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Carlton County, Minnesota

54 topographic sheets cover 31 settlements here, and 15 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

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

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Minnesota within the United States
Carlton County within Minnesota

What the record shows

  • 246 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 15 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 10 buildings, 4 districts and 1 site.
  • 1 of the 15 listings was 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

15

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
Carlton County Courthousebuilding198585001926
Church of Sts. Joseph and Mary-Catholicbuilding198484001409
Cloquet City Hallbuilding198585002312
Cloquet High Schoolbuilding2021100006356
Cloquet-Northern Office Buildingbuilding198585001925
Jay Cooke State Park CCC/Rustic Style Historic Districtdistrict199289001665
Jay Cooke State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Picnic Groundsdistrict199292000640
Jay Cooke State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Service Yarddistrict199292000642
Grand Portage of the St. Louis Riversite197373000966
Lindholm Oil Company Service Stationbuilding198585002202
Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste. Marie Depotbuilding199486003813
Northeastern Hotelbuilding198484000218
Henry C. Oldenburg Housebuilding200606001183
Park Place Historic Districtdistrict198585001924
Shaw Memorial Librarybuilding198585001927

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

1,332 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 1,332 of them, burning about 2,530 acres. 18 started naturally and 165 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning481
Missing data/not specified/undetermined183
Railroad operations and maintenance166
Arson/incendiarism165
Equipment and vehicle use154
Recreation and ceremony53
Smoking49
Misuse of fire by a minor26
Power generation/transmission/distribution21
Natural18
Fireworks8
Other causes7
Firearms and explosives use1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
20 May 1994Arson/incendiarism110 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
17 May 1995Arson/incendiarism109 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
29 April 1996Debris and open burning100 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
13 April 2003Arson/incendiarism97 acresFond Du Lac Tribe2ND BRIDGE
23 June 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined75 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
23 March 2010Debris and open burning62 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
3 April 2005Debris and open burning53 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
5 March 2000Debris and open burning47 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

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

Storms, 1967 to 2025

60 of 267 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 267 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 2 injuries and about $42,190,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail126
Thunderstorm Wind105
Flash Flood18
Tornado9
Lightning5
Flood4

