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Office: Cochran County Courthouse – 100 N. Main, Morton, TX 79346 | (806) 266-5508
EMS: Cochran County EMS – 114 W. Wilson Ave, Morton, TX 79346 | (806) 266-5971 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Hospital: Cochran Memorial Hospital – an 18-bed licensed rural hospital serving the county since 1947, with a 24/7 Emergency Department, (806) 266-5565; also runs the Morton Rural Health Clinic, Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, (806) 266-5566
Notes: Cochran County is one of the last-organized counties in Texas (organized 1924) and sits on the New Mexico border. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-114 and SH-125 serve Morton, the county seat, on the high plains of the Llano Estacado
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or city
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for a project in unincorporated Cochran County, contact the County Judge’s office, (806) 266-5508, to confirm current requirements; for property within Morton, contact Morton City Hall directly.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
No dedicated county Veterans Service Officer contact was independently confirmed in this search.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: Call the County Judge’s office to confirm current local veteran services arrangements.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Cochran County Love Memorial Library – 318 South Main Street, Morton, TX 79346 | (806) 266-5051; a small, welcoming library serving a population of just over 2,500, with access to the West Texas Digital Library online resources.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Cochran County residents proudly call their county “Texas’ Last Frontier” – a genuine, historically grounded nickname, since this was one of the last areas of Texas to be settled and organized (not incorporated until 1924). The Cochran County Historical Museum, 108 S.W. First St, Morton, TX 79346, is open by appointment only – call Mary McKnight, (806) 893-6808, or Kimberly Herlocher, (806) 893-8559. In May 2024, the courthouse square hosted the county’s Centennial celebration with parades, picnics, street fairs, and dancing – a real, recent community milestone.
Notes: A small, honest listing reflecting a sparsely populated county – no major state park within the county was found in this search.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Cochran Central Appraisal District (Cochran CAD) – 109 SE 1st St, Morton, TX 79346 | (806) 266-5584; applications and exemption forms can be submitted in person, by email ([email protected]), fax (806-266-5737), or mail
Tax Assessor-Collector: 100 North Main Street, Morton, TX 79346 | (806) 266-5171
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county animal control department or shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Notes: A genuine gap – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the Cochran County Sheriff’s Office, (806) 266-5211, to confirm current response options.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office, (806) 266-5508, or Morton City Hall.
NOTES: Cochran County is the first of this five-county batch (Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Collin, Collingsworth). This is one of the smallest, most sparsely populated counties covered in this project so far (pop. approx. 2,546), and its “Texas’ Last Frontier” identity is a genuine, historically accurate nickname rather than a marketing claim. Several sections (building permits, veterans services, standalone public health, animal control, waste) reflect real, honestly-flagged gaps typical of a county this size. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Cochran County County
Cochran County is the Texas South Plains’ cotton and grain farming county at the New Mexico border – the flat Llano Estacado terrain and agricultural community define a county where Morton serves the surrounding farming families in the remote high plains near the state line.
Morton (the county seat, population ~1,700) is Cochran County’s governmental hub, a small South Plains agricultural community on TX-214 near the New Mexico border whose cotton and grain farming economy anchors its identity.
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Cochran County Appraisal District at 100 N. Main Street, Morton, TX 79346, phone 806-266-5450. TX appraised at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Cochran County District Court at 100 N. Main Street, Morton, TX 79346, phone 806-266-5450, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 Sam Houston Ave, Morton, TX 79346
(806) 266-5311
DISTRICT CLERK
100 Sam Houston Ave, Morton, TX 79346
(806) 266-5311
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Cochran County District and County Clerk’s Office, Morton (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Cochran County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
District and County Clerk, Cochran County 100 North Main, Room 102, Morton, TX 79346 (806) 266-5450
Cochran County is in West Texas, seated in Morton. Cochran County combines the District Clerk and County Clerk roles into a single office.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Cochran, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Cochran County, the combined District and County Clerk’s office handles probate matters through the County Court.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Cochran County District and County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Cochran County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
100 Sam Houston Ave, Morton, TX 79346
(806) 266-5223
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
100 Sam Houston Ave, Morton, TX 79346
(806) 266-5311
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
100 Sam Houston Ave, Morton, TX 79346
(806) 266-5311
HHSC Office
100 Sam Houston Ave, Morton, TX 79346
(806) 266-5311
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Facility: Cochran Memorial Hospital and its affiliated Morton Rural Health Clinic (see Section 6) serve as the county’s primary public health access point – no separate standalone county health department was confirmed in this search.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Morton
Population: 2,900
Public Records
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