Morton, Washington

Morton
City
Main Street, Morton, Washington
Location of Morton, Washington
Coordinates: 46°33′28″N122°16′47″W / 46.55778°N 122.27972°W / 46.55778; -122.27972 [1]
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Lewis
Area [2]
• Total	0.83 sq mi (2.16 km2)
• Land	0.82 sq mi (2.13 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	948 ft (289 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,036
• Density	1,460.41/sq mi (563.60/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98356
Area code	360
FIPS code	53-47175
GNIS feature ID	1523383 [3]
Website	www.visitmorton.com

Morton is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,036 at the 2020 census. ^[4]

History

Morton, Washington 1910

Morton was first settled in 1871 by James Fletcher. It was later named after Benjamin Harrison's Vice President, Levi P. Morton, ^{[5] [6]} in 1889. Morton was officially incorporated on January 7, 1913. Historic sources of revenue included logging, harvesting of cascara bark, and mining for cinnabar (mercury ore) in local mines. Morton was once known as the "tie mill capital of the world" in the 1950s. The longest railroad tie dock in the world ran along the railroad tracks east of Morton. ^[7]

The White Pass Highway (part of U.S. Route 12) was relocated through Morton in December 1967 due to the creation of Riffe Lake behind Mossyrock Dam, which inundated the old route. ^{[8] [9]}

As part of a single-evening act of vandalism towards LGBTQ symbols in June 2023 that also affected Chehalis, Washington, a window and a rainbow bench outside of a business in the city were damaged. ^{[10] [11]}

Geography

Morton as seen from Dog Mountain

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.83 square miles (2.15 km²), of which 0.82 square miles (2.12 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water. ^[12]

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 system, Morton has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. ^[13]

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, ^[4] the population was 1,036, there were 506 housing units and 503 families. The racial makeup of the city was 88.1% White, 7.7% from two or more races, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% from other races, 1.3% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% African American 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 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 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 and 31.0% of the population were disabled.

The median household income was $55,156 and 13.5% of the population was in poverty. The employment rate was 40.8%. 28.4% of employed workers worked in retail trade, 23.5% worked in arts, entertainment and food services, 14.0% worked in educational service and healthcare, 11.3% worked in manufacturing, 7.5% worked in public administration, 4.9% worked in construction, 2.9% worked in finance or real estate, 2.4% worked in professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste management services, 2.2% worked in other services, 1.6% worked in agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, or mining and 1.3% worked in transportation, warehousing and utilites. The mean usual hours worked was 36.6, 40.1 hours for males and 33.2 hours for females.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	522		—
1930	461		−11.7%
1940	778		68.8%
1950	1,140		46.5%
1960	1,183		3.8%
1970	1,134		−4.1%
1980	1,264		11.5%
1990	1,130		−10.6%
2000	1,045		−7.5%
2010	1,126		7.8%
2020	1,036		−8.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [14] 2020 Census [4]

2010 census

According to the 2010 census, ^[15] there were 1,126 people, 461 households, and 283 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,373.2 inhabitants per square mile (530.2/km²). There were 535 housing units at an average density of 652.4 per square mile (251.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.2% White, 0.5% African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 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 median age in the city was 46.3 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.5% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 26.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

Economy

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. As of 2024 ^[update] , two lumber mills reside in the town. ^[16]

Arts and culture

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. ^[17] The event has been a tradition since the 1940s and is proclaimed as the "granddaddy of all logging shows". ^[16] Highlights include the coronation of a Jubilee Queen, lawnmower and bed racing, and competitive logging contests, which continues the original practice of the jubilee to be a "friendly competition between loggers". ^[17] A parade, flea market, live music, and street dance performances round out the festivities. ^{[18] [19] [20]} In her first homecoming show in Morton, Brandy Clark performed during the 75th anniversary of the event in 2017. ^{[21] [22]} Visitors to the city are welcomed with a wooden sculpture of a lumberjack, given the title "Big Ole", signifying the jubilee's importance to the community. ^[23]

Parks and recreation

Located on Morton's east side lies Jubilee Park, home of the Loggers Jubilee. ^[23]

