Situated
in the heart of the Illinois
River Valley,
Morton offers
the best in Illinois living.
With lower housing and commodities
costs, plus a higher standard
of living than other communities
its size, Morton is one
of the best living values
in the nation.Morton
is located in
Tazewell County and has
a population of 17,000.
The median age is 40 years,
and there are a large
percentage of family households.
With a property tax rate
of 6.8207 percent and
no public debt, Morton
puts its resources where
they will best benefit
its citizens. The result
is quality living in a
safe and well ran community.
Morton
is known as the Pumpkin
Capital of the World because
85% of the world’s
canned pumpkin is packed
in the Nestles/Libby’s
plant located in the center
of our Village.
Morton
is located at the intersection
of Interstates 74 and
I-55, with easy access
to major cities and the
Illinois state capital.
This prime location —
just 10 minutes from Peoria,
30 minutes from Bloomington-Normal,
50 minutes from Springfield
and three hours from Chicago
and St. Louis —
gives Morton the benefits
of city living without
the inconveniences. Peoria,
a city of 100,000, offers
major shopping centers,
specialized medical care,
and access to fine arts
presentations, professional
sports events and higher
education opportunities.
Two
airports serve Morton. Just
12 miles away is the Greater
Peoria Regional Airport,
with flights daily to far
away places, with jet and
turboprop commuter service,
and car
rental services. In nearby
Bloomington-Normal are the
Central Illinois Regional
Airport and the Amtrak Railroad
Station.
Morton
offers cable and satellite
television services as well
as broadband, high-speed,
and wireless Internet service
and a variety of mobile
phone service providers.
Bringing the news to Morton
residents are three daily
newspapers — the Peoria
Journal Star, the Pekin
Daily Times and the Bloomington
Pantagraph — and two
weekly newspapers—Morton
Times-News and Morton Courier.
History
Morton’s
first settlers came from
England, Ohio and New York
in the mid 1800s.
Later in that century Swiss
and German settlers arrived.
Even in those early days,
industry and agriculture
provided economic stability
to the area, just as they
do today.
One
of the most important early
companies in the area began
in 1877 as the Rapp Brick
& Tiles Works. The family
made bricks and drainage
tiles. Thanks to them, one
of the most fertile farming
areas in the world was discovered,
as the Rapp Brothers’
field tiles helped provide
drainage for the swampy,
bog-like landscape.The fertile
land that was revealed turned
out to be a valuable
discovery that still benefits
Morton today. In 1910
and again in 1922, the
tile works division of
the business burned and
was rebuilt. Finally,
a fire destroyed the facilities
in 1936.
To
meet the demand for hard-to-find
mixing bowls and utensils,
Rapp Brothers Pottery
Works (later called Morton
Pottery Works) was born.
It hit its peak in the
1950s, when it offered
a signature line of decorative
items and was the third-largest
business of its kind in
the United States. These
signature pieces are now
collectors’ items,
eagerly sought at live
and online auctions. Morton
Pottery Shop lives on
under the operation of
Sheila Harvey who produces
unique collectable pumpkin
pottery gifts that are
shipped around the world.
The
development of a canning
plant in the 1920s has had
a strong impact on Morton.
It is now owned by Nestlé
USA/Libby’s and is
used for pumpkin packing.
Over 85 percent of the world’s
canned pumpkin market is
supplied by Morton’s
Libby’s plant, making
Morton ‘The Pumpkin
Capital of the World.'
Caterpillar, Inc. came to
Morton in the 1950s and
helped draw Interstate 74
to its current location.
Today the Worldwide Parts
and Distribution Center
in Morton is Caterpillar’s
largest such facility in
the world. The Center handles
more than 375,000 part numbers,
and orders can be processed
and shipped anywhere in
the world within hours.
Caterpillar also helped
entrepreneurs who found
ways to meet the demands
for various pieces for their
tractors, form companies
of their own. Morton Welding,
Morton MetalCraft and Morton
Buildings all have their
roots deep in the Morton
community.
Morton is in the midst of
growth but still finding
value in the lessons of
the past. Planning and stability
are key attributes that
continue to make Morton
a community you’ll
want to know more about.
