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Butler County, Kentucky

57 topographic sheets and 2 fire insurance atlases across 1 place.

Research this county

From the record

7 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Kentucky within the United States
Butler County within Kentucky

What the record shows

  • 1 place in this county was surveyed for fire insurance: Morgantown, between 1927 and 1940.
  • 2 fire insurance atlases survive for the county. Topographic coverage is national; fire insurance survey reached only incorporated places with something worth insuring.
  • 850 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 7 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 5 buildings, 1 district and 1 object.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 70 populated places in this county; 70 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

7

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
Carson's Landingbuilding199898000935
John Carson Housebuilding199191000922
Carson-Annis Ferry Farmdistrict200707000286
Confederate-Union Veterans' Monument in Morgantownobject199797000713
Finney Hotelbuilding199595001349
Ice House on Little Muddy Creekbuilding198787000171
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Superintendent's House and Workmen's Officebuilding198080001489

The county from the air

22 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 920 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 22 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-03-26, scale 1:20000
1951-03-26, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-03-26, scale 1:20000
1951-03-26, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-03-26, scale 1:20000
1951-03-26, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1951-03-26, scale 1:20000
1951-03-26, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-03-19, scale 1:23600
1953-03-19, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-03-19, scale 1:23600
1953-03-19, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-03-19, scale 1:23600
1953-03-19, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-03-19, scale 1:23600
1953-03-19, scale 1:23600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-02-12, scale 1:18000
1954-02-12, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-02-12, scale 1:18000
1954-02-12, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-02-12, scale 1:18000
1954-02-12, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-02-12, scale 1:18000
1954-02-12, scale 1:18000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1958-05-15, scale 1:24000
1958-05-15, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1962-03-18, scale 1:24000
1962-03-18, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-04-13, scale 1:24000
1970-04-13, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-04-13, scale 1:24000
1970-04-13, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-04-13, scale 1:24000
1970-04-13, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-04-13, scale 1:24000
1970-04-13, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-11-29, scale 1:24000
1972-11-29, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-11-29, scale 1:24000
1972-11-29, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-11-29, scale 1:24000
1972-11-29, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1972-11-29, scale 1:24000
1972-11-29, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

4 stations, 2 gages

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

20 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 16-1Magisterial District 1: Morgantown town
  • 16-2Magisterial District 1: Woodbury town
  • 16-3Magisterial District 1 - That part northeast of Morgantown - Munford Rd. and east of State Hwys. 71/105 and 71, outside Morgantown and Woodbury towns
  • 16-4Magisterial District 1 - That part northeast of State Hwy. 403, and west of Morgantown - Munford Rd., outside Morgantown town
  • 16-5Magisterial District 1, That part south of State Hwy. 403, and west of State Hwy. 70
  • 16-6Magisterial District 1 - That part south of State Hwy. 403, west of State Hwy. 71/105 and 71 and east of State Hwy. 70, outside Morgentown town
  • 16-7Magisterial District 2: Magisterial District 2 - That part east of State Hwy. 105
  • 16-8Magisterial District 2 - That part west of State Hwy. 105
  • 16-9Magisterial District 3: Rochester town
  • 16-10Magisterial District 3 - That part north of Rochester - Mining City Rd. via Provo, outside Rochester town
  • 16-11Magisterial District 3 - That part south of Rochester - Mining City Rd. and northeast of State Hwy. 70 from Rochester to Townsville Rd. and northeast of Townsville Rd. via Pleasant Hill and Oak Grove Schools, outside Rochester town
  • 16-12Magisterial District 3 - That part southwest of State Hwy. 70 from Rochester to Townsville Rd. and southwest of Townsville Rd. to east district line, via Pleasant Hill and Oak Grove Schools outside Rochester town
  • 16-13Magisterial District 4: Magisterial District 4 - That part east of Jetson - Ready Rd., via Lee and Decker and north of State Hwy. 70
  • 16-14Magisterial District 4 - That part west of Jetson - Ready Rd. via Lee and Decker and north of State Hwy. 70
  • 16-15Magisterial District 4 - That part south of State Hwy. 70 and west of Little Reedy Creek
  • 16-16Magisterial District 4 - That part south of State Hwy. 70 and east of Little Reedy Creek
  • 16-17Magisterial District 5: Magisterial District 5 - That part southeast of State Hwy. 105 and northeast of Flint Springs - Jetson Rd. via Flener Chapel and State Hwy. 70
  • 16-18Magisterial District 5 - That part northwest of State Hwy. 105 and northeast of Flener Chapel - Renfrow Rd. via Dexterville and Banock
  • 16-19Magisterial District 5 - That part southwest of Flener Chapel - Renfrow Rd. via Dexterville and northeast of Flint Springs - Flener Chapel Rd. via Gilstrap, Possum Hollow School to Flener Chapel
  • 16-20Magisterial District 5 - That part southwest of Flint Springs - Jetson Rd. via Gilstrap, Possum Hollow School and Flener Chapel and southwest of State Hwy. 70

