Colton began in 1879 when L. J. Wolford, Roy Woodworth, and Dr. Cole left Uniontown, acquired property from Gregory Koshier, and platted a new town. Its name combined the first three letters of Cole and the last three letters of Wolford's son Clinton. Well situated between Pullman and Clarkston, Colton became a bedroom community, and descendants of some of its early German settlers continued farming wheat, garbanzo beans, peas, barley, and bluegrass. The Steptoe Canyon Road through town provided the best route to river grain terminals, helping ensure the early success of local businesses. Saint Gall Church, named for a 6th century Irish disciple who spent part of his life as a hermit in the forests of Switzerland, was built in 1905 and retained its original architecture and stained glass windows. The nearby Steptoe Canyon route was also the line of retreat used by Colonel Steptoe and his troops after an unsuccessful battle with Palouse Indians near Rosalia.