This sign is near the junction of U.S. Hwy. 12 and Wash. Hwy. 7 in Morton.
Marker Name: Morton - The City that Timber Built!
Marker Text: Morton was established June 11, 1890, when the first US Post Office opened. It was platted in 1911 by pioneers Thomas Hopgood, Robert Herselman and Pius Cottler. The town was named to honor Vice President Levi P. Morton, who served under President Benjamin Harrison.
The Tacoma Eastern Railroad gave a huge boost to the growth of this tiny forest community. The first steam-powered locomotivies rolled into town in 1910, allowing the export of timber products across the nation. With the world’s longest tie docks, Morton soon earned the title “Railroad Tie Capital of the World.”
The timber industry sustained Morton through several disasters: a fire destroyed the business district in 1924; tremendous flooding in 1933 caused thousands of dollars in damage; the eruption of Mount St. helens in 1980 also took its toll. Morton began hosting an annual Logger’s Jubilee in 1937 to celebrate the timber industry -- the Jubilee occurs the second weekend of August.
Today, Morton is the hub of business, banking, and commerce in Eastern Lewis County. It is also home to the region’s largest rural medical facility -- Morton General Hospital. Located less than an hour from Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens, Morton is quickly becoming the center of a thriving tourism industry.