68 topographic sheets cover 40 settlements here, and 33 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
33 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources tell 1 story and name 1 person · people the book names include Ax E.Xterprisixg Spirit (Greencastle Township, 1910) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: Guarding Against Indians. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
The fashion of carrying tire-arms was made necessary by the presence of roving bauds of Indians, most of whom were ostensibly friendly, but like Indians in all times, treacherous and unreliable. An Indian war was at any time probable, and all the old settlers still retain vivid recollections of Indian massacres, murders, plunder, and frightful rumors of intended raids.
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Putnam County has 8 covered bridges on the National Register. Each is a listed structure with a federal nomination on file.
| Cornstalk Covered Bridge | Listed 2024 | |
| Dick Huffman Covered Bridge | Listed 2024 | |
| Dunbar Covered Bridge | Listed 2024 | |
| Edna Collings Covered Bridge | Listed 2024 | |
| Houck Covered Bridge | Listed 2024 | |
| Oakalla Covered Bridge | Listed 2024 | |
| Pine Bluff Covered Bridge | Listed 2024 | |
| Rolling Stone Covered Bridge | Listed 2024 |
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 1 of them, burning under an acre. 1 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Natural | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 May 2017 | Natural | under an acre | Hoosier National Forest | MAUMEE |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 350 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 13 injuries and about $7,364,400 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 177 |
| Hail | 114 |
| Flash Flood | 25 |
| Tornado | 21 |
| Flood | 8 |
| Lightning | 4 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1990 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 killed, 1 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1969 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 7 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| November 1992 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Putnamville | 1 hurt, $20,000 | no account filed |
| December 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cloverdale | 1 hurt, $10,000 | A semi trailer was blown off US Highway 231 at Interstate 70 due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. One injury was reported. |
| December 1967 | Tornado | not stated | 1 hurt, $2,500 | no account filed |
| May 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| September 2003 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Commercial Place | $500,000 | Several roads, bridges, and culverts were washed out due to excessive rainfall that caused flash flooding over the county. Mill Creek flooded areas around and south of Cloverdale. There was high water surrounding homes, filling basements, and trapping people inside their cars. Interstate 70 collapsed near the Cloverdale exit. Greencastle had flood related damage while in Russellville and Fillmore vehicles were stuck in high water. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Commercial Place | $350,000 | Extensive tree and powerline damage reported in Greencastle and across the county. Over 11000 power outages reported due to the storm. |
| May 1989 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| October 1988 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Tornado (F1) | Greencastle | $200,000 | A tornado briefly touched down at the Putnam County Fairground and destroyed 1 horse stable and damaged one other building. |
| May 2002 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $150,000 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Flash Flood | Pleasant Garden | $100,000 | Basements flooded due to flash flooding with numerous roads closed across the county. Total rainfall was between 3.25 and 3.5 inches. |
| July 2003 | Tornado (F1) | Bainbridge | $100,000 | An F1 tornado near Bainbridge destroyed 3 metal barns and did minor to moderate damage to 2 homes. |
| May 2002 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $75,000 | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greencastle | $70,000 | The area along Washington Street and Bloomington Street saw a lot of tree and utility line damage from thunderstorm winds. Witnesses at the Putnam County Fairgrounds said several chickens were killed as a result of the storm. |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greencastle | $70,000 | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Roachdale Aerodome | $50,000 | Roof damage to a structure and multiple trees downed by thunderstorm wind gusts off of US 231. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pleasant Garden | $50,000 | An 18 to 24 inch diameter tree downed at the 4000 block of county road 1100s near Reelsville. 3 power poles were snapped near the location. Fire rescue made 12 downed tree calls during the evening with 30 to 40 across the county. |
| July 2015 | Tornado (EF1) | Groveland | $50,000 | NWS survey revealed EF1 damage with 90 mph winds in the northeast tip of the Heritage Lake area. Tornado damage was embedded in a broad area of downburst damage across northeast Putnam County. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bainbridge | $50,000 | The Bainbridge Fire Department building was damaged due to damaging thunderstorm winds. The downburst winds lifted the overhang of the roof's west end and completely separated the roof from the walls. Tangled aluminum roof material was tossed northeast and insulation was splattered on the home just east of the firehouse. The department's radio antenna was also destroyed. Just south of the firehouse, across county road 700 North, a barn was destroyed by the high wind. |
| April 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greencastle | $50,000 | Trees were downed 5 miles northwest of Greencastle, and there was some minor damage to homes in the area. South of Fincastle a roof was blown of a barn. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bainbridge | $50,000 | no account filed |
| March 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greencastle | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Tornado (EF0) | Barnard | $45,000 | Surveying in the Roachdale area, north of Greencastle, yielded evidence of an EF-0 tornado. It occurred around 2:30 A.M. EDT just south of Roachdale where barn, shed, and tree damage were observed, suggesting rotating winds of up to 85 mph. An irrigation system was also flipped. This tornado was on the ground for approximately one mile in length and 1 to 2 minutes in time. |
| January 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greencastle | $45,000 | A utility pole, a garage, a horse barn, and a camper were damaged in Greencastle due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brick Chapel | $30,000 | Severe thunderstorm winds blew the roof off of a historic barn. The barn was a total loss. |
