62 topographic sheets and 29 fire insurance atlases across 4 places.
This curated hub for Richland County, Ohio brings together the page's documented record links, visible map or image evidence where published, and routes to related local records.
Use the page's provenance and linked records to distinguish the source material from the site's navigation and summaries.
Open the original record, preserve its repository and identifier, then use the citation tool for this page as a path back to the source.
Follow the county or state hub for related places and records, then use the guide for a source-aware research sequence.
61 National Register listings · 68 businesses named in the fire insurance atlases from 1887 to 1950 · the 1880 county history tells 1 stories and names 52 people · people the book names include St. .James Hotel (Jefferson Township, 1880) · Charles Augustine (Plymouth Township, 1908) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
A captivity, a drowning, a famine, a man scalped clearing his lot in 1789. These are passages from History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the Original Boundaries) ; Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest, a Complete History of Richland County ... Miscellaneous Matter, Map of the County, Biographies and Histories of ... the Most Prominent Families, &c., &c., written while people who remembered the events were still alive, and each one opens the section it comes from.
coarse features, high cheek-bones and large protruding lips, so much so, indeed. that. when ornamented with a miniature silver clevis and double-tree in each ear, and one in his nose. and smoking from the bow] and through the handle of his iron tomahawk, he presented rather a grotesque appearance. He was, in a word, regarded by the whites as extremely homely and repulsive.
Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Richland County holds 0 covered bridges on the National Register, more than any other property type here. Each is a listed structure with a federal nomination on file.
Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.
Selected from the Digital Public Library of America's 20 image records catalogued for this county. Every one shown here carries a public-domain status or a licence that permits reuse on a site that carries advertising; non-commercial, share-alike and restricted images are excluded. The selection is spread across the county's towns (at most eight per town), so no single institution's bulk upload crowds out the rest. Each opens the holding library's record, and the complete set at the Digital Public Library of America is one click away.
Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. 745 frames touch this county; the selection below spreads across the decades of flights (at most four per year), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.
The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that watched its rivers, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.
Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.
Every Sanborn volume opens with a printed index naming the town's mills, tanneries, hotels and works by proprietor. Those indexes were read off the scanned sheets by machine and then matched to each other, so a business surveyed four times appears here once, with the years it survived. 19 of these 68 were named in more than one atlas. Each carries a crop of the line it was read from: the spelling is the recogniser's and the 1880s lithographer's, and the scan behind it is the proof.
Church
1892 to 1893, named in 2 atlases
Read elsewhere as English Lutheran Church.
Church
1895 to 1900, named in 2 atlases
Read elsewhere as All Souls Universalist Church.
On the National Register as All Souls Unitarian-Universalist Church
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 33 of them, burning about 78 acres. 1 started naturally and 0 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 20 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7 |
| Smoking | 4 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15258 |
| 7 October 2020 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15841 |
| 27 April 2013 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 27 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15304 |
| 1 April 2014 | Debris and open burning | 4.5 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 13 October 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4.0 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15305 |
| 13 October 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15306 |
| 13 October 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Ohio Department of Natural Resources | 15307 |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 559 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 26 injuries and about $99,817,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 306 |
| Hail | 169 |
| Flash Flood | 39 |
| Tornado | 30 |
| Flood | 11 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 |
