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Montcalm County, Michigan

38 topographic sheets cover 31 settlements here, and 3 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

3 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Michigan within the United States
Montcalm County within Michigan

What the record shows

  • 351 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 3 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 buildings and 1 district.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 32 populated places in this county; 31 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

3

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
Giles Gilbert Housebuilding198787000137
Greenville Downtown Historic Districtdistrict200808001104
Winter Innbuilding198080001883

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

151 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 151 of them, burning about 638 acres. 24 started naturally and 10 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Equipment and vehicle use62
Missing data/not specified/undetermined35
Natural24
Debris and open burning11
Arson/incendiarism10
Recreation and ceremony7
Fireworks1
Smoking1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. Three of them were set deliberately.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 April 1994Debris and open burning100 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
14 April 2003Arson/incendiarism52 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
11 April 2006Arson/incendiarism43 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
25 March 2019Natural40 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesLAKEVIEW DISTRICT FD 0000057 - 2019
8 May 2006Recreation and ceremony28 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
25 April 2019Natural25 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesCARSON CITY FD 201920 - 2019
13 June 2018Equipment and vehicle use24 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesMONTCALM 01
13 June 2018Arson/incendiarism23 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesMONTCALM 02

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

Storms, 1956 to 2025

60 of 212 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 212 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 34 injuries and about $21,573,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind136
Hail54
Tornado11
Flash Flood6
Funnel Cloud2
Flood2
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
May 1998Thunderstorm WindHoward City23 hurt, $14,000,000Michigan State Police EMD's Damage and Injury Assessment Report indicated $453,000 in public damage costs, 23 injuries, 6 individuals being sheltered, 400 homes damaged, 30 homes destroyed, 40 businesses damaged, and 50 vacation residences either damaged or destroyed. Private property damage was estimated around $13.5 Million. Most severe damage was reported in Pierson and Maple Valley Townships in the western panhandle of the county, with several cottages destroyed and damaged near and around Cody Lake and other area lakes. Significant damage was also reported in and around the city of Stanton. A team from the Michigan National Guard was deployed to the city of Stanton to assist in debris removal and cleanup operations. Montcalm County declared a local state of emergency and was granted a Governor's disaster declaration to activate state assistance for the county. On June 24th, President Clinton granted a Major Disaster Declaration for Montcalm County, making federal disaster assistance available.
August 1973Tornado (F1)not stated6 hurt, $25,000no account filed
July 2010LightningVestaburg4 hurtFour teenagers were struck by lightning near Vestaburg at a baseball diamond. There were no fatalities.
July 2003HailGreenville1 hurt, $20,000A motorcyclist suffered a minor injury when he was hit in the mouth by a hailstone. Three quarters inch hail was reported six miles north of Greenville and seven eighths inch diameter hail was reported five miles north of Greenville, where a parking lot was covered by hail near Colby and M-91.
April 2013FloodHoward City$3,000,000Heavy rain caused significant flooding on rivers and streams across Montcalm county.
April 2011HailGreenville Arpt$1,000,000Trained spotters reported hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter south of Stanton and just north of Sheridan. The swath was up to one mile wide and was part of the swath that began in extreme northeast Ottawa County based on correlation with multiple spotter reports and radar hail products.
July 1994Tornado (F2)Stanton$500,000A brick, ranch style home in Fairplain Township was totally destroyed by an apparent tornado. No one actually saw a tornado, but the debris pattern and localization of the damage strongly suggested a tornado rather than straight-line thunderstorm winds. Seven people were in the home at the time, but no one was injured. A small shed was also torn up. The path length and width were estimated from the debris pattern. Trees up to 10 inches in diameter were broken off at the ground in a counter-clockwise pattern.
May 2020FloodLangston$250,000Multiple lakes flooded lakeside homes and multiple roads were flooded.
April 1965Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
May 1956Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
June 2023Thunderstorm WindSidney$200,000There were numerous reports of downed trees, limbs and power lines across Montcalm county.
August 2007Tornado (EF1)Wyman$150,000Surveys conducted by the NWS confirmed two main damage paths near the border of Home and Richland townships. These damage paths were located just north and south of Cutler road. ||The first damage path began about one mile west of the Cutler road and Vickeryville road intersection and extended northeast about one mile. The damge path was 100 to 200 yards wide. The vast majority of the damage was from straight line winds, but there was evidence of a very brief tornado touchdown in the damage path. ||Thousands of trees were uprooted or snapped off in the two damage paths. |This damage was consistent with EF-1 damage with maximum tornadic winds of 90 to 100 mph.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindMc Brides$150,000no account filed
