Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
“The Arkansas City Commercial Historic District is a 21 acres (8.5 ha) historic district at Summit St. and 5th Ave. in Arkansas City, Kansas which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.”
Wikipedia article Arkansas City Commercial Historic District, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 26 National Register listings published here for Cowley County · listed in 1983 · category: District.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 181 fires within 5 miles of Arkansas City Commercial Historic District between 2009 and 2020, burning about 7,217 acres in total. None started naturally. 13 were 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 | 75 |
| Debris and open burning | 61 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 13 |
| Smoking | 12 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 8 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 8 |
| Other causes | 2 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 September 2015 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 1580 |
| 3 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 1562 |
| 24 September 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Cowley County | 1817 |
| 17 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 1655 |
| 12 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 1625 |
| 5 August 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 acres | Cowley County | 1507 |
| 31 August 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 1821 |
| 3 August 2017 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Cowley County | 1494 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Arkansas City Commercial Historic District: 2 producers, 1 past producer. 2 still produce. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Limestone Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Haynes Sand & Gravel Pit & Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Mcfarland Sand & Gravel Pit & Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Arkansas City, the town this property stands in, in 319 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 166 hail, 118 thunderstorm wind, 10 tornado, 10 flash flood. The reports record 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | 2 hurt, $3,000 | A fireworks tent was blown over on the state line south of Arkansas City, injuring two tent workers (direct). |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $1,500,000 | Straight line winds produced widespread damage across the Arkansas City area. The strong winds downed numerous trees and power lines/poles, inflicted roof damage to several homes and businesses, and blew over a few semi trailers. Several grave stones at the local cemetary were damaged, and 69 power poles and 24 transformers were damaged or destroyed across the Arkansas City area.| |
| April 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $1,500,000 | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Tornado (EF1) | Arkansas City | $200,000 | The tornado caused damage to a storage shed and peeled back several roofs. One roof that was peeled back was to a bait shop, one wall was also partially collapsed. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $175,000 | A short duration Microburst produced the following damage. A roof was blown off of the teen center. Numerous power lines were downed. About 500 customers without power. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $125,000 | Twenty five power poles were snapped. |
| August 2011 | Lightning | Arkansas City | $50,000 | Lightning struck a shed in northwest Arkansas City during the predawn hours on the 10th. Fire from the burning shed spread to an adjacent home, catching that residence on fire. In addition to the shed, the east side of the house was a total loss, including a back room and the kitchen. While the rest of the house was saved, including the living room, dining room and bedrooms, there was extensive damage throughout the building. Most of the belongings were salvageable. No one was injured in this incident. Property damage amounts are rough estimates. The Arkansas City Traveler was the sole contributor to this report. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $50,000 | Numerous trees and several power poles were downed due to the high winds. |
| June 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Arkansas City | $50,000 | One farmstead hit. The home was partially unroofed with unspecified damage to a barn. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Arkansas City | $35,000 | Cowley County Emergency Management reported a water rescue near Cowley County State Lake along Highway 166. Emergency crews rescued two individuals who became trapped in a camper on the east side of the lake. The rising water went into the windows of the camper. |
| April 1999 | Lightning | Arkansas City | $30,000 | Lightning struck a home, setting it ablaze. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $25,000 | A severe thunderstorm destroyed a large hay shed and damaged another. Several limbs were downed, along with a window blown out of a farmhouse. The damage was fairly isolated. Information courtesy of the Arkansas City Traveler. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $25,000 | Barn blown down. |
| July 2004 | Lightning | Arkansas City | $25,000 | House sustained major, but unspecified damage to upstairs attic. Fire crews fought the blaze for 2 hours. (Narrative courtesy of Arkansas City Traveler.) |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $25,000 | KSN Weatherlab. Area newspapers also report that one house and a truck parked along side it sustained damage when a tree fell onto both. |
| July 2006 | Flash Flood | Arkansas City | $20,000 | Several underpasses reported flooded with at least 2 cars stalled out in the high water. The KSN WeatherLab site at Arkansas City Middle School reported 5.23 inches of rain. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $15,000 | Tree limbs down and traffic lights damaged. |
| May 2010 | Tornado (EF1) | Arkansas City | $15,000 | The tornado primarily caused damage to trees in the area, but also damaged 3 outbuildings at a farmstead. The primary residence at the farm was left untouched. One roof of a mobile home sustained minor damage as well. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $15,000 | CESSNA 150 OVERTURNED AT STROTHER FIELD. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $10,000 | Numerous tree limbs were knocked down across town. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Arkansas City | $10,000 | Window damage was reported in the Geuda Springs area. |