| Lightning | 1 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2006 | Flash Flood | Central Portion | 1 killed, 1 hurt, $350,000 | Heavy rainfall during the afternoon hours of July 12th caused widespread flash flooding across Richland County. Numerous state and county roads, including State Routes 314, 309, 430 and 181 were closed because of fast flowing high water. Initial reports of flooding were from the City of Mansfield where 12 to 18 inches of water was reported flowing across a road. Roads were also closed in Lexington and Ontario. On the east side of Mansfield, a bridge on Hickory Lane was washed out. Also in Mansfield, Touby Run quickly left it's banks and flowed into the first floor of a home near the Coul Street and West 6th Street intersection. Around 5:45 p.m., a young girl fell into a drainage ditch and was swept into a culvert at a botanical garden in Mansfield. The mother of the young girl jumped into the culvert to rescue her and was also swept away. The young girl was swept through the culvert and was rescued. Unfortunately, the mother did not survive. The daughter received only minor injuries. |
| May 1973 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 14 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 2019 | Tornado (EF2) | Vernon Jct | 5 hurt, $500,000 | A long track tornado began about 3 miles southwest of Shelby around 442 PM then tracked northeast to about 5 miles north of Olivesburg. EF 1 damage was seen along much of its 17 mile track. The most significant damage was located on the southeast and east side of Shelby from near the Chevy Dealership along State Route 39 northeastward to State Route 96 where a home was significantly damaged. This is where the EF 2 damage was observed and the tornado reached its maximum width of 1/2 mile. One vehicle was tossed 100 feet into the air with 2 people inside. The vehicle rolled multiple times before coming to a stop. Both persons inside the vehicle were luckily unharmed. |
| September 2017 | Tornado (EF2) | Crestline | 2 hurt, $800,000 | An EF2 tornado crossed into Richland County from Crawford County just to the south of Hook Road in rural Springfield Township. A home on Hook Road just west of Thrush Road sustained heavy damage. Half of the roof of the home was torn off and a bedroom on the southwest side of the house was destroyed. The attached garage on the northeast side of the house was also leveled. Two people inside the southwest corner bedroom were thrown approximately 50 feet and ended up outside in the yard. Both sustained minor injuries. An adjacent detached garage was also leveled. A riding lawnmower inside the adjacent garage was found 100 yards away in a field. The tornado then continued east along Hook Road for several miles causing tree and structural damage. A couple barns were damaged or destroyed and a few other buildings lost roofing or siding in this area. The tornado weakened to an EF1 as it crossed Horning Road. The tornado then continued across open land till it leveled yet another barn as it crossed State Route 314. The tornado strengthened again to EF2 intensity as it crossed Rock Road. One home on Stiving Road was destroyed when large trees landed on the roof of the home causing it to collapse. The house was also knocked off it foundation. Two adjacent homes also sustained damage and some outbuildings were destroyed. At least 5 vehicles at the three homes were destroyed or damage. The tornado continued east and weakened as it crossed State Route 39 just to the north of Cairns Road. The tornado finally lifted about a quarter mile east of Kline Road. Only minor tree damage was observed east of State Route 39. This tornado was on the ground in Richland County for around eight and half miles and had a damage path up to 200 yards in width. Hundreds of trees and many power poles were downed along the damage path. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bellville | 1 hurt, $50,000 | A mobile home flipped in Bellville, injuring one person. Strong thunderstorm winds were observed at Mansfield Lahm Field with a wind gust to 53 knots. The strong thunderstorm winds brought down numerous trees between Bellville and Mansfield and a trailer collapsed in Mansfield near Mock Road while people were inside of it. |
| May 1997 | Lightning | Shelby | 1 hurt, $25,000 | Lightning struck a building complex, causing water and smoke damage. One person was treated and released from the hospital. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Olivesburg | 1 hurt, $15,000 | The Emergency Manager reported that a tree fell on a man on Route 603 northwest of Olivesburg. Numerous trees were also reported down across the County. |
| June 2019 | Flash Flood | Lucas | 1 hurt, $2,000 | Swift water lead to road closures in Lucas near Wallace Road and Mt. Zion Road due to flooding from the Black Fork. 2.19 inches of rain fell during the evening and overnight hours. Water rescue of a man in a wheelchair was washed off the street by rushing waters and into a residential backyard where he was trapped for several hours. |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Shelby | $70,000,000 | Heavy rain producing thunderstorms affected Richland County during the late evening hours of August 20th and early morning hours of August 21st. Rainfall rates with the strongest storms exceeded three inches per hour. A trained spotter in Mansfield measured a storm total of 7.5 inches. An automated sensor at Mansfield Lahm Airport measured a total of 6.24 inches with 4.09 inches of this total falling between 2 and 8 am. A Cooperative Observer four miles east of Bellville measured a total of 4.30 inches with 4.37 inches measured by an automated gage at Malabar State Park. Runoff from this rain combined with ground already saturated from earlier rains led to catastrophic flooding across portions of Richland County. Local officials stated that the flooding in the county was some of the the worst ever! The Shelby area was especially hard hit as was the northern portion of Mansfield. In Shelby, the Black Fork of the Mohican River left it's banks and flooded most of downtown Shelby. Flood waters in