On Saturday, January 13th, our first guest speaker of 2018 gave a talk on her great grandfather Fred Perris and his part in the standoff in Colton by the Southern Pacific Railroad and the California Southern Railroad (now the Burlington Santa Fe where the tracks crossed in Colton.)
The meeting took place at 2:30pm in the Larry Sheffield Research Center and Meeting Room on the South side lower level of the Museum. The meetings were free and open to the public and people are encouraged to bring their friends.
It was a simple railroad crossing -- nothing more. Two sets of tracks, crossing over each other at a grade. But this simple crossing became the scene of something quite unimaginable: a crisis between two railroads that pulled in two neighboring communities - Colton and San Bernardino - and nearly incited a quasi-civil war over who would gain - and maintain - the right-of-way for that narrow strip of track. And at the center of this railroad drama was an unlikely man: Frederick Thomas Perris. Fred Perris, a resident of San Bernardino, had seen his share of challenges in his life. What Fred would face at the Colton Crossing would test all of his skills and experience as he tried to help realize the vision of getting the California Southern Railway to San Bernardino and ultimately through the Cajon Pass.
Christina Alanne Perris, MA, BA, is also an adjunct history instructor at San Bernardino Valley College where she teaches United States History to 1877 and has taught United States history, 1865 - present and World History to 1500. She holds a Master of Arts degree in history and archival studies from Claremont Graduate University (2013), A Bachelor of Arts degree in history with an emphasis in public and oral history from California State University, San Bernardino (2009) and an Associate of Arts degree in psychology from Crafton Hills College (2000). She is currently a docent and director on the Board of the Colton Area Museum.