Morton County | US Courthouses

Morton County is named for Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton ( 1823 – 1877 ), who was a United States Senator from Indiana.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Stanton County

E – Stevens County

S – Texas County, Oklahoma

W – Baca County, Colorado

Created: February 20, 1886

County Seat:

Richfield 1886 – 1963

Elkhart 1963 – present

County Courthouse – Elkhart

Location: 1025 Morton Street / Emery Lane

Built: 1963 – 1964

Style: Modern

Architect: W I Fisher & Company of Wichita

Contractor: James Beveridge of Ulysses

Description: The building faces north and is a one story concrete, stone, brick and glass structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds on a low hill on the east side of Elkhart. The north front has black colored square columns supporting an overhanging roof and glass walls, on the east side and on the west is a large yellow colored stone wall over a dark red colored brick wall. The west side is dark red colored brick. The roof line is flat. In the interior, a glass walled lobby runs across the north front. The courtroom is located at the south side off the lobby. The building houses the County District Court of the 26th Judicial District.

County Courthouse Ruins – Richfield

Location: NE – 7th Street / Pine Street

Built: 1935 – 1936

Style: Federal

Architect: Works Progress Administration

Contractor: Work Projects Administration

Description: The building faces east and is a one story white colored course stone Federal style structure. The building was constructed in the midst of the dust bowl and was originally a machine shop and maintenance building. When the courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1950, the building became the courthouse until 1961. This is a Work Projects Administration project. The building lies abandoned. The site of the former courthouse is southeast across the street on the southeast corner of Mulberry Street and 7th Street where the pad of the former courthouse is located along with the old red colored brick County Jail.

See: The 26th Judicial District includes Grant County, Haskell County, Seward County, Stanton County and Stevens County.

History: The county was created in 1886 and Richfield was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was designed by J M Anderson and constructed in 1889 in Richfield. The building was destroyed by fire in 1950. The second courthouse was constructed in 1935 as a machine shop and became the courthouse in 1950. The county seat was moved to Elkhart in 1961 and the third and present courthouse was constructed in 1963 to 1964.