some areas were as much as 8 feet deep. The Municipal Courthouse was a total loss and the Fire Department building was heavily damaged. Damage to city buildings in Shelby topped $1 million. Two schools in Shelby sustained an additional $1.5 million in damages. Dozens of people had to be rescued by boat in Shelby. Water rescue teams from surrounding areas assisted in the rescues. A Coast Guard helicopter from Detroit rescued several people from the roofs of homes. In Mansfield, flood waters heavily damaged the main Post Office on North Main Street. Water inside the building was up to 15 inches deep with flood waters in nearby parking lots as much as five feet deep. Areas surrounding the Post Office were also unindated. Around 20 people had to be rescued from a gas station at the intersection of State Route 13 and U.S. Highway 30. A 74 year old man was killed around 7 am during a fire caused by flooding. The fire was started after flooding knocked over a gas can and a water heater ignited the gas. Around 100 homes in the county were damaged enough to be declared destroyed with at least 250 homes heavily damaged. Another 1500 homes in the county sustained lesser damages. Dozens of business in the county were also damaged by the flooding. Most of these were along Main and North Gamble Streets in Shelby. Dozens of roads and streets had to be closed because of flooding. Damage to roads, bridges and culverts was extensive. Cleanup and overtime costs incurred by local government agencies was substantial. Finally, standing water and erosion from the runoff caused damage to agricultural interests in the county. | |
| June 1990 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| November 1989 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| March 1985 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| July 2013 | Flood | Shenandoah Carols Ar | $2,000,000 | Over two weeks of consecutive rain was peaked by torrential rain on the 9th and 10th of July where brought widespread flooding to Richland County. The most impacted towns were Shelby, Mansfield, Ontario, Lexington, Bellville and Butler with reported damage to homes and businesses. There was some road damage due to fast moving water. Major flooding at the Pleasant Hill Marina and lake caused evacuation of all campers and boats in that area. Radar estimates put the average rainfall in the county around 4 inches in 48 hours, with locally higher amounts of 6 to 8 inches. The heaviest rain fell over the Black and Clear Forks of the Mohican River, which resulted in widespread flooding for communities along those bodies of water. The period of flooding occurred during peak tourist season and resulted in a notably monetary loss as the river and surrounding campsites were closed for recreational sports. |
| February 2011 | Flash Flood | Bellville | $2,000,000 | Much of Bellville was closed part of the day as water flooded the village's east side. Water surrounded the elementary school and covered the township garage as the Clear Fork rose out of banks. Around 60 water rescues were reported in the Mansfield area. Water damaged commercial businesses around 5th and Main Streets. The main Post Office in Mansfield was flooded. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lexington | $1,000,000 | An intense line of thunderstorms or Derecho moved across southern Richland County during the afternoon of June 29th causing extensive damage. Winds were estimated to be as much as 65 mph. Over 50 percent of residents in the southern third to half of the county lost power during this event. Power was not completely restored for several days. Hundreds of trees were downed across the county along with many utility poles forcing the closure of some of roads and streets. Damage to homes and buildings was also extensive. Dozens of homes and buildings lost roofing or siding with many other homes damaged by fallen trees. Clean up costs were extensive. The clean up was hampered by an ongoing heat wave with afternoon temperatures in the upper 90s. Significant crop losses are also expected. Damage from this storm in southern Richland County was comparable to the remnants of Hurricane Ike in September 2008. |
| May 2003 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $1,000,000 | Thunderstorms producing torrential rains moved across the southern half of Richland County and caused extensive damage. Seven and a quarter inches of rain fell in Butler with rainfall rates exceeding two and a half inches per hour. Around six inches of rain was measured in both Lexington and Bellville. Dozens of roads were washed out or closed because of flooding. The Clear Fork of the Mohican River left it's bank in several locations and forced the evacuation of many homes. Numerous mud slides were reported on steep terrain with many trees uprooted and washed away. Water up to six feet deep was reported on roads near Lexington. In Bellville, an automobile dealership parking lot was flooded by up to four feet of water causing extensive damage. The Butler area was the hardest hit with over 40 miles of roads washed out or damaged in the village and surrounding Worthington Township. Dozens of homes and automobiles were damaged by the flood waters. Damage to government property in Butler alone totaled more that $50,000. |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $1,000,000 | Heavy thunderstorm rain and rapidly rising streams triggered flooding along Route 13 near Bellville on Saturday. Water depths were reported at least three feet deep in some spots. One man was rescued from his car. Saturated soil and high stream levels responded quickly to another round of rain on Sunday and caused flooding along secondary roads, flooding of basements and damage to crops. Several roads and bridges washed away and roads remained closed for several days in some areas. The county was declared a state and federal disaster area. |
