BlockFrom the record
5 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Wells County, Indiana
33 topographic sheets cover 31 settlements here, and 5 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 314 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 5 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 3 buildings and 2 districts.
- 2 of the 5 listings were added during the 1970s.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 31 populated places in this county; 31 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
5Every 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church | building | 1984 | 84001747 |
| Bluffton Commercial Historic District | district | 2020 | 100004049 | |
 | Stewart-Studebaker House | building | 1979 | 79000027 |
 | Villa North Historic District | district | 1985 | 85001192 |
 | Wells County Courthouse | building | 1979 | 79000028 |
Wildfire, 2002 to 2004
11 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 11 of them, burning about 22 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 | 4 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 April 2003 | Debris and open burning | 10 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 14 April 2003 | Recreation and ceremony | 3.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 30 October 2004 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 16 October 2002 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 15 April 2003 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 3 July 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 22 July 2002 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 3 July 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Indiana State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1955 to 2026
60 of 243 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 243 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 44 injuries and about $29,735,952 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 132 |
| Hail | 78 |
| Tornado | 17 |
| Flash Flood | 10 |
| Lightning | 5 |
| Flood | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1965 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | 1 killed, 38 hurt, $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| December 1967 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 2 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2019 | Tornado (EF3) | Mc Natts | 2 hurt | The same supercell that produced a tornado in Grant |County moved east and underwent several storm mergers as it moved |over eastern Grant County. The merger caused the thunderstorm to |shift southeastwards with time before mirroring the Blackford and |Wells County lines. This thunderstorm produced a tornado with |multiple vortices, and had a width of approximately 1200 yards at |its widest. This tornado tracked from north of Roll, IN to north of |Montpelier, IN to near Nottingham, IN. The tornado lifted just east |of Highway 1. There were two significant injuries reported at a |dairy farm where EF-3 damage occurred. EF-3 damage was observed in two locations. The first was at a dairy |farm on county road 700 West north of the county line. A well built |structure sustained major damage consistent with winds of 165 mph. |Numerous other buildings at this location sustained significant |damage and several cows also died. Further east, about 1 mile east |of county road 500 west, a large power transmission tower was |toppled in the middle of a field. Winds were estimated at 140 mph at |this location. Numerous other buildings sustained EF-0 to EF-1 |damage and some EF-2 damage was also observed. Many trees were |topped or uprooted all along the path of this tornado. |
| June 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 2 hurt | no account filed |
| April 1974 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Lightning | Bluffton | $250,000 | Lightning struck the corner of the Farm Credit Services office in Bluffton. Employees reported a loud boom, but nothing was apparent immediately. An off duty Bluffton fire fighter in the area noticed smoke from the building and began evacuations of the building and call for personnel. The fire quickly got into the attic and the building was a total loss with damage estimates of at least $250,000. |
| July 1998 | Flash Flood | Bluffton | $250,000 | MANY ROADS AND BASEMENTS WERE FLOODED IN BLUFFTON AND WELLS AS 6 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN LESS THEN 5 HOURS. |
| March 1982 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| November 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $150,000 | Numerous reports of damage to buildings, trees, tree limbs, power lines and poles were received across the county. A pole barn was flattened south of Bluffton, as well as a tree being blown down onto a semi travelling on US 224. An air conditioner unit was blown off the top of the Ossian Elementary School, striking a building. A county sheriff's car was damaged while enroute to a alarm call during the storm. The officer's car struck a large tree that fell onto the road. A wind gust of 63 mph was recorded at the Bluffton police department. Surveys from local emergency and NWS officials found evidence of the formation of gustnadoes where concentrated areas of damage were observed. |
| June 1998 | Tornado (F1) | Poneto | $150,000 | THIS WAS ONE OF SEVERAL TORNADOES PRODUCED FROM THE SAME SUPERCELL THAT DEVELOPED ACROSS HOWARD COUNTY. THIS BRIEF SPINUP CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ALL OUTBUILDINGS ON ONE FARM, 2 FARM HOMES SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, 5 OTHER HOMES SUFFERED MINOR TO MODERATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Uniondale | $120,000 | Straight line winds damaged an empty 50,000 bushel steel galvanized grain bin and a smaller grain bin had a few of its legs twisted 1 mile northeast of Markle. Damage was estimated around $100,000. The storm continued on to the northeast, destroying a 40 foot by 60 foot 2 year old pole barn valued at roughly $20,000. Parts of the pole barn were found a half mile away. Some minor roof damage also occurred to an adjacent house. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poneto | $100,000 | A barn was destroyed, which contained three horses. Two of the horses were rescued, with the third being killed from the weight of the barn. Debris was pushed to the adjacent rail road tracks to the east. |
| March 2026 | Tornado (EF0) | Vera Cruz | $50,000 | A weak circulation touched down in an open field southwest of the|intersection of CR S 600 E and E 350 S. The tornado moved|northeast causing damage to a pole barn which lost its roof as|well as had leaning walls. Debris impacted an adjacent pole barn|with the pieces of metal being carried downstream into a yard|just to the east of the above noted intersection. The circulation|continued across mainly unplanted fields, but drone imagery|indicated a narrow area of very light scouring in the field and|inflow into the tornado. A tree fell onto SR 116 near E 300 S,|which a car ran into to. It then continued northeast before|lifting near the county line at S 700 W-1. A small garage was|shifted off its foundation as the garage door was impacted by the|winds as it dissipated. |
| July 2003 | Tornado (F1) | Liberty Center | $50,000 | This tornado originated in Huntington county southeast of Plum Tree and crossed into Wells county 3 miles northwest of Liberty center and lifted 3 miles south of Liberty Center. F1 damage was to a home...as well as trees and power poles snapped. |
