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Van Buren County, Arkansas

91 topographic sheets cover 66 settlements here, and 15 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

15 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Arkansas within the United States
Van Buren County within Arkansas

What the record shows

  • 1,019 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 15 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 9 buildings, 2 districts, 2 structures, 1 object and 1 site.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 67 populated places in this county; 66 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

15

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Melvin Chrisco Housebuilding200505001082
Clinton Commercial Historic Districtdistrict200606000410
Collums-Baker Housebuilding199292001282
Damascus CCC Camp, Co. No. 3781 Historic Districtdistrict200202001631
Damascus Gymnasiumbuilding199292001122
Joclin-Bradley-Bowling Housebuilding200706001316
Carl and Esther Lee Housebuilding200505001170
Middle Fork of the Little Red River Bridgestructure201009001260
Walter Patterson Filling Stationbuilding200101000074
Walter Patterson Housebuilding200707000504
Art Scanlan Housebuilding199999001355
South Side High School Signobject2023100008573
Titan II ICBM Launch Complex 374-7 Sitesite200098001434
Van Buren County Courthousebuilding199191000584
Van Buren County Road 2E Bridgestructure199595000570

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

521 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 521 of them, burning about 9,971 acres. 14 started naturally and 126 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined174
Debris and open burning162
Arson/incendiarism126
Equipment and vehicle use37
Natural14
Recreation and ceremony4
Smoking2
Misuse of fire by a minor2

The five largest, by the area the report gives. Three of them were set deliberately.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
6 November 2010Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,004 acresArkansas Forestry CommissionVAN BUREN
20 March 2011Arson/incendiarism736 acresArkansas Forestry CommissionQUEEN SIMMONS
23 March 2004Arson/incendiarism334 acresArkansas Forestry CommissionOXLEY
1 March 2006Arson/incendiarism324 acresArkansas Forestry Commissionnot named
4 April 2004Debris and open burning303 acresArkansas Forestry Commissionnot named
28 August 2012Debris and open burning300 acresArkansas Forestry CommissionCLAUDE SCHOOLHOUSE
31 October 2017Missing data/not specified/undetermined243 acresArkansas Forestry Commissionnot named
8 April 1996Missing data/not specified/undetermined162 acresOzark-St. Francis National ForestsLIBERTY

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1955 to 2025

60 of 447 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 447 reports for this county, causing 8 deaths, 136 injuries and about $78,998,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind187
Hail166
Flash Flood36
Tornado35
Heavy Rain9
Lightning6
Flood6
Funnel Cloud2