| January 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greencastle | $28,000 | Part of the roof on a pole barn and a modular home was blown off due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Windows were blown in at a business. A tree fell due to the thunderstorm winds and crushed a truck. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Groveland | $25,000 | Tree downed onto a home by thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| August 1988 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| March 1976 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1973 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1961 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2025 | Tornado (EF0) | Brunerstown | $20,000 | The episode's fifth and final tornado, an EF0, occurred briefly in far west-central Putnam County. After touching down about 800 feet north of County Road 400 South, the circulation tracked roughly parallel and about 500 feet southeast of a set of railroad tracks, ending about 350 feet west of County Road 800 West. The tornado tracked over an irregular patchwork of woods and farm fields, uprooting or downing numerous trees. Peak wind gusts at 85 mph. |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fox Ridge | $20,000 | Multiple trees were downed across county roads due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Highway 231 between Greencastle and Highway 40 was closed due to multiple trees and power lines down. One inch hail was also reported. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brick Chapel | $20,000 | A tree was downed on a car on State Route 231, three miles south of Highway 36, due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Multiple power lines were downed in the northern part of the county. Multiple trees were down as well. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Roachdale | $20,000 | A modular home was blown nearly 10 feet off its foundation and into a carport due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brick Chapel | $20,000 | Three miles north of Greencastle on Route 231 a structure sustained significant damage due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Debris was spread across Route 231 and due to this debris the road was closed. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fincastle | $20,000 | Damaging thunderstorm winds caused structural damage to trailers at Route 231 and US Route 36. Cars were also overturned and several trees were reported down due to the damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| February 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clinton Falls | $20,000 | A carport was blown on its side and metal was ripped from several homes in the Van Bibbler Lake area due to damaging thunderstorm winds. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cloverdale | $20,000 | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greencastle | $20,000 | no account filed |
| April 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cloverdale | $15,000 | Three or four tree were blown down on Down Boy Way in Cloverdale. One of the trees is dead and fell into a mobile home, coming to rest halfway to the floor. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Groveland | $15,000 | Numerous trees and power poles were downed due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| December 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cloverdale | $15,000 | A box trailer was reported to be overturned due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Trees and tree limbs were down too, along with some power outages. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Russellville | $12,000 | Scattered trees were downed across the northwest quarter of the county due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| March 2008 | Flood | Russellville | $12,000 | Flooding occurred across numerous locations in Putnam County due to heavy rain. High water closed over 18 county roads. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brick Chapel | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed roof and siding material off of a barn on US 231 in Brick Chapel. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cradnick Corner | $10,000 | Several trees downed by thunderstorm wind gusts onto cars. |
| June 2025 | Flood | Devore | $10,000 | Flooding on roadway on US 231 between Owen County line and Cloverdale. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Roachdale | $10,000 | Numerous medium to large tree limbs downed by thunderstorm wind gusts across Putnam county with most widespread damage near Roachdale. More than 1600 homes were without power. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Commercial Place | $10,000 | Trees and power lines downed by thunderstorm wind gusts around Greencastle. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fincastle | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several trees along and near US Highway 231 between Fincastle and County Road 900 North. Numerous branches and limbs downed onto Highway 231. Standing water was on Highway 231 immediately south of intersection with US Highway 36. |
| June 2022 | Flash Flood | Russellville | $10,000 | Thunderstorm heavy rains washed out an approximate 15-foot segment of County Road 900 West at about 1100 North, along and above drain pipes crossing under the road. Relayed by broadcast media via Twitter. Damage at Putnam-Parke County Line. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Putnamville | $10,000 | Trees reported down all along US Highway 40 near Putnamville due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Greencastle | $10,000 | Emergency manager reports multiple trees and tree limbs downed due to thunderstorm wind gusts with some on having fallen on cars. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brick Chapel | $10,000 | Power lines were knocked down by downed trees that were blocking the road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Roachdale | $10,000 | Trees were downed in Roachdale due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. One tree was down on a minivan. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 17 workings inside this county. 14 still produce and 3 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 10 |
| Stone | 2 |
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 2 |
| Zinc | 1 |
| Sulfur | 1 |
| Clay | 1 |
| Limestone, Dimension | 1 |
| Fire Clay (Refractory) | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana State Farm Plant | Fire Clay (Refractory) | Producer | ||
| Lone Star Greencastle Qy/Cement Plt | Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay | Producer | ||
| Rock Hill Quarry | Limestone, Dimension | Producer | ||
| Sphalerite Occurrence Z78 | Zinc, Sulfur | Occurrence | Sphalerite | |
| A and C Products Inc. | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Bainbridge Sand and Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Hoskins Sand and Gravel | Stone | Producer | ||
| Putnam Co. Hwy. Dept. | Stone | Producer | ||
| Cloverdale Stone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Greencastle Pulverizing Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant | ||
| Greencastle Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Harris Stone Service Inc | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Lone Star Greencastle Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Manhattan Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Putman County Stone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Russellville Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Russellville Stone Co. With Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Weik's History of Putnam County, Indiana devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 13 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.