| July 1994 | Hail | Poneto | $50,000 | A tornado touched down at State Route 218, just west of County Road 300 West. The tornado touched down several times over a one-half mile path, creating minor damage estimated at $5000. Twelve trees were damaged with large limbs blown down, a mobile home was damaged when a tree fell on it, and minor damage was done to a home. Some crop damage was noted in a corn field. The tornado moved east-northeast and lifted at County Road 300 West and State Route 218. |
| July 1994 | Tornado (F0) | Poneto | $50,000 | A tornado touched down at State Route 218, just west of County Road 300 West. The tornado touched down several times over a one-half mile path, creating minor damage estimated at $5000. Twelve trees were damaged with large limbs blown down, a mobile home was damaged when a tree fell on it, and minor damage was done to a home. Some crop damage was noted in a corn field. The tornado moved east-northeast and lifted at County Road 300 West and State Route 218. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Reiffsburg | $40,000 | Two-inch hailstones near SR 218 and SR 1 damaged siding and windows of several homes. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Keystone | $40,000 | Photo on Facebook of 2.5 inch hail. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Poneto | $40,000 | Photo on Facebook of 2.5 inch hail. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Keystone | $40,000 | A barn or shed structure was destroyed and a camper trailer was tipped onto its side. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $40,000 | A large tree was down onto a mobile home. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Vera Cruz | $40,000 | Metal roofing was partially peeled off an outbuilding. An empty 35k Gallon Fertilizer Tank was tipped over on its side. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $40,000 | A new house, which had undergone two months of construction, was destroyed. |
| May 2006 | Lightning | Bluffton | $35,000 | Several electronic controls and devices were damaged or destroyed as a result of a lightning strike to a communications tower connected to the county jail. A lightning protection system, which had been recently installed, showed that as many as 3 lightning strikes may have occurred. Damage amounts are estimated based off information in a newspaper article. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poneto | $30,000 | Structural damage occurred to a barn. Powerlines and trees downed as well. |
| August 2005 | Lightning | Murray | $30,000 | Lightning struck a house northwest of Murray. Residents initially reported little more than a brief loss of power. Shortly thereafter, smoke was detected and all residents evacuated with fire breaking out in the upper part of the two and a half story building. Resulting damage to the structure and its contents were estimated at around $30,000. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Keystone | $28,000 | A trained spotter reports that a barn roof was blown off, a part of a house roof was blown off. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Reiffsburg | $27,000 | Likely due to a wet microburst, the side of a barn was blown in, several large diameter trees were damaged. Some trees up to 48 inches diameter. Roofing material was peeled off as well. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $25,000 | Numerous reports of trees and power lines down across the county. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ossian | $25,000 | A large tree was blown down onto power lines as well as a house. |
| July 2001 | Lightning | Uniondale | $25,000 | Fire caused by lightning strike gutted 2nd story of wood frame house. |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $25,000 | NUMEROUS TREES...POWER LINES AND POWER POLES WERE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY. |
| March 1961 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $20,000 | Part of a roof blown off of a commercial building and many power lines down. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $15,000 | Numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines down. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tocsin | $10,000 | County officials reported trees and power lines down in the area. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mc Natts | $10,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Uniondale | $10,000 | Numerous trees and power lines down in and around Uniondale and Markle. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $10,000 | Power lines and several tree branches were reported down in the city of Bluffton. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ossian | $10,000 | SEVERAL LARGE TREES WERE TOPPLED IN TOWN. |
| December 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $10,000 | MANY TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kingsland | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Wells County | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Uniondale | $8,000 | Shingles were removed from an old barn as a result of the 61 mph wind gust. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Poneto | $7,000 | Law enforcement reported a grain silo down and a roof blown off a home northwest of Poneto. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Keystone | $6,000 | A trained spotter reports that tree limbs and power lines are down. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $5,000 | A number of trees were downed along route 124. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $5,000 | A large tree limb was reported down on Marion Street, just north of Central Avenue. The limb fell onto a power line, knocking out power to the area. |
| November 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Petroleum | $5,000 | This tornado touched down briefly in Wells county just east of Petroleum. An NWS areal survey found F0 damage occurred along a 1 mile path about 100 yards wide mainly to trees. Two small outbuildings were also damaged. |
| August 2005 | Lightning | Bluffton | $4,000 | A generator at the county jail was struck by lightning, damaging it beyond repair. Cost to replace was around $4,000. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Mt Zion | $4,000 | no account filed |
| March 2024 | Hail | Poneto | $4,000 | no account filed |
| July 1986 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 1956 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| October 1955 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $2,000 | Public reported a few trees downed. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Poneto | $1,500 | no account filed |
| March 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bluffton | $1,200 | A power pole was damaged on state route 1 in Bluffton. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Kingsland | $1,000 | Emergency manager reports golf ball size hail north of Bluffton. |
| February 2023 | Hail | Bluffton | $1,000 | Nickle size hail reported. |
Mines and quarries
3 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 3 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 1 is closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Zinc | 1 |
| Sulfur | 1 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 1 |
| Stone | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie Stone Company-Bluffton | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Sphalerite Occurrence Z75 | Zinc, Sulfur | Occurrence | Sphalerite | |
| Wells Co. Hwy. Dept | Stone | Producer |
Every populated place in the county
31Named 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.
-
North Oaks
Lancaster township · 46714 · On Halls Creek · Uniondale quadrangle
10 sheets, 1953 to 1986
-
Petroleum
Nottingham township · 46778 · On Bills Creek · Petroleum quadrangle
9 sheets, 1953 to 1986
-
Toll Gate Heights
Lancaster township · 46714 · On Johns Creek · Uniondale quadrangle
10 sheets, 1953 to 1986
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.