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
February 2008Tornado (EF4)Beverage Town3 killed, 77 hurt, $22,750,000The tornado moved from Conway County, northeast of Cleveland, into Van Buren County, south-southeast of Beverage Town. A Red Cross survey indicated that 41 houses were destroyed, 26 suffered major damage, 29 had minor damage, and 30 others were affected. In addition, 21 mobile homes were destroyed, 4 suffered major damage, 2 had minor damage, and one other was affected. A boat factory was destroyed, and a church and a number of businesses were damaged. Three fatalities occurred: One in a house 3.2 miles south-southwest of Clinton, one at the boat factory in Clinton, and one in a mobile home 2.5 miles west of Shirley. The tornado continued into Stone County, south-southwest of Rushing.
May 2008Tornado (EF3)Damascus3 killed, 6 hurt, $10,000,000This tornado moved out of Conway County, east of Center Ridge, and entered Van Buren County, west-southwest of Damascus. The tornado destroyed 17 permanent homes and 8 mobile homes. It caused major damage to 30 homes and minor damage to 19 homes. Four chicken houses were destroyed, 8 horses were killed, and one bull was killed. A feed mill was destroyed and three businesses received major damage. One church was destroyed and another was severely damaged. A 4 year-old girl and her grandparents were killed when their house was destroyed on Scroggins Creek Rd. (County Road 65). The tornado exited Van Buren County, east-northeast of Morganton, and moved into Cleburne County, northwest of Crossroads.
April 2010Tornado (EF3)Liberty Spgs1 killed, 15 hurt, $4,000,000This tornado exited Conway County north of Cleveland and entered Van Buren County south-southeast of Liberty Springs. The tornado, rated EF3 in Van Buren County, caused extensive damage to the town of Scotland, especially in areas along Lo Gap Road. A 67 year-old woman was killed when she was thrown from her home. Approximately 15 others were injured. A damage assessment by the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management indicated 13 homes (including houses and mobile homes) destroyed, 3 homes with major damage, 7 homes with minor damage, and 11 homes affected. In addition, Scotland's community center was destroyed, and barns, outbuildings, and a gas well were damaged. Thousands of trees and numerous power lines were blown down.
November 1988Tornado (F3)not stated1 killed, 10 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
June 1989Tornado (F2)not stated6 hurt, $250,000no account filed
April 2013Tornado (EF2)Pleasant Grove5 hurt, $3,500,000An EF2 tornado destroyed a church, badly damaged a fire station, and also damaged a natural gas well. Six houses were destroyed, 14 had major damage, 29 had minor damage, and 20 others had very minor damage. Many of the damaged houses had roofs partially torn off. Several dozen outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. A number of vehicles were damaged and some were overturned.
November 1955Tornado (F2)not stated5 hurt, $25,000no account filed
May 1960Tornado (F2)not stated4 hurt, $2,500no account filed
February 1984Thunderstorm Windnot stated3 hurtno account filed
January 2014FloodCopeland2 hurt, $40,000A large pickup truck was swept off a private low-water crossing on a farm about 6 miles southwest of Dennard. The truck traveled a short distance down Archey Creek and became hung up on a large rock. The three occupants of the truck climbed atop it and waited for rescue. Due to the complicated, precarious nature of the situation, the rescue ended up taking more than 7 hours. During that time, a cold front moved through and the temperature dropped below freezing, causing ice to form on the rescue ropes. All three people were rescued successfully, but two were transported to the hospital for hypothermia.
December 2007LightningDamascus1 hurtA man in his early 20's was injured by lightning while working outside on a farm. He complained of tingling and numbness and was treated at a hospital.
June 2004LightningDennard1 hurtAn off duty police officer was struck by lightning, and was not seriously injured.
August 2000LightningClinton1 hurtno account filed
March 1984Tornado (F4)not stated$25,000,000no account filed
December 1982Tornado (F3)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
May 2011FloodAlread$1,500,000Some of the campsites around Greers Ferry Lake were closed due to flooding.
March 2008Flash FloodDennard$1,000,000Water was across roads and low water crossings in Clinton. Water was over Arkansas Highway 16 East. Water swept away the ballfield at Shirley City Park. The basketball courts, walkways, and much of Archey Fork Park were under water. Flooding occurred on U.S. Highway 65 at Bee Branch.
April 2011FloodAlread$600,000Widespread areal flooding occurred.
January 2007Flash FloodClinton$542,000Street flooding was reported near Clinton.
February 2009Thunderstorm WindChoctaw$500,000Trees and power lines were blown down on Arkansas Highway 330. Hundreds of pine trees were down, with some landing on houses.
November 1994Tornado (F1)Clinton to$500,000An F1 tornado touched down in Clinton and travelled about 2 miles before lifting. The worst damage occurred at the Clinton airport, where four planes were destroyed and 8 others were damaged. Eight houses and several businesses in Clinton were also damaged. Most of the damage consisted of broken windows and portions of roofs being blown off. Some trees and power lines were also knocked down.
September 2008Flash FloodShirley$450,000Flooding occurred across the county.
October 2009Flash FloodUna$250,000Numerous county roads were damaged by flooding.
June 1979Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
March 1976Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
February 1956Tornado (F3)not stated$250,000no account filed
May 2013Flash FloodRupert$175,000Heavy rain caused considerable damage to county roads and bridges.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindShirley$150,000Thousands of trees were snapped off, uprooted and/or blown down within a seven mile radius of Shirley. Several trees fell on houses. Shingles were taken off of roofs and metal off of barns. Outbuildings were damaged and a vehicle was trapped by fallen power lines.
