Page 14 - History of the Colton Fire Department

It was unknown if there was a problem with the pulley system
or if the bell was just not ringing loud enough for the celebra-
tions that was occurring, but the man ringing the bell decided
to climb into the bell tower and took a large sledge hammer to
ring the bell. This was the cause of the existing crack in the
bell. It is unsure if the bell remained operational but when
the City Hall was remodelled in 1927, the bell was removed
because of the elimination of the bell tower and placed to the
rear of City Hall as scrap metal. In 1937 the Rotary Club
recovered the bell from a huge scrap pile still behind City
Hall. The Rotary Club had intentions of installing it as a
memorial to David D. Colton in the first Municipal Park in
Colton which is now Chavez Park. The Rotary Club wanted
to make a suitable tower for the bell to hang but could not
finance the whole project. They asked for the support of the
Chamber of Commerce but could not come to an agreement
and the project fell to the wayside. While the Rotary Club
was trying to raise funds for the project, the bell was stored
behind the new fire station. The Bell was later mounted in
a more modest display at the newly built Fire Station at 10th
and E Street around 1938 where it is proudly displayed today.
Retired Chief Ed Temby remembers seeing the bell when he
started with the department in 1946.
Top right: Original one room school house with the new school to its left.

Bottom right: The first School Bell donated by Mrs. Colton.

Below: The Bell at the Station 1 remodel in 2009.

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