| March 2009 | Tornado (EF0) | Arkansas City | $10,000 | Tree damage was noted along the Arkansas River. |
| April 2008 | Lightning | Arkansas City | $10,000 | Strong to severe thunderstorms affected south-central Kansas during the evening hours of April 23rd. Lightning struck an electrical line leading to an Arkansas City home, setting a computer area in an upstairs room ablaze. The blaze was contained to the one room. Information courtesy of the Arkansas City Traveler. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $9,000 | Westar Energy reported 9 large power poles down between 151st and 131st Roads on 252nd Road just northwest of Arkansas City. Northern parts of Arkansas City were still without power. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $7,500 | A large tree was uprooted and fell onto a power line just east of E Street. The time of occurrence was estimated from radar. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $7,500 | A semi truck was blown off of the road, but was still upright along Highway 77 one mile north of the Kansas Oklahoma border. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Arkansas City | $7,000 | The emergency manager reported a few underpasses were impassible because of high water. One police car was also flooded out. Rainfall amounts ranged from 2.6 to 2.75 inches. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $7,000 | Some tree damage occurred in and around Arkansas City. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $5,000 | Numerous large trees were uprooted around town. A traffic light was also blown from its support on the town's north side. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $5,000 | A large tree was uprooted and landed on a radio line east of C Street. The time is estimated based on radar. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $5,000 | Winds measured at 60 mph inflicted some minor damage across Arkansas City. A power pole was downed just west of downtown, and a large tree was downed just east of downtown. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $5,000 | Numerous 2 to 3 inch diameter tree limbs were blown down throughout the city. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Arkansas City | $5,000 | Water, 18 inches deep, was reported over 8th Street south of Chestnut Avenue. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $5,000 | A 30-40 year old cottonwood tree was uprooted and fell onto a small garage. In addition, numerous other trees were uprooted and fell onto power lines severing power to approximately 700 residences. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $5,000 | Arkansas City Police Dept. reported that a large tree had been blown across the road. |
| May 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $1,000 | Six inch diameter tree branches were reported down. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $1,000 | Cowley County Emergency Management estimated 60 mph winds in Arkansas City. A handful of trees and tree limbs were downed by the winds. The Arkansas City Traveler contributed to this report. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $1,000 | Several 2 to 3 inch diameter tree limbs were downed. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $1,000 | Several large tree limbs were downed. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $500 | A storm spotter reported some small tree limbs down south of Arkansas City. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | $500 | The winds downed trees and limbs. Three-quarter inch hail also fell. |
| February 1993 | Hail | Arkansas City | $500 | no account filed |
| October 2018 | Flood | Arkansas City | $100 | Some minor street flooding was reported in Arkansas City. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | Several reports of trees and power lines down. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | Numerous large trees down, several power poles broken off and lines down across the city. |
| July 2025 | Hail | Arkansas City | - | A KAKE storm spotter reported a few quarter sized hail stones in south part of Arkansas City. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | A 2-foot diameter tree limb fell and took down powerlines and a power pole. |
| June 2025 | Hail | Arkansas City | - | A picture of a measured 3.81 inch hailstone was sent in. Amateur radio reported baseball sized hail as well. There was damage to vehicles, homes and businesses across Arkansas City. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | Emergency manager estimated 60 mph winds. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | Wind gusts were estimated to be around 60 mph. |
| March 2024 | Hail | Arkansas City | - | Nickel sized hail was reported in Arkansas City. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Arkansas City | - | Nickle sized hail fell in Arkansas City. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | A measured gust of 58 mph winds was reported by emergency management. Trees and powerlines were later relayed as down in Arkansas City as well. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | Trees and powerlines were knocked down. |
| October 2024 | Hail | Arkansas City | - | Emergency manager and trained spotters reported quarter sized hail. A picture of the hail was sent. |
| October 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | A trained spotter relayed to emergency management that there were 60 mph winds and blowing debris at United States Highway 166 and 11th Road. |
| September 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | Multiple power poles were knocked down along 252nd Road between 11th and 31st Streets. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arkansas City | - | Two food diameter tree blown down. |
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.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Old Arkansas City High School | 0.1 miles | 1974 |
 | Pilgrim Congregational Church | 0.2 miles | 2005 |
| Spring Creek Stone Arch Bridge | 3.6 miles | 2023 | |
| Strother Field Tetrahedron Wind Indicator | 7.5 miles | 2015 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 83003599 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Cowley County | All 26 listed properties in this county. |
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