November 2011Flash FloodChalk$150,000Some low-lying areas around Clinton were flooded. Creeks were out of their banks in the northern part of the county. Roads and low-water bridges were washed out.
February 2009Thunderstorm WindFormosa$125,000A barn was blown onto Arkansas Highway 9 near Formosa. Nine roofs were blown off houses.
December 2015Thunderstorm WindKoch Ridge$100,000Severe thunderstorm winds associated with a down-burst or even a possible brief gust-nado caused damage 4 miles west of Clinton on Hwy 16. These severe thunderstorm winds damaged a home, shop and a barn. A carport was thrown and destroyed. Several trees and power lines were also blown down.
February 2009Thunderstorm WindClinton$100,000Trees were down on Arkansas Highway 95. One tree fell on a garage. Power lines were down across Clinton and gas meters were torn off in the area.
January 2008Tornado (EF1)Liberty Spgs$100,000The tornado from Conway County continued into Van Buren County. Hundreds of trees were blown down in the Ozark National Forest. The tornado dissipated before leaving the boundaries of the forest.
March 1997Tornado (F2)Scotland$100,000no account filed
April 2010Tornado (EF1)Rubek$90,000This EF1 tornado was spawned by the same supercell thunderstorm that produced the EF3 tornado at Scotland. A mobile home was destroyed, with the roof of the mobile home blowing up against a barn. A recreational vehicle was overturned, hitting the side of a mobile home and damaging it. Trees and power lines were blown down. The tornado exited Van Buren County northeast of Rubek and entered Stone County east-southeast of Old Lexington.
December 2015Tornado (EF1)Morganton$80,000A home was destroyed by a weak, brief tornado east of Bee Branch during the morning hours of the 23rd.
January 2013Flash FloodUna$80,000Numerous county roads and some highways were impassable or had water over them, including some areas around Shirley, Choctaw, Scotland, Damascus, the Van Buren/Stone County line, and Fairfield Bay. The county declared a disaster.
March 2012FloodUna$75,000Creeks left their banks, flooding numerous county roads. The county judge declared a disaster.
September 2009Flash FloodChimes$75,000Many roads in the county were flooded.
April 2010Tornado (EF1)Whipple$60,000This tornado exited Conway County east of Austin and entered Van Buren County north-northwest of Whipple. A motor home and three recreational vehicles were blown over. Trees were blown down.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindClinton$50,000Several trees and large limbs were blown down in Clinton. Clinton Public Schools had a few trees down and damage to a couple of buildings, including a large pine tree on the Agricultural Department.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindRubek$50,000At the Holley Mountain Airpark, part of a hangar roof was blown off, and the windsock mast, a fence, and trees were blown down. The airport was closed for nearly 24 hours while tree debris was removed from the runway.
April 2009Thunderstorm WindDamascus$50,000Trees were down in the area. A roof was blown off a barn. Siding was damaged on a house.
April 2009Thunderstorm WindClinton$50,000Trees and power lines were down across Clinton.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindClinton$50,000Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and power lines.
March 1997Tornado (F1)Shirley$50,000no account filed
March 2010Thunderstorm WindPleasant Grove$40,000The roof of a chicken house was blown off and a few trees blown down south of Scotland.
January 2020Thunderstorm WindUna$30,000Thunderstorm wind damage from 75-85 mph winds was found across far northwest Van Buren county near and south of the town of Leslie. Numerous trees were downed, and there was damage to the roofs of a couple of homes and a small commercial building.
April 2012Tornado (EF1)Fairbanks$30,000An EF1 tornado snapped off or uprooted dozens of trees, tore part of the porch roof off a mobile home, overturned a travel trailer, and caused minor damage to a house and a vacant mobile home.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindDamascus$30,000A tree fell on a house.
October 2014Thunderstorm WindClinton$25,000Trees and large limbs were blown down at Clinton and many other locations in Van Buren County.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindDamascus$25,000Two structures had minor damage, and numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
March 2012Flash FloodUna$25,000Numerous county roads were flooded.
March 2012Thunderstorm WindDamascus$25,000Roofs were blown off two barns and some trees were blown down.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindFairbanks$25,000A large barn was destroyed, with debris being blown across a field.
April 1959Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
February 1956Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
December 2015Thunderstorm WindEglantine$20,000A tree fell onto a home in Fairfield Bay.
March 2012Thunderstorm WindDamascus$20,000A home anemometer measured a 73 mph wind gust. Several roofs in the area were damaged and a few trees were blown down.
May 2008LightningGreen Tree$20,000Lightning struck a house on the Sills Peninsula at Greers Ferry Lake. The ensuing fire destroyed the house.

Mines and quarries

12 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 12 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 10 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction8
Stone2
Clay1
Phosphorus-Phosphates1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
J E FergusonPhosphorus-PhosphatesPast Producer
UnkClayPast Producer
UnkStonePast Producer
UnkStonePast Producer
Mitchell Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
UnkSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnkSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnkSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnkSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnkSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnkSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Van Buren County PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

67

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

The vanished settlements of Van Buren County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.