Morton, Washington
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Morton is a city in Lewis County,
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
, United States. The population was 1,036 at the 2020 census.


History


19th century

A village of the Upper Cowlitz people, known as Wa-sa, had existed at the present-day site of the city. Morton was first settled in 1871 by James Fletcher. It was later named after
Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...
's Vice President,
Levi P. Morton Levi Parsons Morton (May 16, 1824 – May 16, 1920) was the 22nd vice president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He also served as List of ambassadors of the United States to France, United States ambassador to France, as a United States H ...
, in 1889. Morton was officially incorporated on January 7, 1913.


20th century

In July 1924, a large portion of Morton's downtown district was decimated in a fire, affecting 18 blocks. Beginning at the Hilts Hotel, the blaze spread and destroyed 19 commercial buildings, including structures deemed fireproof. A new building collapsed and the Arcade Theater and two
general store A general merchant store (also known as general merchandise store, general dealer, village shop, or country store) is a rural or small-town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, someti ...
s were in ruins. With the exception of a housing section for railroad employees, residential areas in Morton were spared; only one minor injury was reported. Another fire engulfed the area several years later, setting fire to the post office. The White Pass Highway (part of U.S. Route 12) was relocated through Morton in December 1967 due to the creation of
Riffe Lake Riffe Lake is a long reservoir on the Cowlitz River in the U.S. state of Washington. The lake was created by the construction of Mossyrock Dam, the tallest dam in the state, in 1968 by Tacoma City Light (now Tacoma Power). Riffe Lake includes 6 i ...
behind
Mossyrock Dam Mossyrock Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Cowlitz River near Mossyrock in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The reservoir created by the dam is called Riffe Lake. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric production wh ...
, which inundated the old route.


21st century

The city of Morton voted to leave the Timberland Regional Library district by way of proposition in 2022, leaving the city with no library or supporting library system. As part of a single-evening act of vandalism towards
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
symbols in June 2023 that also affected
Chehalis, Washington Chehalis ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,439 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is located in the Chehalis valley and is split by Interstate 5 (I-5) and State Route 6 ...
, a window and a rainbow bench outside of a business in the city were damaged. A state audit of Morton's government accounts were undertaken into 2024 and revealed a loss of over $937,000. Further investigations produced evidence the loss was misappropriated by the city's clerk-treasurer starting in 2013 and continuing into 2021. The city official, Tamara Clevenger, who during that time had sole oversight of the city's accounts, was suspected of siphoning the money for personal use. The clerk resigned after the city instituted a separation of the combined clerk-treasurer position in 2021. Clevenger was officially charged with wire fraud in federal court in April 2025; she pled guilty the following month.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.


Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Morton has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,036, there were 506 housing units and 503 families. The racial makeup of the city was 88.1%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7.7% from two or more races, 6.6%
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino, 1.7% from other races, 1.3% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.3%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
and 1 person was Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. There were 506 households, of which 18.2% had minors living with them, 55.1% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 26.2% had a female householder with no spouse present and 17.9% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average family size was 2.89. 80.5% owned a house, and the median gross rent was $900. 63.3% of occupied units paying rent paid $500 to $999, 18.4% paid $1,000 to $1,499, 10.2% paid less than $500 and 8.2% paid $1,500 to $1,499. The
median age A population pyramid (age structure diagram) or "age-sex pyramid" is a graphical illustration of the distribution of a population (typically that of a country or region of the world) by age groups and sex; it typically takes the shape of a pyramid ...
in the city was 49.5. 18.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 31.3% was between the ages 20-44, 28.3% was between the ages 45-64 and 23.1% were 65 years and older. The gender markup of the city was 53.6% male and 46.3% female. 6.5% of the population were
veterans A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...
and 31.0% of the population were
disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...
. The
median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
was $55,156 and 13.5% of the population was in
poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...
. The
employment rate Employment-to-population ratio, also called the employment rate, is a statistical ratio that measures the proportion of a country's working age population (statistics are often given for ages 15 to 64) that is employed. This includes people that ...
was 40.8%. 28.4% of employed workers worked in
retail trade Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesale ...
, 23.5% worked in
arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...
,
entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have deve ...
and
food services The foodservice (US English) or catering (British and Commonwealth English) industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home. It includes restaurants, grocery stores, school and hospital cafeteri ...
, 14.0% worked in educational service and
healthcare Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
, 11.3% worked in
manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...
, 7.5% worked in
public administration Public administration, or public policy and administration refers to "the management of public programs", or the "translation of politics into the reality that citizens see every day",Kettl, Donald and James Fessler. 2009. ''The Politics of the ...
, 4.9% worked in
construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...
, 2.9% worked in
finance Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...
or real estate, 2.4% worked in professional,
scientific Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
,
management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...
, and administrative and waste management services, 2.2% worked in other services, 1.6% worked in
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
,
forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...
,
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
,
hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...
, or
mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
and 1.3% worked in
transportation Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...
,
warehousing A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the rural–urban fringe, out ...
and
utilities A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...
. The mean usual hours worked was 36.6, 40.1 hours for males and 33.2 hours for females.


