Morton, Texas
Morton is a city of 1,513 people in Cochran County, Texas, founded in 1923.
Why visit Morton
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 3 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Texas' Last Frontier Historical Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Morton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Morton
Morton is a city in and the county seat of Cochran County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 1,690, a 15.8% population decline since the 2010 census.
From the Wikipedia article Morton, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks9
Texas' Last Frontier Historical Museum
Museum
118 Southwest 1st Street, Morton
"By appointment only"
1st School Building Morton, Texas
Monument and historic site
Southwest 1st Street
Quanah Parker Trail Arrow
Monument and historic site
West Fillmore Avenue, Morton
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes3
History
Famous cattle baron Christopher C. Slaughter died in 1919, and in 1921, his heirs dissolved his cattle company. Slaughter's eldest daughter, Minnie Slaughter Veal, hired an agent to sell her share of the property, and this agent—named Morton Smith—founded the town of Morton. In 1923, the townsite was platted, and Smith's land office was on the east side of the square. In 1924, Morton became the county seat over a town called Ligon. The Slaughters had founded Ligon and were hoping that it would become the county seat. Cochran County's western boundary is along the Texas–New Mexico border.
Ranches continued to be sold as farmland throughout the 1920s. According to the Handbook of Texas, a family named Winder was so large that it doubled the population of Morton. Mrs. Mary Winder served as Morton's first postmistress (1924–1943). Since Cochran County was one of the last in the state to be broken out into farmland and settled, the motto for Morton became "The Last Frontier".
Morton was spared the fate of many Texas towns that shriveled and died after being bypassed by the railroad during the 1930s and 1940s. Morton, being the county seat, plus having all that former rangeland newly broken out into farmland, attracted many new farming families to move in during that time, and helped Morton not only survive, but also to grow and thrive.
From the History section of Morton, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship7
Saint Ann Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.5 mi
103 Northeast 8th Street, Morton
Shopping2
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare1
Map of Morton
32 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°F | 24°F | 0.6 in | 1.4 in |
| Feb | 59°F | 27°F | 0.6 in | 1.4 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 34°F | 1.1 in | 0.4 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 42°F | 0.9 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 84°F | 52°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 92°F | 62°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 65°F | 2.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 64°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 56°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 44°F | 1.5 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 33°F | 0.8 in | 1.2 in |
| Dec | 55°F | 26°F | 0.6 in | 1.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Morton (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Cochran County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-02-09: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Reese Airpark (REE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 42 miles away.
- Whiteface 12 mi southeast, about 19 min by car
- Sundown 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Levelland 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Portales 46 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Farwell 48 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Lubbock 51 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Denver City 52 mi south, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Clovis 55 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Bovina 55 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Cannon AFB 56 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Morton Texas City Hall, Leaflet, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 20220523-IMG 8793 Large Morton, TX funnel, NOAA NSSL, CC BY 2.0
- Cochran County Texas Courthouse 2019, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
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