Wildfire, 1997 to 2018

86 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 86 of them, burning about 1,088 acres. None started naturally and 16 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined37
Arson/incendiarism16
Debris and open burning15
Recreation and ceremony7
Railroad operations and maintenance4
Misuse of fire by a minor3
Equipment and vehicle use3
Smoking1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
24 March 2001Debris and open burning100 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
9 March 2007Recreation and ceremony75 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
11 April 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined75 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
4 November 2008Debris and open burning65 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
20 November 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined52 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
15 March 2000Missing data/not specified/undetermined50 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
8 June 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined45 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
8 March 2001Arson/incendiarism45 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named

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

Storms, 1971 to 2026

60 of 296 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 296 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 1 injury and about $3,937,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind141
Flood68
Hail45
Flash Flood30
Tornado10
Funnel Cloud1
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 1971Tornado (F3)not stated1 killed, $2,500,000no account filed
November 2013Tornado (EF1)Huntsville1 hurt, $250,000An EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 105 mph first touched down just west of Huntsville, located in Butler County. Damage was first surveyed on Blaine Road where several trees were uprooted. While moving across Huntsville along Huntsville-Quality road, it damaged a few homes and uprooted additional trees. Along Silver City-Huntsville road, additional homes and outbuildings were damaged. A man was injured within a double wide mobile home when its roof and a wall were lifted from the structure. This injury occurred just west of the intersection of Panther Creek and Silver City-Huntsville Road. Finally, farther east along Muddy Creek Road, the tornado damaged several additional homes and trees before lifting 4 mile east of Huntsville.
April 1974Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
April 1972Tornado (F3)not stated$250,000no account filed
July 2020LightningSilver City$200,000A residence on Huntsville-Quality Road was struck by lightning and caught on fire.
May 2010FloodDavenport$100,000The Green River at Woodbury crested at 49.5 feet around 2 PM EST on May 5. Flood stage at Woodbury is 33 feet. Major flooding occurs at this level. Woodbury was nearly cut off, and parts of the town were flooded. U.S. Highway 231 near the William Natcher Parkway was flooded and Morgantown High School was cut off.
December 2015Flash FloodElfie$75,000The Butler County emergency manager reported heavy flooding at Oak Ridge Rd and Indian Camp Creek. Water rose over the bridge and roadway, washing out a portion of the road.
May 2010FloodRochester$75,000The Green River at Rochester Ferry crested at 28.6 feet around 6 AM EST on May 7. Flood stage at Rochester is 17 feet. Moderate flooding occurs at this level, with water in basements of some homes in Rochester. Sections of Kentucky Highway 70 and Highway 1117 were closed by high water.
March 2017Tornado (EF1)Pleasant Hill$50,000The National Weather Service in conjunction with WxorNot Bowling Green Meteorologist Landon Hampton determined a low end EF-1 tornado touched down in southwestern Butler County. The tornado touched down south of D&G archery in far western Butler County. The overwhelming majority of the damage was snapped, twisted & uprooted trees. The only exception was a building damaged right near the initial point where it touched down near a pond. The tornado was in an extremely rugged area except where it crossed Hwy 70. The tornado ended about 3/4 mile northeast of Hwy 70 in rugged countryside.
February 2018Thunderstorm WindQuality$25,000A barn was damaged and a large tree was uprooted along Huntsville-Quality Road.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindPleasant Hill$25,000The Butler County Emergency Manager reported structural damage to a boat dock on a pond. Also the severe thunderstorm winds resulted in large diameter trees snapped and uprooted along Highway 70 and Witaker Road.
November 2005Thunderstorm WindWoodbury$25,000Thunderstorms damaged the roof of two homes and a storage shed in Woodbury.
February 2018Tornado (EF1)Harper Xrds$20,000The National Weather Service conducted a storm damage survey in Butler County Kentucky. The survey was challenging due to closed roads due to high water and trees blocking some country roads. The damage began near Ewing Road where trees were snapped and twisted. This continued along Graveltown Road where more trees were twisted and snapped and couple were uprooted. Wind speeds averaged 90 mph with a width of 75 to 100 yards. ||The tornado reached its peak intensity on Highway 106 where it did significant damage to a large barn. Wind speeds increased to 95 mph with a width of 100 yards. The tornado crossed Highway 106 uprooting 2 trees and then lifted 200 yards past the highway.
