The Colton Liberty Flag is an

American flag The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...

which was flown continuously over Mount Slover in Colton, California, United States. The flag was first raised and illuminated by the California Portland Cement Company (later CalPortland) as part of an Independence Day celebration in Colton the night of July 4, 1917, as a sign of patriotism during the entrance of the United States into World War I. At the time it was one of only three locations in the United States permitted to fly the flag at night. The flag was removed in 1952. It was replaced in 1987 to commemorate Colton's centennial, but was removed a short time later when the flag pole was damaged by high winds. The flag was replaced again on February 17, 1997, which was

President's Day Presidents' Day, also called Washington's Birthday at the federal governmental level, is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February to honor all persons who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879 ...

. The flag was removed a final time in April 2012 due to a reduction in cement plant operations caused by the

Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...

and the concomitant reduced personnel available to maintain the flag. It is now in the possession of the San Bernardino County Museum.

References

External links

Landmark flag in Colton is retired
at ''

The Press-Enterprise ''The Press-Enterprise'' is a paid daily newspaper published by Digital First Media that serves the Inland Empire in Southern California. Headquartered in downtown Riverside, California, it is the primary newspaper for Riverside County, with ...

'' Flags of the United States Colton, California History of San Bernardino County, California 1917 establishments in California {{US-flag-stub