| July 2013 | Flood | Shelby | $750,000 | As a result of heavy rains overnight up to 3 inches in some areas several roads were closed Tuesday July 9th due to high water. The Richland County Sheriff said that 5th Street in downtown Mansfield had flooded, and the fire department evacuated people from homes using boats. There was also flooding on Park Avenue East where roads and railroad tracks were underwater. Some cars were nearly submerged. The Clear Fork River in Shelby forced the fire department out of their station and put about a foot of water over the main road through town. Residents in Bellville were also flooded, according to the sheriff. |
| February 2011 | Flood | Plymouth | $750,000 | Heavy rain and rapid snow melt led to widespread flooding across Richland County. Rainfall totals across the county ranged from one to three inches on February 27th and 28th. Up to ten inches of heavy snow was on the ground at the onset of the rain. This snow rapidly melted as temperatures warmed into the 50s on the 28th. Up to an additional inch of water equivalent rainfall was released from the melted snow. Several people had be rescued from stranded vehicles. Hundreds of homes in the county sustained damage, mainly from basement flooding. Many roads had to be closed because of the flooding, including State Route 13 on the north side of Mansfield and State Route 96 to the north of the city. Officially 2.12 inches of rain was measured at Mansfield Lahm Airport. A spotter near Lucas reported 2.72 inches of rainfall. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $700,000 | A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Richland County and downed hundreds of trees. Scattered power outages were also reported. A 60 mph wind gust was measured at Mansfield Lahm Airport at 4:06 p.m. Some of the worst damage in the county occurred near Lexington where a campground had four buildings damaged and 500 trees downed. Around 250 trees were toppled in a park near the southeast end of Clear Fork Reservoir. A business near downtown Mansfield lost part of it's roof. Dozens of homes and buildings in the county were damaged by fallen trees and flying debris. Damage to vehicles was also reported throughout the county. |
| June 2017 | Flash Flood | Blooming Grove | $640,000 | On the afternoon of the 13th clusters of showers and thunderstorms began to produce repeated heavy rainfall over Richland County. By 4:30 PM, Doppler radar estimated nearly two and a half inches of rain across the area triggering flash flooding. In Franklin Township, some vehicles were submerged up to their bumper along with some homes having water up to their foundations on Ganges-Five Points Road. Other roads also experienced flooding including Linn Road with several inches of water flowing across the roadway. Water half-way up a stop sign post on Crall Road was reported in Madison Township. In the city of Mansfield, the motor speedway experienced flooding as well as several city streets after 5:45 PM. A sink hole consumed the shoulder of the US 30 Fifth Avenue exit ramp. Several major roads were flooded in Lexington and a private dam was over-topped on Shelby-Ganges Road in Shelby. At Mansfield Lahm Airport, 3.33 inches | of rain were observed in total; however, Doppler radar estimated that some locations received nearly 5 inches of rain. Flash flooding subsided by around 9:45 PM. |
| July 2006 | Flash Flood | South Portion | $600,000 | Heavy thunderstorm rains fell on the southern portion of Richland County during the late afternoon and early evening hours of July 10th. Rainfall rates with the stronger storms approached three inches per hour. A spotter east of Butler measured 5 inches of rain between 3 and 5 p.m. and a storm total of 7 inches. An automated gage near Belleville measured a storm total of 3.09 inches. Runoff from the rain caused extensive flooding along the Clear Fork of the Mohican River. The river left its banks and damaged a bridge on State Route 95 just northeast of Butler. A culvert neaby was also washed out. Street flooding was reporting in Butler and also in Mansfield. Many homes sustained damage, mainly from basement flooding. Several roads had to be closed because of flooding. Crop losses are also expected as standing water delayed the wheat crop harvest. |
| May 2004 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $500,000 | A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Richland County and dumped heavy rain on already saturated ground. Spotters reported that over an inch of rain fell during the afternoon storm. For the day, 1.62 inches of rain was recorded at Mansfield Lahm Airport. Streams and rivers in the county quickly rose forcing the closure of several roads, including a couple state routes. A road was washed out just east of Lexington. Many homes and businesses sustained damage from the flooding. |
| August 2003 | Flash Flood | Mansfield | $500,000 | Thunderstorms dumped one to three inches of rain on portions of Richland County in a short period of time. Three inches of rain was measured by spotters in Mansfield in less than two hours. Widespread urban and lowland flooding occurred across the county with the Mansfield and Ontario areas most severely affected. Water eight feet deep was reported in an underpass on the east side of Mansfield with up to three feet of water on many other area roads. Several vehicles were stranded in the flood waters. In Mansfield, a basement wall collapsed causing extensive damage to a home. Several hundred other homes in the county experienced basement flooding. |