Bordering the Tilton River is Gust Backstrom City Park, often home to the city's farmer's market and was the location of the Old Settlers Museum. ^{[24] [25]} The grounds, in 1896, were home to the first schoolhouse built in the town. ^[26] The park is used by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to deliver migrating Chinook salmon, circumventing the dams on the Cowlitz River. ^[27]

Politics

Presidential Elections Results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third parties
2020 [28]	69.0%288	29.0% 114	2.0% 12

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 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. ^[29]

Infrastructure

Fire station in Morton

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. ^[30]

In 2023, Lewis County Transit 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, RiverCities Transit, and the Cowlitz Tribal transportation system. ^[31]

Notable people

• Bill Bryant, Seattle Port Commissioner ^[32]
• Brandy Clark, singer/songwriter for many Nashville recording artists such as LeAnn Rimes and Reba McEntire ^[33]
• Roger "Buzz" Osborne, singer/songwriter/guitarist for the rock band Melvins

References

1. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
3. "Morton". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
4. "2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau . Retrieved March 15, 2022.
5. Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 122. ISBN   978-0-918664-00-6.
6. Meany, Edmond S. (1923). Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 172.
7. LaVonne M. Sparkman, From Homestead to Lakebed (Spakrman Publications, 1994) p. 72. ISBN   0-89288-249-2
8. "New Highway Bypasses New Reservoir". The Tacoma News Tribune. December 3, 1967. p. B14. Retrieved July 29, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Morton Has Good Year, Looks Ahead". The Tacoma News Tribune. December 31, 1967. p. D10. Retrieved July 29, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
10. Vander Stoep, Isabel (June 26, 2023). "Four Lewis County LGBTQ+ Advocate Sites Vandalized in One Night". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
11. Girgis, Lauren (July 7, 2023). "Flags stolen, vandalized throughout Washington during Pride month". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
12. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
13. Climate Summary for Morton, Washington
14. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 19, 2012.
16. Rietmulder, Michael (February 3, 2024). "How this WA logging town shaped Grammy nominee Brandy Clark". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
17. The Chronicle staff (August 9, 2023). "Morton to host 80th annual Loggers Jubilee starting Thursday". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
18. Rubin, Will (August 7, 2018). "The 'Granddaddy of All Logging Shows' Rolls on in Morton". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
19. Vander Stoep, Isabel (August 11, 2021). "Granddaddy of All Logging Shows: Morton Loggers' Jubilee Returns This Weekend for 78th Run". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
20. "Morton Loggers Jubilee - Jubilee History". loggersjubilee.com. Morton Loggers Jubilee Committee. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
21. Nailon, Jordan (June 27, 2017). "Homegrown Country Music Star Brandy Clark to Perform Local Shows". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
22. Betts, Stephen L. (August 3, 2017). "Brandy Clark to Release Concert Album 'Live From Los Angeles'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 16, 2024.
23. The Chronicle staff (May 22, 2006). "Art in the Park celebrates a decade". The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington) . Retrieved April 15, 2024.
24. Filley, Bette (1996). The Big Fact Book about Mount Rainier. Dunamis House. p. 19. ISBN   9781880405062 . Retrieved April 15, 2024.
25. The Chronicle staff (May 22, 2006). "Museums of history, motorcycles and military". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
26. Sparkmann, Lavone M. (August 29, 2012). "Let's Crack the Books and Study Up on Early Schoolhouses". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
27. Nailon, Jordan (July 14, 2016). "Popular, Controversial Cowlitz River Steelhead Recycling Program Resumes". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
28. Washington Secretary of State Results by Precinct
29. VanTuyl, Aaron (December 31, 2019). "A Decade in Review: Looking Back at the Best of the 2010s". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
30. The Chronicle staff (March 7, 2023). "Construction Begins on U.S. Highway 12 Electric Vehicle Charging Station Network". The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington). Retrieved June 21, 2023.
31. The Chronicle staff (March 6, 2023). "Twin Transit Begins Weekday Service Between Centralia and Morton". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
32. "Governor Candidate Bill Bryant to Speak at Lincoln Day Dinner in Chehalis", The Chronicle, Centralia, Washington, February 22, 2016
33. "Singer-Songwriter: Morton Native's Songs Making It Onto Major Country, Gospel Albums". November 19, 2010.

External links

• Centralia College East
• Morton Chamber of Commerce
• Morton School District at the Library of Congress Web Archives(archived December 16, 2001)