| Shape and position in the county | Township | Settlements in it | Length | Sections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton Township | Clinton Falls, Morton, Portland Mills, Van Bibber Lake | 1,268 words | 0 | |
| Cloverdale Township | Cloverdale | 3,608 words | 0 | |
| Floyd Township | Groveland, Heritage Lake | 1,137 words | 0 | |
| Franklin Township | Carpentersville, Fincastle, Raccoon, Roachdale | 2,008 words | 2 | |
| Greencastle Township | Edgewood Lake, Fox Ridge, Greencastle, Limedale | 9,283 words | 12 | |
| Jackson Township | Barnard, New Maysville | 1,152 words | 0 | |
| Jefferson Township | Belle Union, Board Park, Broad Park | 637 words | 0 | |
| Madison Township | Brunerstown, Keytsville | 583 words | 0 | |
| Marion Township | Fillmore | 2,305 words | 0 | |
| Monroe Township | Bainbridge, Brick Chapel, Cary | 741 words | 1 | |
| Russell Township | Blakesburg, Russellville | 1,491 words | 0 | |
| Warren Township | Cradick Corner, Jenkinsville, Putnamville, Westland | 1,225 words | 1 | |
| Washington Township | Cagle Mill, Manhattan, Pleasant Gardens, Raab Crossroads, Reelsville | 13,785 words | 14 |
2 books written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 14 chapters in all. Every chapter is public domain, machine-read from the scan and reproduced complete. A chapter already given under one of the county's towns is not repeated in this list.
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| The whole text | 174,967 words in 12 parts |
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1: Begixxing of Indiana History and Formation of Putnam County | 7,146 words |
| Chapter 2: Orgaxization of the County | 8,302 words |
| Chapter 3: Courts, Court Houses and the Bar | 7,574 words |
| Chapter 4: Early Settlers and Incidents | 6,968 words |
| Chapter 5: Education Ix Putnam County | 7,873 words |
| Chapter 6: Church History Religious Societies | 7,371 words |
| Chapter 7: Fraternal Societies Axd Clubs | 3,162 words |
| Chapter 9: Journalism in Putnam County | 2,302 words |
| Chapter 10: Incidents of Early History | 4,701 words |
| The Touxships of Rutxa.m Cocxty.* Jacksox Towxship | 15,819 words |
| Chapter 12: Putnam S Military Record | 12,856 words |
| Chapter 13: Noted Murder Trials | 4,801 words |
| Biographical sketches | 239,734 words in 16 parts |
Everyone Weik's History of Putnam County, Indiana 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 1910.
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.
Russell township · 46172 · On Peters Creek · Russellville quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Jefferson township · 46121 · On Sallust Branch · Eminence quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Jefferson township · 46121 · On Union Branch · Eminence quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Clinton township · 46135 · On Owl Creek · Clinton Falls quadrangle
14 sheets, 1951 to 1986
Cloverdale township · 46120 · Near Sunset Hill (historical) · Cloverdale quadrangle
14 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Warren township · 46120 · Near McCoy Hill · Cloverdale quadrangle
14 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Franklin township · 46172 · On North Ramp Creek · Russellville quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Washington township · 46171 · On Deweese Branch · Reelsville quadrangle
16 sheets, 1952 to 1986
Washington township · 46171 · On Maiden Run · Reelsville quadrangle
16 sheets, 1952 to 1986
Clinton township · 46135 · On Byrd Branch · Bellmore quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Warren township · 46135 · On Limestone Creek · Cloverdale quadrangle
14 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Washington township · 46171 · On Church Creek · Poland quadrangle
15 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Franklin township · 46172 · On Cornstalk Creek · Russellville quadrangle
13 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Washington township · 46171 · On Maiden Run · Reelsville quadrangle
16 sheets, 1952 to 1986
Warren township · 46135 · On Limestone Creek · Cloverdale quadrangle
14 sheets, 1953 to 1986
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