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Spencer County, Indiana

87 topographic sheets cover 45 settlements here, and 9 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

9 National Register listings published here, 1 of them a National Historic Landmark.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Indiana within the United States
Spencer County within Indiana

What the record shows

  • 735 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 9 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 5 buildings, 3 districts and 1 structure.
  • 1 of them is a covered bridge.
  • 1 of the 9 listings was added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 45 populated places in this county; 45 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

9

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
Hardy-Baumgaertner Housebuilding2019100004718
Huffman Mill Covered Bridgestructure199898000299
Col. William Jones Housebuilding197575000050
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorialdistrict196666000012
Lincoln Pioneer Villagedistrict199898000305
Rockport Historic Districtdistrict2019100004359
Mathias Sharp Housebuilding198383000148
Spencer County Courthousebuilding199999000304
St. Boniface Churchbuilding198080000065

Covered bridges

1

Spencer County has 1 covered bridge on the National Register. Each is a listed structure with a federal nomination on file.

Huffman Mill Covered BridgeListed 1998

Wildfire, 2001 to 2018

3 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 3 of them, burning about 96 acres. 1 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
Natural1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
6 April 2001Debris and open burning95 acresHoosier National ForestNEWTONVILLE
17 July 2002Debris and open burning1.0 acresIndiana State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
13 April 2018Naturalunder an acreLincoln Boyhood National MemorialDRACH

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

Storms, 1955 to 2025

60 of 335 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 335 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 3 injuries and about $4,015,250 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind154
Hail75
Flash Flood32
Flood30
Heavy Rain19
Tornado18
Funnel Cloud6
Lightning1

