BlockFrom the record
2 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
O'Brien County, Iowa
25 topographic sheets cover 18 settlements here, and 2 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 136 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 2 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 buildings.
- 1 of the 2 listings was added during the 1970s.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 18 populated places in this county; 18 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
2Every 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Carnegie Library | building | 1977 | 77001504 |
 | O'Brien County Courthouse | building | 1981 | 81000656 |
Wildfire, 2008 to 2020
16 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 16 of them, burning about 150 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 burning | 10 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 40 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 30 October 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 35 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 March 2018 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 April 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 23 April 2020 | Debris and open burning | 10 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 29 September 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 2720 POLK AVE, IA |
| 28 March 2018 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 November 2020 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 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, 1951 to 2026
60 of 483 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 483 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 2 injuries and about $11,654,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 205 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 171 |
| Flood | 51 |
| Tornado | 35 |
| Flash Flood | 19 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 |
| Heavy Rain | 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 1951 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 2 hurt | no account filed |
| July 1980 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Flood | Germantown | $2,250,000 | Rainfall amounts across O'Brien County from June 20-22 ranged from 5 to 9 inches, with the highest amounts across the northern half of the county. Widespread overland flooding ensued with additional minor to major flooding along the Floyd and Little Floyd Rivers, and Waterman Creek. ||County-wide, there were five water rescues during peak flooding, involving 18 individuals. An estimated 700 to 1,000 homes were impacted by flood waters with a majority of the residential property damage reported in Hartley and Sheldon. Some homes became islands and required residents to shelter in place until the water receded, while at least two homes needed to be evacuated. An apartment complex in Hartley was also impacted by flood waters.||Numerous county roads were damaged by flood waters with extensive washouts in four different locations. In addition, 12 bridges and 6 culverts were damaged. A water main was damaged west of Sheldon along with lift stations within city limits. Osceola Rural Water was impacted due to a water breach at the well building. Preliminary damage assessments estimate loss to public infrastructure to be 2.25 million dollars.||The majority of overland flooding subsided by June 25, but river flooding continued through the end of the month. For additional information on river flooding, please see other flood entries for O'Brien County. |
| July 2009 | Hail | Sheldon | $2,000,000 | Large hail caused widespread damage in and near Sheldon. The hail broke windows on vehicles and buildings, including 35 out of the 37 skylights on the local high school. The hail also severely dented vehicles, roofs, and siding, and caused tree damage. The hail also damaged crops near the city, but the amount of crop damage was not known. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon Muni Arpt | $1,000,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed an airport hangar, and destroyed or damaged 5 planes in the hangar. The winds caused widespread tree damage, including numerous trees blown down or completely uprooted. The tree damage included many trees at a local golf course. The winds damaged homes and buildings in and near Sheldon, including one home that was damaged by a large falling tree. A large silo was damaged and several small farm buildings were destroyed. The farm damage included a large shed destroyed and machinery inside the shed damaged. A commercial building under construction was destroyed. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Germantown | $590,000 | Flooding resulted in extensive damage to public infrastructure including numerous county and township roads, culverts, and some bridges. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sanborn | $500,000 | On the morning of the 26th, a stationary front extended from northwest Minnesota into northwest Kansas. During the evening, an upper level system pushed the front into Iowa, with the front reaching central Iowa by sunrise on the 27th. Severe thunderstorms developed ahead of the cold front. High winds affected the northwest counties of the state. One-inch-diameter hail was reported with the storms in O'Brien County at Sanborn. Shortly after midnight, strong straight line winds in Sanborn blew a police car across the street. The winds lasted 3 to 3.5 minutes. A three block area in Hartley had a lot of tree damage, with a 22-inch-diameter ash tree uprooted. Four buildings had the windows broken out. A three-stall garage had its roof blown about 100 meters north into a bean field. A single car garage was completely blown away. It had its door closed with a car inside the garage. After the wind stopped, the garage was on the other side of the grove and the car was not scratched. The garage was destroyed. Four strands of heavy electrical wire were blown down just north of town. As the storm moved over Dickinson County, lightning struck a resort house in Arnolds Park. The house was set on fire. The fire spread quickly, causing extensive damage to the home. |
| September 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon Muni Arpt | $350,000 | A roof was completely torn off the end of a strip mall and deposited in pieces on the roadway. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| October 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Archer | $300,000 | no account filed |
| June 1984 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| October 1971 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Tornado (EF2) | Calumet | $200,000 | A tornado destroyed several outbuildings, moved a 1.5 ton wagon, heavily damaged a machine shed containing farm equipment and also damaged a nearby house on the same farm. Also destroyed another machine shed at a different location, destroyed a pole barn, damaged a grain bin, broke or blew down several power poles and power lines, and caused tree damage. |
| June 2001 | Tornado (F1) | Calumet | $200,000 | A tornado downed trees in Calumet and Sutherland, some of which caused severe damage to homes. The tornado also blew chimneys off at least two houses, caused other tree damage, knocked down power lines, and destroyed the concession stand at a softball field. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paullina | $150,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, with a large tree limb falling on a garage. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sanborn | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree and power line damage in Sanborn. Large trees were blown down or uprooted, and numerous large branches were blown down. Tree debris block several roads. Some homes were damaged by falling trees and tree debris. Power lines and poles were blown down, including two large transmission line towers. A power outage resulted from the damage. The winds also caused an unknown amount of damage to area crops, especially corn. |
| July 2010 | Flash Flood | Sheldon | $100,000 | Heavy rain caused flash flooding of numerous streets, basements, and small streams, and a golf course. Several homes and businesses were flooded. |
| July 2000 | Tornado (F1) | Sheldon | $100,000 | A tornado blew down trees, turned a trailer on its side, and damaged warehouses and a motorhome. |
