BlockFrom the record
13 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Harrison County, Iowa
29 topographic sheets cover 27 settlements here, and 13 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 217 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 13 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 12 buildings and 1 district.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 27 populated places in this county; 27 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
13Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Haner Polygonal Barn | building | 1986 | 86001435 | |
 | Harrison County Courthouse | building | 1981 | 81000243 |
 | I.O.O.F. Hall | building | 2011 | 11000391 |
| Modale School and Masonic Hall | building | 2014 | 13001136 | |
| Murray General Merchandise Store | building | 1998 | 98000930 | |
| Old Harrison County Courthouse | building | 1983 | 83000365 | |
 | Siebels' Department Store-Boyer Valley Bank | building | 2012 | 12000327 |
 | State Savings Bank | building | 1985 | 85000836 |
| John R. Wheeler Jr. House | building | 1986 | 86003171 | |
| Woodbine Lincoln Highway and Brick Street Historic District | district | 2013 | 12001083 | |
 | Woodbine Normal and Grade School | building | 2002 | 02001227 |
 | Woodbine Public Library | building | 1997 | 97000462 |
 | Woodbine Savings Bank | building | 2012 | 12000167 |
Wildfire, 1993 to 2020
140 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 140 of them, burning about 2,649 acres. 3 started naturally and 5 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 59 |
| Debris and open burning | 54 |
| Smoking | 7 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 7 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 5 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 April 2018 | Arson/incendiarism | 715 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 23 April 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 400 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 March 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 202 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 1801 124TH TRAIL, PISGAH, IA |
| 2 December 2020 | Debris and open burning | 110 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 8 April 2020 | Debris and open burning | 80 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 15 November 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | ITALY & 325TH, IA |
| 21 November 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 60 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 19 September 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 55 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1959 to 2026
60 of 496 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 496 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 20 injuries and about $30,966,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 217 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 209 |
| Tornado | 34 |
| Flood | 15 |
| Flash Flood | 11 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 |
| Funnel Cloud | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1999 | Tornado (F3) | Missouri Vly | 2 killed, 16 hurt, $1,900,000 | The stronger of the 2 tornadoes that ripped through Harrison county the afternoon of 5/16/99 killed 2 people and destroyed 6 homes and a bridge before it dissipated a couple of miles east of Logan. A family of 5 leaving a high school graduation party encountered the tornado on a road around 6 miles northeast of Missouri Valley and took cover in a ditch about the time the path of the tornado widened to a quarter mile. Two of them were killed after their car and a 3-ton combine head were thrown on them. There were also numerous flipped or smashed vehicles in this area. |
| March 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Euclid | 2 hurt | A NWS storm survey assessment team confirmed a tornado tracked around 12 miles starting from a few miles east of Missouri Valley to around 5 miles southeast of Woodbine, Iowa. The tornado destroyed at least 1 mobile home, which caused minor injuries to 2 occupants, and caused outbuilding, home and vehicle damage along it path which reached around 100 yards wide at its widest. The strongest damage was estimated at EF1. |
| August 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| June 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Flash Flood | Missouri Vly | $15,000,000 | Rainfall of 5 inches fell across the Missouri Valley area Saturday May 5th prompting the levee along Willow Creek to eventually fail causing substantial flash flooding in and around the Missouri Valley area. |Initally flash flooding was observed due to the heavy rain Saturday evening the 5th near Highway 30 and county road 66. The levee failure caused more substantial flash flooding early Sunday the 6th with many residents barely able to escape the rising flood waters. The area most affected was the southwest part of town, which sat below the bluffs where most of the town is located. At least 77 homes and 6 businesses were flooded and declared an almost complete loss. Many vehicles were also flooded or severely damaged. Interstate 29 was closed for a while near town, along with Highway 30 and other local roads. The high water continued in the area well into the following week. It was estimated that road repair alone would cost several million dollars. Although homes in the higher sections of town escaped flood waters from the levee break, many sustained damage due to flooded basements, mudslides or basement walls caving in. The flooding prompted schools to be closed on Monday May 7th. |