| July 2003 | Flash Flood | Mansfield | $500,000 | Thunderstorms dumped two to three inches of rain on Mansfield during the evening hours. Widespread street and lowland flooding occurred as several streams and creeks left their banks. A library had to be evacuated due to flooding in a ground level lobby and parking garage. Several streets in the downtown area flooded stranding many vehicles. Several people had to be rescued from their vehicles. Water up to eight feet deep was reported in an underpass just east of downtown. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $500,000 | A thunderstorm downburst with winds estimated at 80 mph downed hundreds of trees across the county. The most severe damage occurred on the northeast side of Mansfield along Piper and Stewart Roads where several homes and garages were damaged by fallen trees. A 60 by 80 foot brick barn located on Beal Road in Madison Township was completely destroyed. Debris from the barn was found spread over a 12 acre area. Several factories located just south of Mansfield Lahm Airport lost sections of metal roofing. Several cars and trucks were crushed by trees and two barns lost roofs near Shelby. |
| June 2004 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $475,000 | Thunderstorms dumped two to three inches of rainfall on much of Richland County during the evening hours of June 13th. Significant flooding occurred in the northwestern corner of the county. The Black Fork of the Mohican River went into flood at Shelby (for the first time since 1987) just before midnight. Significant flooding occurred in the city especially in the McKinley Place area where several people had to be evacuated. Widespread flooding was also reported in nearby Plymouth. Two cars and a truck became stranded in four feet of water near Mansfield Lahm Airport. For the day, 1.97 inches of rain was measured at the airport with most of it falling between 8:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Numerous roads had to be closed because of flooding including State Routes 13 and 96. Nearly 50 RVs had to be moved at Charles Mills State Park due to rapidly rising waters levels in Charles Mills Lake. Dozens of homes and many vehicles sustained flood related damages. |
| December 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shelby | $300,000 | A line of severe thunderstorms moved across the northern half of Richland County and caused widespread damage. The damage was especially bad in the Shelby area where dozens of trees were downed causing widespread power outages. At least four building sustained significant damage from either the strong winds or fallen trees. Dozens of other homes lost roofing or siding. Several barns to the east of Shelby were leveled. A lot of damage was also reported north of the Mansfield Airport in the Ganges Five Points area where at least four farm buildings were destroyed. A large sign was flattened at the intersection of State Route 13 and 96. Dozens of trees were downed elsewhere across northern Richland County. |
| February 2011 | Flash Flood | Lexington | $250,000 | Heavy rain and rapid snow melt led to a rapid rise in the Clear Fork at Lexington. Six to ten inches of heavy snow was on the ground at the onset of the rain which measured between 1.5-2. This snow rapidly melted as temperatures warmed into the 50s on the 28th. Up to an additional inch of water equivalent rainfall was released from the melted snow. Several homes and businesses were impacted by the flood waters which climbed quickly, with reports of water levels 4 feet high on the first floor of a church on Lexington Avenue. |
| July 1992 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| October 1989 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1983 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1980 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1977 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1977 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2013 | Flood | Spring Mill | $200,000 | Two and a half inches of rain fell over saturated ground in Mansfield Ohio on the evening of the 8th and into the early morning hours of the 9th. Most of the flooding that occurred in Mansfield was caused by the excessive runoff and poor drainage. The fire department evacuated homes using boats along 5th Street in downtown. |Flooding on Park Avenue East put roads and railroad tracks underwater. Some cars were submerged. On Mulberry Street, a few inches of water inundated the first floor of some businesses. The rain caused the already swollen Rocky Fork, a tributary to the Mohican River, to come out of its banks in the northern part of town. |
| November 2002 | Tornado (F1) | Ontario | $200,000 | A tornado touched down three miles west of Ontario just north of Flowers Road and about a mile west of State Route 314. The tornado traveled northeast and leveled a cinder block building and caused extensive structural damage to a house. A car parked near the house was punctured in several spots by debris and hand tools blown from the cinder block building. Many trees were downed along the damage path which was nearly one mile in length and about 25 yards in width. The tornado lifted just before crossing State Route 314. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $160,000 | Trees and power lines downed countywide with the most concentrated damage along U.S. Highway 30 on the north side of Mansfield. The roof of a furniture store near Highway 30 in Mansfield was torn off resulting in water damage to much of the store's inventory. Five power poles were snapped just east of the furniture store and trees around the perimeter of a nearby state prison were knocked down. A portion of the roof of a Mansfield car dealership was torn off. Around a dozen trees were knocked down in the city Bellville on the south end of the county. |