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 1985Thunderstorm Windnot stated2 hurtno account filed
February 2007LightningNewtonville1 hurt, $5,000A stray bolt of lightning from an isolated storm entered a house through the telephone line. A 64-year-old man was knocked across his living room. Almost every window was shattered. The television set exploded. The man received a concussion and a damaged eardrum.
May 2004Flash FloodDale$1,100,000no account filed
March 2008FloodRichland$250,000Three young boys were rescued unhurt when their boat capsized in Anderson River backwaters just southeast of New Boston. Several stranded motorists were rescued. At least one family was rescued from a flooded home in St. Meinrad. A home near the Anderson River was sandbagged. Schools were closed. Numerous roads were closed, including roads that don't normally flood. Major roads that were closed included portions of U.S. Highway 231, Indiana 62, and Indiana 161. Some damage occurred to county roads. Some water entered the Spencer County courthouse and other structures around the county. Residents of a house on Indiana 66 could access their house only by boat.
March 2018FloodPueblo$200,000Moderate flooding continued along the Ohio River from late February. The flood crest in neighboring Warrick County was the highest since the March, 1997 flood. Numerous roads were closed for days at a time, including at least 50 county roads. U.S. Route 231 north of Rockport was affected by high water, along with a few other state highways. The town of Grandview in Spencer County was hardest hit, where some residents evacuated.
April 1996Thunderstorm WindDale$200,000no account filed
July 2018Thunderstorm WindHatfield$100,000A damaging downburst crossed into Spencer County from southeast Warrick County. Hundreds of trees, some very large, were uprooted, snapped, or had large broken limbs. A half dozen homes or garages sustained mostly minor damage, with loss of siding, shingles, or other damage. One barn was destroyed east of Hatfield due to fallen trees. A tree fell on a mobile home. Peak winds in this downburst were estimated near 95 mph. The damage area was about eight miles long and two miles wide, and nearly all of it occurred in Spencer County.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindEureka$100,000A heat burst occurred in the wake of a line of thunderstorms. About two miles east of Hatfield on Route 66, a large fertilizer auger leg was blown down off a fertilizer storage building. The building sustained minor structural damage to a section of the roof, as well as some limited loss of shingles. Five empty fertilizer wagons were blown up to 100 feet. Several tree limbs were blown down. Peak winds were estimated near 90 mph. The damage area was only about one-quarter mile long and one-quarter mile wide. A heat burst is defined as a localized, sudden increase in surface temperature associated with a thunderstorm, shower, or mesoscale convective system. This heat burst occurred approximately an hour or less following an intense area of thunderstorms that moved through the area. Two witnesses outside during the heat burst experienced temperatures which they believed to be around 100 degrees. The extreme temperatures were said to have only lasted seconds before quickly falling. Heat bursts almost invariably form on the trailing edge of thunderstorm systems. Heat bursts are extremely rare, and this one was especially rare because most heat bursts occur at night. About three miles southeast of Eureka, a trained spotter observed debris in the air above a bending tree line to the south. The wind was accompanied by a roaring sound. This was likely the same heat burst or closely associated with the one near Hatfield.
January 2008Thunderstorm WindRockport$100,000Countywide, trees and power lines were down. Minor structural damage occurred, with damage to roofs and outbuildings.
February 2018FloodPueblo$80,000Moderate flooding occurred along the Ohio River. The flood crest in neighboring Warrick County was the highest since the March, 1997 flood. Numerous roads were closed for days at a time, including at least 50 county roads. U.S. Route 231 north of Rockport was affected by high water, along with a few other state highways. The town of Grandview in Spencer County was hardest hit, where some residents evacuated.
November 2017Tornado (EF1)Lake Mill$70,000The tornado touched down about one-half mile north of Indiana Route 66, on the north side of Reo. The tornado lifted about 2.5 miles northeast of Reo. A dozen trees were uprooted or snapped. A detached garage was blown down. Around a half dozen barns and sheds experienced loss of metal roofing. At least a half dozen homes sustained shingle or fascia damage. Maximum winds were estimated near 90 mph.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindGrandview$70,000A two-mile wide swath of damaging winds occurred in extreme southeast Spencer County. There was evidence of embedded areas of brief rotation or gustnadoes, where wind speeds increased to around 80 mph, snapping large limbs and uprooting trees. A gustnado is a ground-based rotating column of air that is not rooted in the storm cloud. In Grandview, wind damage was mostly to trees and power lines. Some roof damage occurred. A fire station door was damaged. The damage path continued into Perry County.
June 2018Flash FloodChrisney$60,000Multiple vehicle water rescues were conducted. Numerous roads were covered by water, including Highway 70, Highway 62 near 75W, County Road 1400N, and County Road 1600N just east of Santa Claus. Some flooded roads were closed through the morning hours. Radar rainfall estimates were from 3 to 4.5 inches across much of Spencer County.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindHatfield$60,000A roof was blown off near Hatfield. Significant damage was reported to a house between Chrisney and Hatfield. The occupants were trapped but not injured. A water rescue team was called to the house due to three to four feet of water surrounding it. State Route 161 was blocked by downed trees.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindDale$60,000A utility pole was broken. Road signs were blown away at the intersection of Highway 62 and U.S. Highway 231. A temporary mobile cable transmission tower was blown over.
June 2011Tornado (EF1)St Meinrad$60,000The tornado touched down on the southern end of the St. Meinrad Seminary grounds, destroying a cinder block outbuilding and taking 100 feet of roofing off a large metal outbuilding. The tornado also uprooted numerous trees and ripped sections of roofing off several other buildings before moving off to the east-northeast. Peak winds were estimated between 95 and 100 mph. The tornado continued into Perry County.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindCountywide$60,000no account filed
March 2023Tornado (EF1)Dale$50,000An EF-1 tornado began just northeast of the community of Dale, IN, in northern Spencer County. Near the intersection of Spencer County Roads 2100 North and 500 East, a large barn had about half of its roof removed. A nearby house had its west facing windows blown in, suffered shingle and fascia damage, and an adjacent TV antenna was bent at its base parallel to the ground. Crossing Interstate 64, the tornado overturned a semitrailer about one mile east of the interchange with US 231. Along the Spencer-Dubois County line, several large trees were snapped at the base or uprooted. Additionally, a couple of homes received minor roof and fascia damage. Peak winds were estimated near 95 mph. The tornado continued moving into Dubois County.
December 2018Tornado (EF1)Mariah Hill$50,000At least three homes sustained minor damage. The damage was mostly to roofs and fascia. One garage door and a window were blown in. A detached garage was destroyed, with the debris thrown at least 300 yards. An outdoor storage shed was pushed several feet off its foundation. Minor roof damage occurred to at least three metal farm buildings. At least two dozen trees and limbs were snapped or uprooted. Peak winds were estimated near 105 mph.
April 2015Thunderstorm WindNew Boston$50,000Trees were down on a house.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindRockport$50,000Trees and power lines were blown down in Rockport. Roofs were damaged in Grandview, and fire station doors were damaged.