July 2006Thunderstorm WindEntrican$100,000Numerous trees were blown down and barn roofing was ripped off.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindStanton$100,000Trees and power lines were blown down in and near Stanton.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindLakeview$100,000Twenty to thirty trees were either damaged or blown down by severe thunderstorm wind gusts two miles west of Lakeview.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindAmble$100,000About 100 trees of 18 to 24 inch diameter were blown over, houses and vehicles were damaged. One barn was destroyed.
May 2000Flash FloodCountywide$100,000no account filed
June 2023Thunderstorm WindSheridan$75,000Several trees and power lines were blown down across the county.
November 2020Thunderstorm WindCoral$50,000Several power lines and trees were blown down.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindHoward City$50,000Numerous reports of downed trees in and near Howard City and the northern portion of Montcalm county came in from Montcalm county dispatch.
May 1999Thunderstorm WindLakeview$50,000Thunderstorm winds blew down trees and power lines in Lakeview.
April 2001Thunderstorm WindGreenville$50,000no account filed
May 2001Flash FloodCountywide$50,000no account filed
May 2001Flash FloodCountywide$50,000no account filed
August 2000Thunderstorm WindStanton$40,000no account filed
May 2012Thunderstorm WindAmsden$30,000The broadcast media reported that peak winds estimated near 80 mph caused damage to a barn and unroofed an outbuilding two miles northwest of Fenwick. Several healthy trees were snapped or uprooted.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindStanton$30,000Numerous trees were blown down in Stanton and a roof was blown off of an old barn.
September 2021Thunderstorm WindVestaburg$25,000Multiple trees and power lines were blown down in Vestaburg.
October 2019Thunderstorm WindHoward City$25,000An isolated severe storm produced high winds that blew several six to eight inch diameter trees down onto a barn near Howard City. Evergreen township was particularly hard hit with numerous trees down. Over seven thousand people in Montcalm county lost power.
September 2018Thunderstorm WindSheridan$25,000Several large trees were blown down and a few power outages were reported.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindFenwick$25,000Several large trees and limbs were blown down. Several power lines were also blown down and there was minor damage to a residence two miles south of Sheridan in Montcalm county.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindWestville$25,000Several trees and limbs were blown down two to three miles northwest of Stanton. A tin roof was also ripped off of a barn by the wind gusts.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindStanton$25,000no account filed
May 2001Flash FloodCountywide$25,000no account filed
June 2000Thunderstorm WindSheridan$25,000no account filed
August 2000Thunderstorm WindStanton$25,000no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindSheridan$25,000no account filed
July 1977Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
April 1956Tornado (F5)not stated$25,000no account filed
November 2013Thunderstorm WindGreenville$20,000A trained spotter reported several large branches were blown down and some damage to gutters and shingles of a restaurant.
July 2004Thunderstorm WindGowen$20,000Numerous trees were blown down in and near Gowen.
July 2003HailGreenville$20,000Seven eighths inch diameter hail was reported approximately eight miles north of Greenville.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindHoward City$20,000A tree and several power lines were downed by gusty thunderstorm winds near Howard City. Power lines were also downed near Amble, and marble sized hail was observed as well.
June 2005HailGreenville$20,000no account filed
June 2000Thunderstorm WindStanton$20,000no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindSheridan$20,000no account filed
June 2004HailGowen$15,000The broadcast media reported one and three quarters inch diameter hail in Gowen.
June 2004HailVestaburg$15,000Three quarters inch hail was reported by law enforcement four miles southwest of Vestaburg.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindLakeview$15,000A tree was downed and fell on a vehicle in Lakeview.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindPierson$10,000Several trees were blown down near Pierson.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindHoward City$10,000A 74 mph wind gust was measured and there was a report of tree damage.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindAmble$10,000Law enforcement reported downed trees and power outages across the county.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindEdmore$10,000A trained spotter reported that several trees were blown down near the intersection of Wyman and Deaner roads.
September 2019HailVestaburg$10,000Hail up to one and a half inches in diameter was reported near Vestaburg.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindHoward City$10,000Trained spotters reported that several trees were blown down.
April 2015Thunderstorm WindLakeview$10,000Montcalm county central dispatch reported that scattered trees were blown down across portions of Montcalm county.
September 2010Thunderstorm WindGowen$10,000The public reported that several trees were blown down three miles north of Greenville.
September 2007Thunderstorm WindCarson City$10,000Numerous trees and power lines down by wind gusts estimated at 58 mph.
July 2006HailCarson City$10,000Three quarters inch hail was reported in Carson City.

Mines and quarries

11 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 11 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, Construction10
REE1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Hitachi Magnetics Corp--Edmore, Mi.REEProducer
Anderson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Dyer Co. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Dyer Co. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Dyer Co. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Harris PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Montcalm County Road Comm. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Montcalm County Road Comm. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Shook PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Wheeler PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Wheeler Sand and Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

32

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.