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF1) | Calumet | $50,000 | This tornado formed on the southeast edge of Larrabee in Cherokee County, just south of 455th Street. The tornado entered O'Brien County around 4 miles south of Sutherland, one-half mile east of the intersection of Tyler Avenue and 420th Street. The tornado continued northeast in O'Brien County for almost 4 miles, and resulted in only sporadic tree damage before destroying a shed and scattered debris across State Highway 10 two miles south-southeast of Sutherland. The tornado tore part of a roof off a shed shortly before it dissipated two miles southeast of Sutherland at 1711CST. The tornado was rated EF1 while in both Cherokee County and O'Brien County. The average path width in O'Brien County was 75 yards and the maximum estimated wind speed was 105 mph. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| June 2014 | Flood | Ritter | $50,000 | Persistent moderate to heavy rain caused flooding of fields and other lowlands, including several roads, homes, and businesses. This flooding lasted for almost two days, and was aggravated locally by additional storms during that time. Some roads were damaged or washed out. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew half the roof off a Hog confinement building, and also tore off large parts of roofing from a turkey farm. The winds also damaged power lines. |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down a garage and extensively damaged two cars inside. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sanborn | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Sheldon | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hartley | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hartley | $50,000 | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sutherland | $30,000 | Thunderstorm winds snapped several large trees and limbs, which fell and destroyed the roof of a machine shed. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Sheldon | $25,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged vehicles and windows, and also caused an unknown amount of damage to crops in the area. |
| July 1986 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| October 1973 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1968 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1963 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sanborn | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds snapped numerous power poles, and downed a 3 foot diameter tree as well as many 2 to 4 inch diameter branches. Power was knocked out for several hours when falling tree limbs took down powerlines. |
| June 2010 | Tornado (EF1) | Germantown | $20,000 | A tornado damaged the roof of a home and tore the chimney off, and destroyed a machine shed on the same property. The tornado also blew down several trees and blew a trampoline into a tree. The tornado also caused an unknown amount of crop damage. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including some trees blown down. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Calumet | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several trees blown down. The winds also damaged a garage, blew down power poles and lines, and blew down 18 gravestones at a cemetery. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down trees and power lines. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sutherland | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed two grain bins and caused tree damage. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Primghar | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including large branches blown down. The winds also blew down power lines. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hartley | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree damage, including whole trees down. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paullina | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree and pwer line damage. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Paullina | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Primghar | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sanborn | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Tornado (EF0) | Sheldon | $5,000 | A tornado damaged a trees, and damaged a vehicle with flying debris. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sanborn | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged several outbuildings on three farmsteads. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hartley Muni Arpt | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged the roofs of two hog confinement structures. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hartley | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew off part of the roof of a machine shed. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hartley | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a machine shed. |
| June 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Calumet | $5,000 | A tornado damaged a hoop barn. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds of unknown speed blew siding off of a house and blew over a camper. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Primghar | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sanborn | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Sheldon | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sanborn | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sheldon | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sanborn | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Hartley | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Primghar | $5,000 | no account filed |
Mines and quarries
98 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 98 workings inside this county. 10 still produce and 88 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 98 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Audrie | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Bay/Strattmann/Paullina Pits | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Bordewick Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Brown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Bruegmann Park | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Clay County Hwy Dept | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Crosbie Sand and Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Dieterman Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Douma Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Engelke Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Faber Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Floyd River Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Frank Steel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Frisbee Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| G W Schierholtz | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Hanson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Hodgman | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Jebson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Lange Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Lange Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Litka Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Martin Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Maudlin Const Co | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Maudlin-Paullina | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Mauer | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Mccormick | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Merley | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Mertens | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Meyer-Zorgd Rager | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Obrien County Hwy Dept | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Paullina Sand and Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Primghar Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| R J Skewis | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Rabe Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Ruby Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Sanborn | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Schroer Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Sheldon Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Sheldon Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Sheldon Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Steele Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| V McKinney | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Wittrock Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Wound | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown |
Every populated place in the county
18Named 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.
-
Evander
Floyd township · 51201 · On South Branch Little Floyd River · Sheldon quadrangle
7 sheets, 1954 to 1985
No longer a settlement
The vanished settlements of O'Brien 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.