Amenities

Overnight parking, swimming, restrooms, boat launch.

History

Beginning in 1902, the Morton brothers, George and Willie, purchased land here, along the Pend Oreille River between Cocolalla Creek and Morton Slough. On his land, George built a large barn and wooden footbridge that survived for the better part of a century. After many years of solo homesteading, 46-year-old George married 32-year-old Swedish immigrant Emma, and they lived on their land until Emma found George dead of heart failure in the loft of his barn at age 62. Emma remarried, but continued to be called Mrs. Morton by locals, particularly children who came to her house wanting to fish from the footbridge built by George. Emma always said yes.

This spot is now a long sandbar that gets larger during the winter months before the water rises for the summer, much beloved by locals in the Morton area who have used it for cook-outs, horse riding, and boat recreation for decades.