November 2018Flash FloodGrancer$20,000It was reported that Boss Hog Road near Grancer Road was completely washed out.
May 2009Flash FloodMorgantown$20,000Water was running through the Tucks Apartments on Saw Mill Road.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindRegion$10,000The public relayed a photo of a large tree down onto a car due to severe thunderstorm winds.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindCountywide$10,000Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the county.
May 2016Thunderstorm WindCasey$5,000Trees and power lines were reported down in the northern part of Butler County.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindReedyville$5,000The Butler County emergency manager reported numerous large trees down, along with siding and fencing blown down.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindMorgantown$5,000Local law enforcement reported a power line down on a residence on North Tyler Street in Morgantown.
May 1993Thunderstorm Windnot stated$5,000Numerous large trees were blown down from five miles southwest of Morgantown to ten miles northeast of Morgantown.
September 2001Thunderstorm WindCountywide$5,000no account filed
May 2016Thunderstorm WindBanock$3,000The Butler County emergency manager reported a silver maple down on a power line. Two power poles were being replaced.
January 2009FloodWoodbury$2,000Ice and snow melt from a recent winter storm coupled with heavy rain caused minor flooding near Woodbury. The river crested at 39 feet, 6 feet above flood stage, on January 30th at 0600 local time.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindMorgantown$1,000The Butler County emergency manager reported that a large tree fell on a deck.
May 1995HailN. Butler$1,000no account filed
March 2026Tornado (EF0)Dimple-The National Weather Service conducted a storm survey on Tuesday, March 17th for the storms that occurred on Sunday night, March 15th. A tornado was determined to have occurred in Butler County with max winds of 80 MPH (EF0).||Damage was first observed along Flat Rock Road south of Dimple where a roof was lifted off a storage outbuilding and lofted into nearby trees. Some tree damage was also observed at this location with some evidence of being broken and twisted in different |directions due to the tornado. The tornado continued to the northeast across highway 79 where tree damage was twisted backward in the opposite direction of the storm motion to the southwest.| |The tornado continued across Dimple Road and damaged mobile homes along the road. One home had a shed that was destroyed and lofted above the homes and placed in a nearby farm field. One mobile home was shifted on the foundation, but did not overturn due to proper anchoring. Tree branch damage in this vicinity showed different |directions to the damage along with twisting, which was evidence of rotation. Roof damage to another mobile home near this location was evident and the roof was lofted about a tenth of a mile downstream into a farm field. ||The next damage was uphill at a farm, where a storage outbuilding had damage to the roof. The rooftop was lofted in the air over several pieces of farm equipment, split in two, and the two pieces of roofing material landed in two different locations (one to the|east, and the other in a more southeasterly direction). Some debris was lofted downstream into nearby fields along Belcher Road, where there were isolated trees uprooted as well. ||The storm then crossed Little Muddy Creek toward Richland Church Road where several large branches to trees along the road were snapped. From this point, there was no additional damage observed.
March 2026Thunderstorm WindEmbry-A large tree was blown down along Grancer Road.
February 2025Thunderstorm WindCasey-Trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds on Needmore Road.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindMonford-A tree was blown down across McKendree Chapel Road north of Morgantown.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindDexterville-A tree was blown down across Caneyville Road north of Morgantown.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindDavis Xrds-A tree was blown down across the roadway on Caney Fork Road in extreme southern Butler County.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindAberdeen-A large tree was blown down across a road and fell onto a house, resulting in structural damage to the roof.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindWoodbury-A tree was blown down onto the southbound lanes of Interstate 165 near mile marker 23.
May 2025HailSharer-Quarter size hail was reported just south of Dimple.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindRegion-A tree was blown down across the road near the 1600 block of Threlkel Road.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindMorgantown-Multiple trees were blown down in Morgantown.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindDavis Xrds-Multiple trees were blown down in the southeastern part of Butler County.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindMining City-Trees and power lines were downed on Provo Road by thunderstorm winds.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindDavis Xrds-A tree was down at Davis Crossroads.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindTilford-There were multiple trees down near the 4000 block of Caneyville Road.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindMorgantown-Power poles were broken by strong winds in Morgantown.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindFlener-A tree was blown down onto Caneyville Road north of Morgantown.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindBrooklyn-A tree was down on Brooklyn Chapel Road.