2010 census

According to the 2010 census, there were 1,126 people, 461 households, and 283 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 535 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.2%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.5%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population. There were 461 households, of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.6% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.83. The city had a median age of 46.3 years. Among the population, 20.3% were under 18 years old, 8.2% were between 18 and 24, 19.5% were aged 25 to 44, 25.8% were between 45 and 64, and 26.2% were 65 years old or older. The gender distribution was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.


Economy

Historic sources of revenue in the early days of Morton included
logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, truckscascara
bark Bark may refer to: Common meanings * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Arts and entertainment * ''Bark'' (Jefferson Airplane album), ...
, and mining for
cinnabar Cinnabar (; ), or cinnabarite (), also known as ''mercurblende'' is the bright scarlet to brick-red form of Mercury sulfide, mercury(II) sulfide (HgS). It is the most common source ore for refining mercury (element), elemental mercury and is t ...
(mercury ore) in local mines. Morton was once known as the "tie mill capital of the world" in the 1950s. The longest
railroad tie A railroad tie, crosstie (American English), railway tie (Canadian English) or railway sleeper ( Australian and British English) is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks. Generally laid perpendicular to the rails, ties trans ...
dock in the world ran along the railroad tracks east of Morton. Timber processing and logging are a large component of Morton's economy though the community suffered hardships during the loss of timber production due to environmental laws enacted in the late 20th century. , two lumber mills reside in the town.


Arts and culture


Charitable organizations

Morton's downtown arts center is supported by the Fire Mountain Arts Council (FMAC), a non-profit formally incorporated in 2003. The group purchased the Roxy Theater and managed and found funding for the venue's restoration efforts that was completed in 2024. The FMAC also manages an art gallery and the Tiller Arts and Events Center in Morton.


Festivals and events

The Morton Loggers’ Jubilee is a weekend celebration of the city's history of logging, usually held in August. Due to a lack of permanent records, the actual year the jubilee began is unknown, however there are reports of a beginning timeline of 1937 or 1938. The event has been a tradition since the 1940s and is proclaimed as the "granddaddy of all logging shows". Highlights include the coronation of a Jubilee Queen,
lawnmower A lawn mower (also known as a grass cutter or simply mower, also often spelled lawnmower) is a device utilizing one or more revolving blades (or a reel) to cut a grass surface to an even height. The height of the cut grass may be fixed by the ...
and bed racing, and competitive logging contests, which continues the original practice of the jubilee to be a "friendly competition between loggers". A parade, flea market, live music, and street dance performances round out the festivities. In her first homecoming show in Morton,
Brandy Clark Brandy Lynn Clark (born October 9, 1975) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Her songs have been recorded by Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, and Kacey Mu ...
performed during the 75th anniversary of the event in 2017.


Historic buildings and sites

The downtown district is home to the Roxy Theater, first opened in 1938; the first film shown was Thin Ice, starring figure skater
Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norway, Norwegian figure skating, figure skater and film star. She was a three-time List of Olympic medalists in figure skating, Olympic champion (Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics, ...
. The movie house was previously the site of another venue known as the Arcade Theater. Having been dormant since 1980, the site was heavily restored beginning in the early 2000s and finished by 2006. The Roxy was fully opened for films and theater productions the following year. A further remodeling effort began during the
Covid-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, which included an addition to the building used as a backstage, and was completed in 2024. The theater holds live theatrical performances and film viewings. The Roxy is also home to an art gallery. Visitors to the city are welcomed with a wooden sculpture of a lumberjack, given the title "Big Ole", signifying the importance of the city's timber history to the community.


