Morton, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morton, Texas
|
|
|---|---|
City Hall
|
|
 Morton, Texas
Location in Texas
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Cochran |
| Region | Llano Estacado |
| Established | 1923 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.50 sq mi (3.90 km2) |
| • Land | 1.50 sq mi (3.90 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,760 ft (1,146 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 1,690 |
| • Density | 1,126.66/sq mi (433.33/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
79346
|
| Area code | 806 |
| FIPS code | 48-49464 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1363181 |
Morton is a city in Cochran County, Texas, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the county government is located. In 2020, about 1,690 people lived in Morton.
Contents
History of Morton
Morton was founded in 1923. It was named after Morton Smith. He was an agent who helped sell land for Minnie Slaughter Veal. Her father, Christopher C. Slaughter, was a famous cattle baron. This means he owned a lot of land and many cattle.
In 1924, Morton became the county seat. This was a big deal because it meant Morton would be the main town in Cochran County. Another town, Ligon, had hoped to be the county seat.
During the 1920s, many large ranches in the area were sold. They were turned into farmland. This brought many new families to Morton. One large family, the Winders, even doubled the town's population! Mrs. Mary Winder was Morton's first postmistress. She worked there from 1924 to 1943.
Because Cochran County was one of the last areas in Texas to be settled, Morton's motto became "The Last Frontier." This motto shows its unique history.
Many Texas towns struggled when railroads didn't pass through them. But Morton kept growing. Being the county seat helped a lot. Also, the new farmlands attracted many farming families. This helped Morton survive and become a thriving town.
In 1933, Morton officially became an incorporated city. Henry Cox was the first mayor.
Morton was also the hometown of Lt. Col. George Andrew Davis, Jr.. He was a brave pilot in World War II and the Korean War. He was known as an "ace" because he shot down many enemy planes.
Where is Morton?
Morton is in the northeastern part of Cochran County. It sits on a flat area called the "Staked Plains" or Llano Estacado. This area is part of the larger Great Plains. Morton is about 3,800 feet (1,200 m) above sea level.
The city is located near the western edge of the Central Time Zone. It's only about 16 miles (26 km) east of the Mountain Time Zone. Morton is about 55 miles (89 km) west of Lubbock. It is also about 79 miles (127 km) southeast of Clovis, New Mexico.
The main part of Morton is where State Highways 114 and 214 meet. The city covers about 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) of land. There is also a small, man-made pond called Strickland Lake.
About 20 miles (32 km) north of Morton is the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is a special place for animals. Every autumn, many sandhill cranes migrate there. It is also home to a large town of prairie dogs all year round.
Morton's Climate
Morton has a mild, semiarid climate. This means it's generally dry. On average, Morton gets about 18 inches (460 mm) of rain each year.
Summers in Morton are hot. Daytime temperatures often reach the 90s °F. At night, temperatures drop into the 60s °F. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 110 °F (43 °C) in June 1994.
Winter days are usually sunny and mild, around the mid-50s °F. But nights can be cold, dropping to the mid-20s °F. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −12 °F (−24 °C) in January 1963.
| Climate data for Morton, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1962–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
86 (30) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
107 (42) |
111 (44) |
110 (43) |
108 (42) |
104 (40) |
99 (37) |
87 (31) |
81 (27) |
111 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 55.0 (12.8) |
59.4 (15.2) |
66.9 (19.4) |
75.4 (24.1) |
83.5 (28.6) |
91.9 (33.3) |
93.0 (33.9) |
91.6 (33.1) |
84.5 (29.2) |
75.2 (24.0) |
63.8 (17.7) |
55.3 (12.9) |
74.6 (23.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 39.7 (4.3) |
43.3 (6.3) |
50.5 (10.3) |
58.5 (14.7) |
67.9 (19.9) |
76.8 (24.9) |
79.1 (26.2) |
77.5 (25.3) |
70.3 (21.3) |
59.8 (15.4) |
48.5 (9.2) |
40.6 (4.8) |
59.4 (15.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.4 (−4.2) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
34.0 (1.1) |
41.6 (5.3) |
52.4 (11.3) |
61.8 (16.6) |
65.1 (18.4) |
63.5 (17.5) |
56.1 (13.4) |
44.5 (6.9) |
33.1 (0.6) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
44.1 (6.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −12 (−24) |
−2 (−19) |
7 (−14) |
21 (−6) |
25 (−4) |
40 (4) |
52 (11) |
48 (9) |
32 (0) |
13 (−11) |
5 (−15) |
−4 (−20) |
−12 (−24) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.62 (16) |
0.61 (15) |
1.11 (28) |
0.87 (22) |
1.94 (49) |
2.27 (58) |
2.36 (60) |
2.53 (64) |
2.32 (59) |
1.48 (38) |
0.85 (22) |
0.63 (16) |
17.59 (447) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.4 (3.6) |
1.4 (3.6) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
1.2 (3.0) |
1.6 (4.1) |
6.3 (16) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 55.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 4.3 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People in Morton
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1940 | 1,137 | — | |
| 1950 | 2,274 | 100.0% | |
| 1960 | 2,731 | 20.1% | |
| 1970 | 2,738 | 0.3% | |
| 1980 | 2,674 | −2.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,597 | −2.9% | |
| 2000 | 2,249 | −13.4% | |
| 2010 | 2,006 | −10.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,690 | −15.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The population of Morton has changed over the years. In 2020, the city had 1,690 residents.
Morton's Population in 2020
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 393 | 23.25% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 52 | 3.08% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 2 | 0.12% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 22 | 1.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,221 | 72.25% |
| Total | 1,690 |
In 2020, there were 1,690 people living in Morton. There were 700 households and 467 families.
Morton's Population in 2010
In 2010, Morton had 2,006 people. The population density was about 1,433 people per square mile. Most residents were Hispanic or Latino (61.1%) or White (33.5%).
About 33.6% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households were married couples. The average household had almost 3 people. The average family had over 3 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 25.6% of the people were under 15 years old. About 14.1% were 65 years or older. The average age in Morton was 34 years.
Education in Morton
Students in Morton attend schools in the Morton Independent School District. The high school is Morton High School. Their mascot is the Indians. The school colors are black, gold, and white.
Local Media
For many years, Morton had its own weekly newspaper called The Morton Tribune. It was published every Thursday. However, it stopped publishing after 2010. Many people in Morton also read the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. This newspaper is printed in Lubbock and delivered to Morton daily.
Important Places
The Morton Memorial Cemetery is about 2 miles (3 km) north of the city center. It is a well-kept place where people from the community are buried. There is also a large marker for some Native Americans buried there.
See also
In Spanish: Morton (Texas) para niños
