Boy looks inside the barrel of an old cannon - military history sites

Self-guided · city, California

Military History Sites in Colton, CA

Forts, armories, barracks, batteries and memorials from every war the country has fought, listed with what happened at each.

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Photo: Phyllis Lilienthal on Unsplash

History books cover the big events in a chapter each. The places those events touched are scattered across counties like this one. Colton has a population of about 53,243.

Child sits on a cannon with others walking by - military history sites — Photo: Belov Sergey on Unsplash

A woman standing in front of a display of guns - military history sites — Photo: Felix Ngo on Unsplash

A group of men in uniform holding guns - military history sites — Photo: Rusty Watson on Unsplash

On the record near Colton, CA

The 7 nearest

7 listed sites on the record match military history sites within 120 miles of Colton, CA, out of 72 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

Armory Hall28 miles from the center of Colton · Building · Lake Elsinore · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Drum Barracks58 miles from the center of Colton · Building · Wilmington · listed 1971National Register of Historic Places
Army and Navy YMCA60 miles from the center of Colton · Building · Los Angelos · listed 2026National Register of Historic Places
Battery John Barlow and Saxton62 miles from the center of Colton · Structure · San Pedro · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
Battery Osgood-Farley62 miles from the center of Colton · Structure · San Pedro · listed 1974National Register of Historic Places
Catholic-Protestant Chapels, Veterans Administration Center65 miles from the center of Colton · Building · Los Angeles · listed 1972National Register of Historic Places
San Diego Veterans' War Memorial Building--Balboa Park93 miles from the center of Colton · Building · San Diego · listed 2000National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Colton, CA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Military History in Colton, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Colton, CA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Colton, CA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Colton, CA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Colton

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Colton, CA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Colton, CA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.