Editing Morton, Washington (section)

==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]] 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]] and other modern medical building amenities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Julie |title=Medical care grew locally from doctor's offices to large hospitals |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/julie-mcdonald-medical-care-grew-locally-from-doctors-offices-to-large-hospitals,338912 |access-date=March 11, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 22, 2024}}</ref>

===Transportation===
[[File:Morton, WA — Fire station.jpg|thumb|Fire station in Morton]]
The community is among 8 locations that are part of an [[Electric vehicle|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.<ref>{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Construction Begins on U.S. Highway 12 Electric Vehicle Charging Station Network |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/construction-begins-on-us-highway-12-electric-vehicle-charging-station-network,315141 |access-date=June 21, 2023 |work=The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington) |date=March 7, 2023}}</ref>

In 2023, [[Lewis County Transit]] began offering weekday, direct-route service from [[Centralia, Washington|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 (Washington)|RiverCities Transit]], and the Cowlitz Tribal transportation system.<ref>{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Twin Transit Begins Weekday Service Between Centralia and Morton |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/twin-transit-begins-weekday-service-between-centralia-and-morton,315072 |access-date=August 16, 2023 |work=The Chronicle |date=March 6, 2023}}</ref>

====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 {{convert|10|acre|ha|adj=mid}} airport was constructed between 1964 and 1965.<ref>{{cite news |title=From Cascades to Pacific, airports adapting to changing needs |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1977/12-03/page-36 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=December 3, 1977}}</ref> The airstrip is {{convert|1,810|ft|m|1}} in length and is {{convert|40|ft|m|1}} wide.<ref>{{cite web |title=39P - Strom Field Airport |url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/39P |publisher=AirNav |access-date=July 11, 2024}}</ref> The airport was reported to be home to 6 aircraft and generated a revenue of over $28,000 in a 2010 [[economic impact analysis]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Study Finds Positive Economic Impacts From Washington State Airports |url=https://www.aviationpros.com/airports/airports-municipalities/news/10708435/washington-state-airports-create-a-positive-impact-on-the-economy |access-date=July 11, 2024 |work=AviationPros.com |publisher=The Chronicle |date=May 1, 2012}}</ref> A pilot of a [[Cirrus SR22]] died during a crash in March 2010 when the aircraft, approximately {{convert|2.5|mi}} from the airport, clipped trees during an attempted emergency landing due to power loss to an engine.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brewer |first1=Christopher |title=A History of Fatal Aircraft Crashes in Lewis County |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-history-of-fatal-aircraft-crashes-in-lewis-county,80908? |access-date=December 10, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=August 27, 2014}}</ref>