| March 2024 | Tornado (EF2) | New Pittsburgh | $150,000 | This EF2 tornado with estimated peak winds of 120 mph entered Richland County from Crawford County and tracked east-southeastward across southern portions of the Plymouth area. The tornado tracked near West and Opdyke Roads, and crossed OH-98, OH-61, and OH-191 before ending near Willet Road, between Opdyke Road and Richards Road. Extensive damage to homes, outbuildings, trees, and power poles occurred before the tornado dissipated. |
| October 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shelby | $150,000 | Thunderstorm winds gusts of at least 60 mph downed many trees and caused scattered power outages. Some homes sustained roof damage and at least two utility poles were snapped. |
| August 2007 | Tornado (EF0) | Shelby | $150,000 | A storm survey was conducted and an EF0 tornado was confirmed in Shelby. The tornado touched down at a factory on the west side of the town. The factory sustained some roof damage and had a masonary wall partially collapse. From the factory, the tornado continued through residential neighborhoods causing only intermittent damage. A couple dozen trees were downed along the damage path which was about three quarters of a mile long and no more than 20 yards in width. |
| July 2006 | Tornado (F1) | Butler | $150,000 | A F1 tornado touched down southwest of Pleasant Hill Lake around 3:40 p.m. The tornado tracked east along Pleasant Hill Road and into southwest Ashland County. The tornado had a damage path approximately two miles long in Richland County. This damage path was intermittent and no more than fifty yards in width. A barn was leveled and a grain elevator was destroyed along Pleasant Hill Road. Numerous trees were also down. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $150,000 | A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Richland County and downed dozens of trees and large limbs. The Mansfield and Ontario areas were especially hard hit. A mobile home was damaged in Ontario. Scattered power outages were reported. |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $150,000 | More thunderstorms with torrential rains caused new flooding in addition to ongoing flooding from heavy rains on the 27th. Many basements and roads were flooded, especially near Bellville. Flooding persisted in some areas for several more days. |
| August 2007 | Tornado (EF1) | Kings Corners | $125,000 | An EF1 tornado moved into southwestern Richland County from Morrow County around 3 pm. This occurred west of Kings Corner along Kings Corner West Road. Two farms in this area sustained damage from the tornado. The tornado then moved southeast across U.S. Highway 42 and followed Kings Corner East Road for about a mile. The tornado then crossed State Route 546 near Eckert Road and eventually lifted near the intersection of Mock Road and Mill Run Road after damaging another home. The tornado had a damage path about four and a half miles long and no more than 50 yards wide in Richland County. A distinctive damage path was visible in wooded areas. The same thunderstorm that produced this tornado was also responsible for a downburst that downed many trees in southwestern Richland County. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $120,000 | no account filed |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lexington | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and limbs in Lexington and the surrounding area. At 1000 people lost power from the storms. |
| April 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shelby | $100,000 | The Emergency Manager relayed a report of damage to a barn and utility poles down. A trained weather spotter also reported that a building had a portion of a roof blown off by strong thunderstorm winds. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kings Corners | $100,000 | A thunderstorm downburst moved southeast across southwestern Richland County and downed dozens of trees from near Kings Corner to near Bellville. A distinct path of downed trees was observed. The thunderstorm responsible for this downburst also produced a tornado that affected portions of Morrow and Richland Counties. |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shelby | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds toppled and destroyed a large grain bin outside of Shelby. |
| June 2019 | Flash Flood | Ontario | $80,000 | Law enforcement reported multiple roads flooded and impassable across the Mansfield area. Multiple reports of cars stranded and water rescues made. Some water entering basements. Basement and road flooding in Lexington. Route 430 flooded with water rescues. The westbound lane and ramp being closed on Highway 30 due to flooding near Mansfield. |