| August 2011 | Flood | River Sioux | $7,000,000 | Flooding along the Missouri River gradually worsened over the area during June and July and continued into August as record releases from Gavins Point Dam brought widespread flooding along the River. The river near Blair climbed to a little under 33 feet by the end of June, flood stage is 26.5 feet, before falling slightly during July and a little more in early to mid August. However, by late August decreased releases from Gavins Point Dam had allowed the river near Blair to fall to around 28 feet. County roads and highways, some homes and farmland and parts of Interstate 29 were flooded along with several parks and recreation areas near the river. Sand bag operations were used near Missouri Valley, Modale and Mondamin where at least 100 to 200 voluntary evacuations of residences occurred. The flooding forced the post office in Modale to move operations to a nearby town. Large TrapBags placed along Highway 30 west of Missouri Valley to stop flood waters from backing up from a downstream levee breach would trap water from any heavy rain event causing flooding and its temporary closure, including a severe storm/heavy rain event on Aug. 18th. Although river levels started dropping by the end of August, minor flooding persisted into September. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation estimated that the flood event caused total crop and economic losses of $36.7 million in Harrison county. |
| June 1992 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| March 2019 | Flood | Dunlap | $2,200,000 | Thiere was for flooding along the Boyer River. The river gauge at Logan, operated by the USGS, peaked at 25.33 feet at 7 pm on March 13th. Major flood stage is 25 feet. Preliminary information shows this peak is the highest on record. Portions of the town of Missouri Valley flooded from the flood. Highway 30 closed in Woodbine. A levee topped by floodwaters at 296th street in Missouri Valley, on the east side of the levee around 2 miles northeast of town. Also 2 breaches in the levee around Willow Creek. Evacuations took place in Missouri Valley. Property damage totals are for the entire county from flooding of the Boyer River, Willow Creek, and Missouri River. |
| May 2023 | Flash Flood | Pisgah | $500,000 | Forest Service reported up to two dozen culverts washed out and six county roads that were partially or fully washed out. Large trees were washed into fields and there was significant damage to farm fields in several areas in the counties. There are significant areas of crop fields that likely lost in excess of 100 tons per acre from that one heavy rain event. The county estimated the damage to be approximately $400,000-$600,000. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mondamin | $500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1983 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Flood | California Jct | $200,000 | Excessive rainfall across much of eastern South Dakota resulted in river flooding along the Missouri River at the end of June. Moderate flood stage was observed along the Missouri, with the Blair river gauge cresting at 32.3 feet at 14:30 CDT on 6/27. Flood stage for this river gauge is 26.5 feet. Damage in this county from the flood was estimated at $216,950.00. |
| June 2011 | Flood | River Sioux | $150,000 | Flooding along the Missouri River gradually worsened over the area during June as record releases from Gavins Point Dam brought widespread flooding along the River. The river near Blair started June around 28 feet, flood stage is 26.5 feet, and gradually climbed to a little under 33 feet by the end of the month. County roads and at least one highway and parts of Interstate 29 were flooded as were several parks and recreation areas near the river. Sand bag operations were used near Missouri Valley, Modale and Mondamin where at least 100 to 200 voluntary evacuations of residences were noted. The flooding forced the post office in Modale to move operations to a nearby town. Highway 30 west of Missouri Valley had to have a temporary barrier of large sandbags installed on both sides to keep flood waters at bay that reached the area from a downstream breach. However, anytime heavy rain would fall in that area water would pond on the highway causing a temporary closure. Flooding along the Missouri continued through July and into August. |
| May 1999 | Tornado (F3) | Missouri Vly | $100,000 | The smaller of 2 strong tornadoes that hit Harrison county the afternoon of 5/16/99. This one destroyed a home west of Logan before it weakened, it then made a loop back to the northwest before dissipating. |
| August 1999 | Flash Flood | Missouri Vly | $100,000 | Five to 9 inches of rain fell over parts of Harrison county from Friday 8/6/99 into Saturday morning 8/7/99. The heavy rain caused street flooding in Missouri Valley and other towns in Harrison county and also washed the dirt from underneath railroad tracks near Missouri Valley. |