May 1996Tornado (F1)Dale$50,000no account filed
November 1993Thunderstorm WindDale$50,000no account filed
October 2021Tornado (EF1)Gentryville$45,000Where the initial damage was observed, several trees were snapped on County Road 1250N at a railroad crossing about a mile west of Highway 231. The tornado tracked about a mile northeast and impacted a residence on County Road 275E. At this residence, a large barn was pushed back about 20 feet off its foundation. At the property next to this barn, a large tree was snapped at its base and fell onto the house. The corn field next to this house had some swirls in the flattened corn. Peak winds were estimated near 90 mph.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindRichland$40,000Trees were blown down in and near Richland. Two miles west of Rockport along State Route 66, there was roof and siding damage to homes, and a large playhouse was turned on its side.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindDale$40,000The roof was blown off a home, and its walls were damaged. A barn was destroyed. The damage area was 150 feet by 200 feet. The damage was located about one quarter mile south of the Interstate 64 junction with U.S. 231.
February 1999Thunderstorm WindRichland$40,000Two barns were destroyed, one in Richland City and the other 3 miles northeast of Richland City. A grain auger was destroyed, and there was sign damage at a co-op in town. A small block building was blown apart. The roof was blown 50 to 75 feet away. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. All debris was blown in a northeast direction.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindDale$40,000Numerous trees and tree limbs were downed across northern Spencer County. Homes and buildings were damaged by toppled tree limbs near Dale and Santa Claus. A roof was torn off a home near St. Meinrad.
March 2023Thunderstorm WindRockport$35,000Trees were blown down in Rockport. Three power poles were down along with trees down on Highway 161 just north of Owensboro.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindGrandview$35,000Semis were blown over on U.S. Highway 231 in Rockport. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in Grandview.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindPigeon$30,000A horse barn was destroyed just inside the Spencer County line east of Tennyson.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindRichland$30,000An emergency manager reported a microburst north of the community of Reo. The damage path was about a mile and a half long. The damage started at the intersection of County Roads 450W and 400N. Many trees and five power poles were snapped. A peach crop was destroyed.
February 2014Thunderstorm WindSanta Claus$30,000A fence and an outdoor building were blown over. Several trees and power lines were down.
May 2011FloodAfrica$30,000no account filed
June 2024Thunderstorm WindSanta Claus Muni Arp$25,000A localized enhanced thunderstorm downburst resulted in a barn roof being blown off and several trees downed near E County Rd 1200 N.
April 2024Thunderstorm WindChrisney$25,000A storm line moving eastward across the county snapped utility poles in Chrisney.
April 2023Tornado (EF0)Centerville$25,000An EF-0 tornado impacted portions of rural Spencer County southwest of Chrisney. The primary damage caused by the tornado was downing several large tree limbs, as well as snapping or uprooting a few trees. The tornado knocked down the walls of a barn near the intersection of County Road 700 North and Old US Highway 231. Peak winds were estimated near 85 mph.
March 2022Thunderstorm WindChrisney$25,000Three utility poles were snapped near County Road 900 North.
May 2014Thunderstorm WindBuffaloville$25,000Very high straight-line winds estimated near 95 mph carved a west to east corridor of damage through northern Spencer County. This corridor passed through the Santa Claus area. The affected area was very rural. Metal roofing was peeled off a portion of a large barn. Numerous large trees were uprooted and snapped.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindNew Boston$25,000Near New Boston, a barn was destroyed, and trees were down.
May 1982Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 2023Thunderstorm WindDale$20,000Shingles were blown off a home. A tree was down on a truck.
September 2018Flash FloodDale$20,000State Highway 66 was flooded west of Rockport. Water was over Highway 245 south of Santa Claus. Numerous county roads were flooded across the county. High water was over County Road 1600N near Santa Claus. Several water rescues were conducted due to stranded vehicles.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindChrisney$20,000Numerous trees were down across northwestern parts of the county. Interstate 64 was blocked for a time.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindGrandview$20,000A wind gust to 62 mph was measured in Rockport. Trees and power lines were blown down in Grandview and Rockport.
March 2008FloodRockport$20,000Minor flooding of the Ohio River occurred. At the Owensboro, KY gage, the river crested at 43.3 feet on March 23. Flood stage there is 40 feet. Floodwaters entered the basements of houses along the river's edge below the Rockport bluff. Water covered the parking lot and park road in Grandview. Low-lying fields near the river were flooded.
April 1996Flash FloodRockport$20,000no account filed
July 2019Thunderstorm WindDale$15,000Minor structural damage occurred to farm outbuildings.
January 2013Thunderstorm WindRockport$15,000A concrete garage was destroyed.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindDale$15,000A thunderstorm microburst, containing winds estimated near 90 MPH, destroyed a two-story barn just off Highway 245 between Dale and Santa Claus. Three cattle were killed and 11 others injured. About five miles to the northwest, another barn was reportedly destroyed.
May 1999Thunderstorm WindCountywide$15,000A utility company reported trees and power lines down at locations scattered around the county. Steel siding was blown off a building at Rockport.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindCountywide$15,000Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the county.
July 2025Flash FloodRockport$10,000Significant flash flooding occurred in Rockport due to hourly rainfall totals reaching radar estimated amounts of 2-2.5 in and around Rockport. The report was relayed on social media.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindGrandview$10,000In Rockport, a garage roof was damaged by a tree falling onto it. Multiple trees were down in the Grandview area.
August 2022Flash FloodSanta Claus$10,000Several inches of water flowed through a campground in Santa Claus. Roads were flooded in the northern part of the county, including County Road 1600 North near Santa Claus and Monte Casino Road north of St. Meinrad.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindRockport$10,000Trees and power lines were down.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindSanta Claus$10,000Tree damage was reported between Santa Claus and Dale.
December 2018Thunderstorm WindMariah Hill$10,000A small number of shingles were blown off a well-constructed house. A few farm outbuildings suffered varying degrees of roof damage, mainly sheets of tin blown off. Several trees were uprooted. This wind damage occurred just prior to the start of a tornado path. The beginning of the tornado path was only 500 yards from the closest damage from this downburst.
November 2017Thunderstorm WindRockport$10,000A tractor-trailer rig was blown over on U.S. Highway 231.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindNewtonville$10,000Several trees were blown down on Highway 70 east of Newtonville. At least one tree was down near Grandview. Power outages were reported in the area.

Mines and quarries

2 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 2 workings inside this county. All of them still produce. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction1
Stone1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Rockport PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Spencer Co. Hwy. Dept.StoneProducer

Every populated place in the county

45

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.

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.