| May 2018 | Flash Flood | Hanley Vlg | $80,000 | Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall caused washouts and flood damage in Lexington Ohio on the evening of May 21st. Heavy rain moved into the area between 830 and 930 pm with rainfall amounts measured at 3.58. The heaviest rain fell within a 15 minute period between 840 and 855 pm. Significant flooding to recreational parks up to 6 feet of water from the Clear Fork. Overland flooding in west end of town. Otterbein Drive washout in parts off of State Route 97. Norfolk Drive had minor road damage. Lexington-Ontario Road washout not seen before by residents. 15-16 homes had flood damage, mainly to basements and garages with at least 1 first floor residence. Storage facility on Orchard Park Road flooded all units. . A rain gauge at Northmor High School in Morrow County went over 2 inches in approximately 1 hour between 830 and 930 pm. During this same time the heaviest rainfall was over Lexington Ohio. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lexington | $80,000 | Trees and power lines were downed. Part of a barn roof was blown off and a pole barn was downed. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shelby | $75,000 | Thunderstorm wind gusts snapped several poles along State Routes 39 and 96 in Shelby. Widespread power outages were reported. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lexington | $75,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused damage in Lexington and surrounding Troy Township. Several trees large trees and utility poles were downed. Scattered power outages were reported in the area. |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | Roseland | $75,000 | Doppler Radar estimated over two inches of rain had fallen in southern and central Richland County between 430 pm and 600 pm. All Mansfield emergency agencies were called out as flash floods put parts of the city under water, delaying many of the weekends events, shutting down several area roads and even damaging a few. The citys street department reported flooding closed down 12 intersections. All but the Park Avenue East underpass and Fourth Street and Bowman Avenue were opened by 10 p.m. Five vehicles stalled out trying to navigate rising waters at the underpass on Park Avenue East where within 20 minutes the water rose three feet. Fourth Street was blocked off at Bowman Avenue after flooding washed the blacktop down to the brick. The road has been under construction since Thursday. Mulberry Street also was closed at the railroad crossing after the heavy rain popped a piece of metal up off the tracks. |
| July 2013 | Flood | Shelby Arpt | $75,000 | After 3 to 4 inches of rain fell over the Black Fork of the Mohican River on the evening of the 8th, it pushed the river out of its banks in the town of Shelby. The town was cut off from east to west. Main Street was closed and the Fire Department and several businesses were evacuated. Numerous homes sustained water damage. |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mansfield | $75,000 | Thunderstorm winds tore sections of roofing off of two large buildings and downed many trees on the northwest side of Mansfield. A windshield was also blown out of a car. |
| June 1997 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $70,000 | no account filed |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Millsboro | $60,000 | A tributary to the Clear Fork of the Mohican River rose rapidly during the overnight hours of the 9th to the 10th of July in Ontario Ohio. An estimated 2.5 fell in during the evening hours of the 9th, falling over saturated ground. The three day rainfall leading up to this event was close to 8, so conditions were ripe for maximum runoff. A resident along Rock Road awoke in the early morning hours to water filling her home. They were trapped in the home with 6 feet of water in the first floor before the water receded almost as quickly as it rose. The residents lost their belongings and sustained significant damage to their home, but there were fortunately no injuries. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 16 workings inside this county. 8 still produce and 8 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 11 |
| Clay | 3 |
| Clay, Stone, Crushed/Broken | 1 |
| Iron | 1 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Steel-Cyclops Div/ Mansfield | Iron | Producer | ||
| Richland Pit | Clay, Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Ohio Pit | Clay | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Ohio Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Richland Pit | Clay | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Bellville Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Bellville Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Derwacter S & G Belleville Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Dh Bowman & Sons Bellville Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Lexington Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Lexington Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Lexington Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Lexington Pit & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Plant | ||
| Lucas Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Lucas Pit & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Plant | ||
| Weber Mine | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Museum specimens collected inside this county and catalogued with a date and a place: 846 of them, by kingdom 518 plantae, 296 animalia, 32 fungi. Each is a physical object in a named collection, not a sighting. Held by CM, Ohio State University - Fish Division, Columbus, OH (OSUM), YPM, UMMZ, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, OH (CLEV), GJO among others, and each settlement page carries the specimens collected near it.