| April 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Little Sioux | $100,000 | Two glass windows were blown out of a home. |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Little Sioux | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Persia | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Logan | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dunlap | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Tornado (F1) | Beebeetown | $30,000 | This tornado touched down just inside the Pottawattamie county line near highway 34 and Interstate 680. It then tracked near Beebeetown, then to near Persia before crossing into Shelby county southwest of Portsmouth. The tornado was caught on film by a local TV meteorologist as well as a storm chaser. The tornado stayed mainly in open county, but it did down some trees and power lines. |
| June 2024 | Flash Flood | California Jct | $25,000 | Emergency Management relayed a delayed report of severe crop damage and crop fields washed out. Additionally, several county roads along with Easton Trail Road had around a foot of flowing water over them by the time the rain stopped falling. Department of Secondary Roads had crews out the following day fixing damage to county roads from the flood. |
| June 1984 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1980 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| September 1972 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1967 | Tornado | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Flood | River Sioux | $10,000 | Flooding along the Missouri River gradually worsened over the area during June and continued into July as record releases from Gavins Point Dam brought widespread flooding along the River. The river near Blair climbed to a little under 33 feet by the end of June before falling slightly during July. However, moderate flooding persisted through July and into late August before river levels began to fall. County roads and at least one highway and parts of Interstate 29 were flooded as were several parks and recreation areas near the river. Sand bag operations were used near Missouri Valley, Modale and Mondamin where at least 100 to 200 voluntary evacuations of residences occurred. The flooding forced the post office in Modale to move operations to a nearby town. Highway 30 west of Missouri Valley had to have a temporary barrier of large sandbags installed on both sides to keep flood waters at bay that reached the area from a downstream breach. However, anytime heavy rain would fall in that area water would pond on the highway causing a temporary closure. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | California Jct | $8,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 mph blew some shingles off a home, flipped 2 center pivots and caused damage to a shed 3 miles north of Little Sioux. |
| September 2014 | Flood | Logan | $5,000 | Heavy Rainfall in northwest Iowa in late August led to minor flooding along the Boyer River. The river rose above flood stage in the early morning on the first, and created and fell below flood stage later that morning. |
| May 2011 | Flood | Missouri Vly Arpt | $5,000 | High releases from upstream reservoirs brought steadily increasing flows along the Missouri River. The river near Blair climbed above its 26.5 foot flood stage during the morning of May 26th, and then continued rising into June. The flooding in Harrison county closed at least several parks and recreation areas and began flooding some roads near the river. The flooding got worse in June. |
| September 2011 | Flood | River Sioux | $5,000 | Flooding along the Missouri River gradually improved and then basically ended over Harrison county during September as decreased releases from Gavins Point Dam allowed the river near Blair to fall below its 26.5 foot flood stage by the 18th. However, county roads, highways and parts of Interstate 29 sustained damage from flood waters as did some homes and several parks and recreation areas near the river. Parts of Interstate 29 remained closed during the month. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Euclid | $5,000 | Rainfall of around 2 inches in about an hours time caused localized flash flooding in the Missouri Valley area. Several feet of water rushed across Highway 30 on the west of the town prompting its closure. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Modale | $5,000 | Thunderstorm wind damaged some farm equipment. |
| May 1992 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 1991 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| April 1991 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 1987 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 1984 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Missouri | $2,000 | Television antenna, chimney, and tree limbs were blown down. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Logan | $2,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Little Sioux | $1,000 | Thunderstorm wind gust over 60 mph blew the windows out of some outbuildings north of Little Sioux, Iowa. From the same mini-supercell which produced the tornadoes near Crescent, Treynor and Mineola, Iowa. Reported by a cooperative observer. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Little Sioux | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds uprooted several trees causing damage to 2 sheds near Little Sioux. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Pisgah | - | Public report of hail estimated at 1.50 inches in diameter. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Pisgah | - | Trained spotter report of hail estimated at 1.00 inch in diameter. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Dunlap | - | Public report of hail estimated at 1.75 inches in diameter. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Dunlap | - | Emergency management report of hail estimated at 1.75 inches in diameter. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Dunlap | - | Trained spotter report of hail estimated at 1.75 inches in diameter with all windows broken on the west side of a home. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Modale | - | Public report of hail measured up to 1 inch in diameter in Modale, IA. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Missouri Vly | - | Delayed public report via social media of hail up to ping pong ball sized. Time estimated with radar. |
| April 2026 | Hail | California Jct | - | Delayed report from a trained storm spotter of approximately half dollar size hail 4 miles west of Pisgah. Time estimated with radar. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Logan | - | Public report of hail estimated up to 1 inch in diameter in Logan, IA. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Euclid | - | Emergency dispatch relayed report of quarter size hail near 335th and Mounds Trail. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Dunlap | - | Local business reported approximately quarter size hail in Dunlap, IA. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Logan | - | Public report of hail estimated up to 1 inch in diameter in Logan, IA. Reported received via social media video. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Beebeetown | - | Delayed report received via social media of hail measured up to 1 inch in diameter mixed with a lot of nickel sized hailstones from a Trained Spotter. Time estimated with radar. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Yorkshire | - | Delayed public report received via social media of hail estimated up to quarter sized. Time estimated with radar. |
| April 2026 | Tornado (EF1) | Little Sioux | - | A tornado developed approximately 1.5 miles north-northwest of Little Sioux, IA at 12:46 PM CST. The tornado began just southeast of the intersection of 120th Street and Dayton Avenue, before flipping a center pivot. It continued northeast, damaging farm outbuildings, trees, and power poles near 120th Street and Early Avenue. Just over 1 mile northeast of this intersection, another center pivot was flipped over. The tornado then turned slightly more eastward and tore the fabric roofing off part of a hoop barn near Gage Lane and Easton Trail. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 105 mph. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Missouri Vly | - | Measured wind gust of 61 mph by two separate personal weather stations. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Missouri Vly Arpt | - | A damaging wind event tracked across Harrison County, Iowa, during the morning of August 9th, 2025. The storm swept across the county, producing a number of strong measured wind gusts, peaking at 76 miles per hour in Missouri Valley. Other significant measured gusts were 66 miles per hour, also in Missouri Valley, and 64 miles per hour 5 miles west-northwest of Persia.||The severity of the storm was highlighted by two reports of wind damage with significantly higher estimated wind speeds. The highest estimated wind gust of 100 miles per hour was reported in Pisgah, where public reports confirmed several trees down and a snapped power pole. An estimated 90 miles per hour gust was also reported in Mondamin, resulting in a large uprooted tree. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mondamin | - | Law enforcement report of a roof blown off a home, associated with estimated 50-60 mph winds with a thunderstorm outflow boundary. |
Mines and quarries
9 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 9 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 7 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 7 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Schemmer Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Unknown | ||
| J Mcwilliams | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Little Sioux Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Pisgah Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Schemmer Concrete Materials | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Wallace Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Woodbine Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Every populated place in the county
27Named 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.
-
Baird
Harrison township · 51529 · Dunlap SW quadrangle
8 sheets, 1954 to 1980
No longer a settlement
-
Findley
St. John township · 51555 · On Euclid Creek · Missouri Valley quadrangle
8 sheets, 1954 to 1980
-
Magill
Washington township · 51570 · On East Branch Keg Creek · Persia quadrangle
8 sheets, 1954 to 1980
-
Missouri Valley
St. John township · 51555 · On Euclid Creek · Missouri Valley quadrangle
8 sheets, 1954 to 1980
-
River Sioux
Little Sioux township · 51545 · On Little Sioux River · Little Sioux quadrangle
8 sheets, 1955 to 1986
-
Union Burg
Union township · 51559 · On Campbell Creek · Hard Scratch quadrangle
8 sheets, 1954 to 1980
No longer a settlement
The vanished settlements of Harrison 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.