Parks and recreation

Located on Morton's east side lies Jubilee Park and the Morton Loggers’ Jubilee Arena, home of the Loggers Jubilee. A renovation of the park and arena began in 2024 under volunteer efforts. In 2025, vandalism, along with the theft of benches, bleachers, and building materials, hampered the completion of the project. A replication of Big Ole was completed in May 2025 and placed at Jubilee Arena. The first statue was carved in 1983 but a new artwork was commissioned after the base of the original Big Ole rotted. Bordering the
Tilton River The Tilton River is a tributary of the Cowlitz River, in the U.S. state of Washington. Named for the first territorial surveyor for Washington Territory James Tilton (surveyor), it flows for about , entirely within Lewis County. Course The T ...
is Gust Backstrom (City) Park, often home to the city's farmer's market and was the location of the Old Settlers Museum. The grounds, in 1896, were home to the first schoolhouse built in the town. The park is used by the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is a department of the government of the state of Washington, United States of America. The WDFW manages over a million acres of land, the bulk of which is generally open to the public, an ...
(WDFW) to deliver migrating Chinook salmon, circumventing the dams on the Cowlitz River. Named after August Backstrom, a Swedish immigrant and long-serving public servant in Morton, he donated the land to the city before his death in 1972. The site contains a cabin for a park caretaker, who acts as an overseer of the site and is a host to campers throughout the year.


Politics

Morton has historically voted Republican although less so than Lewis County as a whole. The 2020 election included 9 votes for candidates of the Libertarian Party.


Education

There are two schools, Morton Elementary and Morton Junior-Senior High.
Centralia College Centralia College is a public community college in Centralia, Washington. Although it primarily offers certificates and Associate degrees, it also offers a few Bachelor's degrees. Founded in 1925, Centralia is the oldest continuously operatin ...
East is adjacent to the Junior-Senior High facility. The Morton-White Pass boy's high school basketball team won back-to-back state championships in 2014 and 2015. The first title was achieved during an undefeated season.


Infrastructure


Healthcare

Morton and East Lewis County residents are served by Arbor Health–Morton Hospital. Before 2019, the healthcare center was known as Morton General Hospital. The hospital opened in 1937 under ownership of Dr. C.B. Ritchie and contained 11 beds; the first nurse, Gladys Howlett, prepared food and provided clean laundry. The site expanded in 1952 and became a public healthcare campus in 1978 after the creation of a hospital district. Additional expansion occurred in 1992 with the construction of a
long term care Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mens ...
building, absorbed later for use as a hospital wing. The campus was overhauled with a new hospital building that opened in 2007, containing rooms for
acute care Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery.Alberta Health ServicesAcute care.Acce ...
and other modern medical building amenities.


Transportation

The community is among 8 locations that are part of an EV installation project on the White Pass Scenic Byway. The program will stretch from the White Pass Ski Area to Chehalis and is run in partnership with Lewis County PUD, Twin Transit, state government agencies, and local community efforts. The venture began in 2023 from two grants totaling over $1.8 million. In 2023,
Lewis County Transit Lewis County Transit, formerly Twin Transit, is a public transit system serving the cities of Centralia and Chehalis in Lewis County, Washington. It operates four local transit bus routes and two cross-county bus routes, along with options f ...
began offering weekday, direct-route service from Centralia's Mellen Street e-Transit Station to the Morton Energy Station. The route, given the moniker "Brown Line", allows options for commuters to connect to other transit services in western Washington, such as
Intercity Transit Intercity Transit is a public transportation agency organized as a municipal corporation in Thurston County, Washington, United States. It serves Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and Yelm and Lakewood: an area of approximately . It operates 19 bu ...
, RiverCities Transit, and the Cowlitz Tribal transportation system.


Strom Field Airport

Strom Field Airport is a single-runway municipal airfield located immediately southeast of the downtown core. Named after Stan T. Strom, a local devotee of aviation, the airport was constructed between 1964 and 1965. The airstrip is in length and is wide. The airport was reported to be home to 6 aircraft and generated a revenue of over $28,000 in a 2010
economic impact analysis An economic impact analysis (EIA) examines the effect of an event on the economy in a specified area, ranging from a single neighborhood to the entire globe. It usually measures changes in business revenue, business profits, personal wages, and/ ...
. A pilot of a
Cirrus SR22 The Cirrus SR22 is a single-engine four- or five-seat composite aircraft built since 2001 by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. It is a development of the Cirrus SR20, with a larger wing, higher fuel capacity and more powerfu ...
died during a crash in March 2010 when the aircraft, approximately from the airport, clipped trees during an attempted emergency landing due to power loss to an engine.


Notable people

* Bill Bryant, Seattle Port Commissioner *
Brandy Clark Brandy Lynn Clark (born October 9, 1975) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Her songs have been recorded by Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, and Kacey Mu ...
, singer/songwriter for many Nashville recording artists * Roger "Buzz" Osborne, singer/songwriter/guitarist for the rock band
Melvins Melvins (sometimes the Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Primarily a trio, they have also performed as a quartet, with eith ...
* T.A. Peterman, founder of Peterbilt Motors Company


See also


Fire Mountain Arts Council


Notes


References


External links


Centralia College East

Morton Chamber of Commerce
* {{authority control Cities in Washington (state) Cities in Lewis County, Washington Levi P. Morton