April 2025Flash FloodBrooklyn-Water was flowing over Brooklyn Love Road.
April 2025Flash FloodNeedmore-Water was flowing over Richland Church Road.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindGrancer-Multiple large trees were blown down near the intersection of Brooklyn Chapel Road and Tarvin Embry Road.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindDexterville-Trees and tree limbs were downed and a ham radio antenna was damaged on Chester Johnson Road.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindFlener-Multiple trees were downed on Caneyville Road between Possum Hollow Road and Dexterville Banock Road.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindCasey-Trees were downed along Carl Pharis Road.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindFlener-Numerous power outages were reported across Butler County due to downed trees and power lines.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindPleasant Hill-Numerous trees were downed along Rochester Road.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindFlener-Multiple trees were downed on Caneyville Road near Brownsville Road.
May 2024HailBrooklyn-Quarter sized hail was observed in Butler County.
May 2024HailMining City-Golf ball sized hail was reported in Morgantown at the intersection of Provo Road and Meredith Road.
May 2024Tornado (EF1)Huntsville-This tornado is a continuation from Muhlenberg County, where the tornado initially developed before moving east southeastward into Butler and ultimately Warren County before lifting. In total, this EF1 tornado was on the ground for over 40 miles and 50 minutes across three counties. Please see the Storm Data submission from the National Weather Service office in Paducah for more information about the tornado as it passed through Muhlenberg County.||It was determined that a long-track EF1 tornado crossed the|Muhlenberg/Butler county line near Mud River Mine Road, and |then quickly crossed over Penrod Road and Arnold Ridge Road where it was at |EF1 strength. Numerous hardwoods were snapped and uprooted along this road. ||The tornado traveled eastward across Huntsville Quality road at |EF0 strength, continuing to uproot and break off large limbs of |hardwoods. As the tornado traveled eastward toward the |intersection of Coal Road and Southhill Union Road some tree |damage was noted along with the roof blown out of a medium sized |outbuilding. This damage was noted as low-end EF1. The path |continued more southeastward toward the intersection of Southhill |Union Road and Givens Road where some more intense clustering of |snapped, uprooted, and snarled hardwoods was noted. Luckily, no |trees fell on homes in this area. ||The southeastward path continued across Muddy Creek, before |taking a brief eastward jog along Sandy Creek Road. From here, |more intensity was noted as the southeastward track resumed and |the tornado headed toward Kentucky Route 79, Russellville Road. Particularly, more intense damage was noted at the intersection of Russellville Road and Richland Church |Road and points eastward where a steeple was knocked off a church,|and much more intense tree damage occurred to a grove of |hardwoods. Damage just to the south of this intersection on Dimple|Road was determined to be straight-line inflow into the parent |circulation. Damage along Richland Church Road was noted at 90 to 100|mph as numerous hardwoods were snapped, uprooted, and snarled. |Some cars were damaged with trees falling on them, as well as some|minor structural damage to homes and outbuildings. ||The path continued toward Sugar Grove Road, U.S. Route 231, and Interstate 165 where trees continued to be damaged by mostly EF0 winds. The tornado then crossed into northwestern Warren County just south of U.S. Route 231.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindNeedmore-Numerous trees were downed by strong straight-line winds across Butler County.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindLeetown-Strong winds caused crop damage near Alum Springs in southern Butler County.
January 2023Thunderstorm WindLeetown-Trees were blown down on Sandy Creek Road.
January 2023Flash FloodBoston-Water was observed over the roadway along Sandy Creek Road.

Mines and quarries

3 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 3 workings inside this county. 1 still produces and 2 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Clay2
Stone, Crushed/Broken1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Gary Bros. No. 2 QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPlant
Green River ShaleClayProspect
Sugar Grove ShaleClayProspect

Every populated place in the county

70

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. The 1 place that was also surveyed for fire insurance comes first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.

The vanished settlements of Butler County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Recorded here

Morgantown, Kentucky

14 topographic sheets and 2 fire insurance atlases, 1927 to 1940

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.