Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
“Fellows House is a historic building located in Riceville, Iowa, United States. Fellows was a brick mason who settled in Riceville in 1856 with his brother Harris, who was a physician.”
Wikipedia article James C. Fellows House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 8 National Register listings published here for Howard County · listed in 1982 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 4 fires within 5 miles of James C. Fellows House between 2008 and 2011, burning about 33 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 19 May 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 6 April 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 1975 ADDISON AVE, IA |
| 14 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of James C. Fellows House: 3 unknowns, 1 past producer, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspel Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Riceville, the town this property stands in, in 31 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 9 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 5 tornado, 4 heavy rain. The reports record 5 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2011 | Tornado (EF2) | Riceville | 3 hurt, $525,000 | This tornado first caused some damage about 3 miles north of State Highway 9 north of Riceville. The tornado almost immediately strengthen to EF1 as it moved northeast. Several farms had outbuildings destroyed, widespread tree damage occurred and several homes had partial or complete roof damage. As the tornado passed south of Chester, it increased to its maximum width and strength. The tornado remained at EF2 strength as it crossed the state line into Fillmore County Minnesota. The tornado passed through rural portions of the county affecting around a dozen farms with only three minor injuries occurring. Around 850 customers were loss power as a result of the storms. Damages were estimated to be around $500 thousand. |
| August 2012 | Lightning | Riceville | 2 hurt | Two young boys were injured when lightning struck a tree they were taking shelter under while fishing at the Lake Hendricks park and campground near Riceville. One boy was listed in critical condition after being transferred to St. Marys hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. The second boy only received minor injuries and was treated and released from a local hospital. |
| August 2016 | Flood | Riceville | $470,000 | State Highway 9 was closed west of Cresco due to flood waters from the North Branch of the Turkey River. The flood waters from the North Branch of the Turkey River also washed out Robin Avenue. Lidtke County Park just north of Lime Springs was flooded by the Upper Iowa River. A small mudslide occurred along Watsons Creek in Lake Hendricks Park in Riceville. The county engineer estimated there were over 450 locations where water was over roads with only minor damage reported. In Cresco, several houses had water in the basements. School was canceled in the Howard-Winneshiek and Riceville school districts. |
| June 2004 | Tornado (F3) | Riceville | $190,000 | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Riceville | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Tornado (EF1) | Riceville | $25,000 | This EF1 tornado moved into Howard County south of Riceville and moved to the northeast before dissipating southeast of Riceville. Damage was mainly limited to trees. |
| September 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riceville | $12,000 | Widespread tree damage and power outages occurred in Riceville. Also, two light poles were blown down at the Rasmussen High School football field. One of the poles fell on a set of portable bleachers. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riceville | $5,000 | Local media reported several instances of wind damage around Riceville High School. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riceville | $5,000 | Power lines were blown down between Riceville and Elma. |
| June 2014 | Lightning | Riceville | $5,000 | A lightning strike started a fire in Riceville. |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riceville | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riceville | $1,500 | At least three trees were blown down on the southeast side of Riceville. |
| September 2024 | Hail | Riceville | - | Local businesses south of Riceville reported penny to nickel sized hail. |
| September 2024 | Hail | Riceville | - | The public reported quarter sized hail 4 miles southeast of Riceville. Damage to was also noted to the crops from the hail. |
| March 2017 | Hail | Riceville | - | Quarter sized hail fell in Riceville. |
| June 2016 | Flash Flood | Riceville | - | Heavy rain caused Cranes Creek to go out of its banks in several locations across western Howard County. |
| June 2016 | Heavy Rain | Riceville | - | In Riceville, 5.54 inches of rain was reported. |
| June 2016 | Heavy Rain | Riceville | - | The mesonet reporting station near Riceville measured 3.79 inches of rain. |
| September 2016 | Heavy Rain | Riceville | - | Near Riceville, 4.54 inches of rain fell. |
| August 2016 | Heavy Rain | Riceville | - | A mesonet reporting station northeast of Riceville measured 4.26 inches of rain. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riceville | - | The mesonet weather observing equipment east of Riceville measured a wind gust of 71 mph. |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | Riceville | - | Heavy rain pushed the Upper Iowa River and numerous smaller streams that drain into the Upper Iowa River out of their banks. The water covered several roads across the northern portion of Howard County. |
| September 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riceville | - | Numerous corn fields were flattened across Howard County. The USDA estimated that almost 3200 acres of corn were destroyed while 16,000 acres suffered a 25 bushel per acre yield loss. Total crop losses were estimated to be around $7.5 million. The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a natural disaster designation for this damage. |
| May 2008 | Funnel Cloud | Riceville | - | A trained spotter reported a funnel cloud southeast of Riceville. |
| March 2017 | Hail | Riceville | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Riceville | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Riceville | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Riceville | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riceville | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Riceville | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riceville | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 82002621 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Howard County | All 8 listed properties in this county. |
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