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Decatur County, Iowa

23 topographic sheets cover 21 settlements here, and 7 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

7 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Iowa within the United States
Decatur County within Iowa

What the record shows

  • 176 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 7 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 6 buildings and 1 structure.
  • 2 of the 7 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 21 populated places in this county; 21 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

7

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
Decatur County Courthousebuilding198181000233
Grand River Bridgestructure199898000794
Liberty Hallbuilding198383000350
J. J. McClung Housebuilding199090001856
Missouri, Iowa & Nebraska Railway Co. Depot-Weldonbuilding199191001827
C. S. Stearns Housebuilding197878001214
Union Churchbuilding197676000759

Wildfire, 2005 to 2018

4 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 4 of them, burning about 884 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning2
Missing data/not specified/undetermined2

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
17 March 2005Debris and open burning800 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
22 April 2018Debris and open burning80 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
30 March 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined3.0 acresIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
27 April 2008Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreIowa Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

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

Storms, 1956 to 2025

60 of 311 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 311 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 7 injuries and about $60,456,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind110
Hail95
Heavy Rain33
Flood25
Tornado19
Flash Flood19
Lightning6
Funnel Cloud4

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
April 1961Tornado (F2)not stated2 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindLeon2 hurt, $25,000no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindLeon2 hurt, $5,000no account filed
August 2010LightningLeon1 hurtA 15 year old girl was struck by lightning.
May 1989Tornado (F4)not stated$25,000,000no account filed
June 1984Tornado (F4)not stated$25,000,000no account filed
June 1980Tornado (F4)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
March 2022Tornado (EF2)Leon$500,000This tornado passed through three counties including Decatur, Wayne and Lucas. The tornado developed east of Leon in central Decatur county and headed northeast. The torndo remained in rural areas of the county for the duration of its path. Damage was primarily to broken power poles, although residential house damage was also noted. A roof was removed from a house just east of Garden Grove producing EF2 damage with other damage to nearby outbuildings also noted. The tornado exited into Wayne county just north of 140th Street.
June 2014Flash FloodDavis City$400,000Water of 2 feet to 3 feet deep in some places was reported in Davis City as the drainage system could not keep up with the rain.
June 2010FloodLamoni$250,000no account filed
July 1986Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
June 1964Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
June 2011Thunderstorm WindLeon$200,000Significant tree damage in the town of Leon. An estimated 100 to 200 trees felled in town with large trees littering the town. Trees fell on the roofs of many houses, but no major structural damage.
August 2007Flash FloodHigh Pt$200,000Water was reported over the road at J20 and 340th Avenue near the Wayne County line.
May 1995Tornado (F3)Lamoni to$200,000Border crosser from Missouri at beginning point.
June 2014Flash FloodDavis City$150,000The Decatur County Engineer reported an estimated 25 culverts damaged and 12 bridges damaged from water. Another 40 locations of roadway were overtopped by water resulting in at least 20 road closures.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindVan Wert$150,000no account filed
September 2019FloodTerre Haute$100,000Flooding was reported across much of the county in rural areas with numerous side and gravel roads closed due to water.
October 2018FloodWesterville$100,000Emergency manager reported two roads closed across the county due to culvert failure and approximately 10 culverts damaged from flooding.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindDecatur City$100,000Many large branches were down in town and several car ports flipped.
July 2015Flash FloodWesterville$100,000Law enforcement reported many county gravel roads flooded across northern Decatur county. One road closure south of Weldon as well. Additionally water was out of the banks of some local creeks and streams.
June 2010Flash FloodLamoni$100,000Eight inches of standing water in town. Highway 69 closed due to water on the road and stranded vehicles.
July 2014Thunderstorm Wind(30i)Lamoni Muni Arp$100,000no account filed
June 2010FloodGrand River$100,000no account filed
May 1998Thunderstorm WindVan Wert$100,000no account filed
June 2021Thunderstorm WindLeon$90,000Osceola Fire Department reported a grain bin toppled and blocking US Highway 69. Time estimated via radar.
May 1997HailPleasanton$75,000no account filed
May 2019FloodDavis City$50,000The Thompson River at Davis City crested at 13.21 feet on 29 May 2019 at 14:30 UTC.
October 2018FloodDavis City$50,000The Thompson River at Davis City crested at 13.07 ft on 9 October 2018 at 13:00 UTC.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindVan Wert$50,000Trees were reported down on houses in town and power was out. Relayed by KCCI TV.
July 2008Flash FloodDavis City$50,000Water was eroding the gravel from 275th St.
July 2008Flash FloodPleasanton$50,000Water has partially washed out 240th Ave.
May 2011FloodGrand River$50,000no account filed
June 2010FloodGrand River$50,000no account filed
June 2008FloodGrand River$50,000no account filed
May 2007Flash FloodGrand River$50,000no account filed
May 2007Flash FloodGrand River$50,000no account filed
April 2001LightningGarden Grove$50,000no account filed
September 1993Thunderstorm WindDavis City$50,000no account filed
September 1993Thunderstorm WindLeon$50,000no account filed
September 1993Thunderstorm WindLamoni$50,000no account filed
June 2010Thunderstorm WindGarden Grove$40,000Grain bin destroyed.
June 2008HailLeon$30,000Extensive hail damage to a RV camper and a residential skylight.
September 1996LightningLeon$30,000no account filed
April 2010Thunderstorm WindVan Wert$25,000A grain bin was blown across the road and large tree branches were downed. Siding was ripped off of a house.
September 2010Flash FloodPleasanton$25,000Law enforcement relayed that 290th Ave was washed out in Morgan Township, Section 5.
July 2009Flash FloodGarden Grove$25,000Rural roads were under 5 to 6 feet of water.
July 2008Flash FloodTerre Haute$25,000Local law enforcement reports the bridge on Elk Chapel Road just south of Highway 2 was under a foot of water.
July 2008Flash FloodLamoni$25,000Water was over 280th Street 1 mile west of County Road R14.
July 2014Thunderstorm Wind(30i)Lamoni Muni Arp$25,000no account filed
March 2010FloodGrand River$25,000no account filed
March 2009FloodGrand River$25,000no account filed
May 2007FloodDavis City$25,000no account filed
August 2007FloodGrand River$25,000no account filed
June 2005HailGrand River$25,000no account filed
August 2004Thunderstorm WindLe Roy$25,000no account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindGarden Grove$25,000no account filed
July 2001HailDecatur City$25,000no account filed
June 1999Flash FloodDavis City$25,000no account filed
May 1998Thunderstorm WindLeon$25,000no account filed

Mines and quarries

18 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 18 workings inside this county. 4 still produce and 14 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Stone, Crushed/Broken14
Sand and Gravel, Construction3
Clay1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Mills Brick YardClayPast Producer
Davis City PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Sargents PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Davis City QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Davis City QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Decatur City Quarry and MillStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Dekalb QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Elk ChapelStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Elk Chapel QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Grand River QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Millsap QuarriesStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Old Dekalb QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Spaulding QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
West Decatur City QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

Every populated place in the county

21

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 Decatur 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.