Washington]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1882]]