The oldest of them. A specimen proves something was collected on that day; its absence proves nothing.
| Photograph | Year | Species | Kingdom | Where | Collector | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1835 | Alisma subcordatum Raf. | Plantae | Mansfield | Wilkinson, E. | CM CM231724 |
 | 1835 | Carex scoparia Schkuhr ex Willd. | Plantae | Mansfield | Wilkinson, E. | CM CM245448 |
 | 1835 | Carex stricta Lam. | Plantae | Mansfield | Herb. of E. Wilkinson | CM CM417980 |
 | 1835 | Erigeron bellidifolius Muhl. ex Willd. | Plantae | [USA, Ohio] Mansfield, Ohio. | Wilkinson,E. 5229 | DR 088121 |
 | 1835 | Penthorum sedoides L. | Plantae | Mansfield | E. Wilkinson | F V0465899F |
 | 1835 | Verbascum thapsus L. | Plantae | Mansfield | Wilkinson, E. | CM CM115287 |
 | 1836 | Achillea millefolium L. | Plantae | Mansfield | Wilkinson, E. | CM CM413761 |
 | 1836 | Angelica atropurpurea L. | Plantae | Mansfield | Wilkinson, E. | CM CM172531 |
History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the Original Boundaries) ; Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest, a Complete History of Richland County ... Miscellaneous Matter, Map of the County, Biographies and Histories of ... the Most Prominent Families, &c., &c. devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 19 are reproduced here in full. Each row shows the township's own shape and where it lies in the county, drawn from the Census Bureau's boundary. Which settlements belong to which township is computed from that same boundary, not taken from the book.
Everyone History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the Original Boundaries) ; Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest, a Complete History of Richland County ... Miscellaneous Matter, Map of the County, Biographies and Histories of ... the Most Prominent Families, &c., &c. stops to write about, with the section that describes them. Among them are the men who founded the place and governed the Territory. Each name opens the passage itself, in the words of 1880.
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 watercourse or landform it stands on and the survey quadrangle it falls on. The 4 places that were also surveyed for fire insurance come first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.
Worthington township · 44822 · On Smoky Run · Butler quadrangle
14 sheets, 1912 to 1994
Fire insurance: 6 atlases
Mansfield city · 44902 · On Touby Run · Mansfield North quadrangle
14 sheets, 1915 to 1994
Fire insurance: 9 atlases
Sharon township · 44875 · Shelby quadrangle
13 sheets, 1915 to 1994
Fire insurance: 8 atlases
Springfield township · 44903 · On Ralston Knob · Crestline quadrangle
13 sheets, 1915 to 1994
Bloominggrove township · 44875 · On Leatherwood Creek · Shiloh quadrangle
14 sheets, 1915 to 1994
Springfield township · 44903 · On Ralston Knob · Mansfield North quadrangle
14 sheets, 1915 to 1994
Jackson township · 44875 · Mansfield North quadrangle
14 sheets, 1915 to 1994
No longer a settlement
Sandusky township · 44833 · Crestline quadrangle
13 sheets, 1915 to 1994
No longer a settlement
Springfield township · 44875 · Crestline quadrangle
13 sheets, 1915 to 1994
No longer a settlement
Monroe township · 44864 · On Switzer Creek · Perrysville quadrangle
13 sheets, 1912 to 1994
Monroe township · 44864 · On Switzer Creek · Perrysville quadrangle
13 sheets, 1912 to 1994
No longer a settlement
Mansfield city · 44903 · On Touby Run · Mansfield North quadrangle
14 sheets, 1915 to 1994
No longer a settlement
Springfield township · 44906 · Mansfield North quadrangle
14 sheets, 1915 to 1994
No longer a settlement
Sharon township · 44875 · On Stanley Run · Crestline quadrangle
13 sheets, 1915 to 1994
14 topographic sheets and 9 fire insurance atlases, 1887 to 1949
13 topographic sheets and 8 fire insurance atlases, 1889 to 1947
0 topographic sheets and 6 fire insurance atlases, 1895 to 1950
14 topographic sheets and 6 fire insurance atlases, 1885 to 1950
The complete index, with nothing left out. Each of these is a separate record with its own page: a federal survey report, or the case file that argued a property on to the National Register. Both are public domain and reproduced word for word.
The vanished settlements of Richland County, the places these records name that are no longer on the map.
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