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
July 1970Tornado (F2)not stated2 hurt, $250,000no account filed
June 2012Flash FloodEsko$20,000,000Jay Cooke State Park was evacuated due to severe flooding of the St. Louis River.|Highway 210 through the park was heavily damage. The historic swinging pedestrian bridge was washed away. Miles of hiking and biking trails were damaged.
June 2012FloodMoose Lake$16,000,000Moose Head Lake in Moose Lake overflowed its banks after the area received 6 to 8 inches of rain, flooding 30 percent of the town. One hundred and fifty homes were flooded. The schools were flooded. The town's water and sewer system were compromised.
June 2012FloodCarlton$3,000,000Flooding of the St Louis River began at the Scanlon gage at 1:30 AM CST on June 20th when it reached a level of 10.50 feet. The St Louis River reached a record-breaking crest of 16.66 feet at 3 am CST on June 21. The St Louis River returned below its flood stage of 10.50 feet on June 28th at 10:00 AM CST. Businesses and a campground near the river were flooded.
June 2012Flash FloodEsko$2,000,000The reservoir at the City of Thomson overflowed and Carlton County Emergency Management ordered the evacuation of Thomson. Most of the town was flooded. The water remained for many days. Many homes were lost or severely damaged.
June 2002LightningCloquet$500,000no account filed
August 2007LightningCloquet$120,000A lightning bolt caused considerable roof and structural damage to the Queen of Peace Catholic Church. Damage to the electrical, phone, and public address system was also noted.
April 2025LightningScanlon$75,000The Cloquet Are Fire District responded to a report of a house struck by lightning with snow inside the home on Washington Street. Fire crews found significant damage to both the interior and exterior of the home likely caused by the lightning strike. Damage was also found in the adjacent yard further pointing to a lightning strike. No injuries were reported.
June 2024Tornado (EF0)Wright$50,000Tornado developed on or near the Aitkin/Carlton County line and traveled southeast towards Highway 210 between Wright and Cromwell. Minor tree damage was noted on West Road near the start of the tornado path, with a broad area of large branches down and a few trees snapped towards the top. The tornado then traveled across a mainly marsh/bog landscape, crossing Center Road where power lines were damaged and widespread tree damage was noted along a 50 yard stretch of road. The tornado track continued on a southeast to east-southeast path, with the last signs of damage near to just south of Highway 210 near Woodbury Lake where a few clusters of tree damage were noted. No injuries or fatalities were reported, and property damage was very limited, with only a handful of homes/buildings impacted.
September 2024HailMahtowa$30,000Cars were damaged on Interstate 35 near the Mahtowa exit.
August 2011LightningHarney$30,000Lightning struck tree, which fell onto a house, waking the occupants.
June 1976Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 1973Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 1967Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 2024Flash FloodAutomba$20,000A few roads were washed out by the heavy rainfall just south of Automba on CR 135 and near the intersection of CR 135 and CR12. Water was quickly receding.
July 2023LightningAtkinson$20,000Lightning struck a 100-year-old barn in Blackhoof Township leading to a fire that completely destroyed the barn. No injuries or fatalities were reported and no other structures were impacted, but the barn was a total loss.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindCloquet$4,000Power lines and trees were blown down in and around Cloquet. Many small tree limbs were also blown down.
June 1986Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 1986Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 2010Thunderstorm WindCromwell$2,000Trees were blown down onto Minnesota Highway 73.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindCloquet$2,000Trees were blown down in and around Cloquet, including a 40-foot pine tree.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindCloquet$2,000Large trees were blown down near Big Lake.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindCloquet$2,000The top of a spruce tree was snapped off, four large basswood trees were blown down, and a couple of tent poles were broken. The damage occurred near Big Lake.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindMoose Lake$2,000no account filed
July 2010Thunderstorm WindScanlon$1,000Trees were blown down.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindCloquet$500A 12-inch diameter tree was blown down across a road.
March 2025HailMahtowa-Dimes to quarter sized hail with over an inch of accumulation on the ground.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindBlackhoof-Multiple trees and a flagpole were downed at the reporter's location.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindAutomba-A large, healthy, old maple tree was snapped and fell onto a powerline along with a 2 foot diameter pine that was uprooted and toppled in the storm across CR135 in the area as well.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindKettle River-Branches were reported down along with a mature pine tree down across a road on the north side of town.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindWrenshall-A tree was reported down near the Wrenshall city hall.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindIverson-A tree fell onto a parked car just west of the Black Bear Casino.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindCloquet-A large, healthy tee was down on the north side of Cloquet onto a fence causing damage to the fence.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindWright-A tree at least 18 inches in diameter was down blocking a lane of Highway 210.
May 2023HailRonald-A photo was received showing hail piles taken after sunrise. The largest stones were nickel-sized and were most likely larger when they fell some 4-5 hours earlier.
August 2023Thunderstorm WindEsko-Tree debris was partially blocking the Esko exit off Interstate 35. Additionally, two larger trees about 12 inches in diameter were down nearby.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindHolyoke-A few tree limbs were broken.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindKettle River-Trees of 4, 5 and 8 inches in diameter were blown down over Highway 73 south of Kettle River.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindCarlton-Winds lofted a trampoline across the yard and over a pool.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindOtter Creek-Young maple trees were snapped in half.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindScanlon-A tree was downed onto a metal fence. The fence was mostly intact, but the wire portion was dislodged at bent at the point of impact.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindRonald-Multiple 8 inch diameter trees were downed along with an area of flattened corn stalks.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindScotts Corner-A power line was downed by the storm.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindThomson-A pine tree was down across Minnesota Highway 210.
August 2020Tornado (EF1)Moose Lake Muni Arpt-A tornado tracked north-northwest west of Moose Lake, MN, embedded within a line of thunderstorms. This tornado produced the most significant damage of this severe weather event, damaging multiple properties including lifting the roof off of a two-car garage and destroying at least one metal shed building. There were also pockets of tree damage along the path of the tornado, with numerous trees snapped 10-20 feet above the ground. Damage was strewn across fields, with several two-by-fours driven into the Earth.
August 2020Tornado (EF0)Automba-A brief radar-confirmed tornado produced a two mile swath of tree damage across mainly forested areas near Automba. No property damage reports were received. The damage path was estimated using satellite imagery and the rating was determined based on other similar damage reports from this event.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindMoose Lake-A power line was downed and in a ditch.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindBlackhoof-Multiple trees were uprooted by the storm.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindScotts Corner-Over 100 trees were downed by the storm with trees stacked up on each other.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindEsko-A tree was downed onto a road in Jay Cooke State Park.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindScotts Corner-A power line was down and across the road.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindBlackhoof-A tree was down across a road.
June 2019Flash FloodCloquet-The southbound lanes of Minnesota Highway 33 1.5 miles north of Cloquet were beginning to flood and traffic was having to slow to navigate the water on the road.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindCloquet Crltn Co Arp-Multiple trees were downed in Cloquet.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindCromwell-A few trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindBarnum-A thunderstorm microburst blew down 30-40 foot tall trees along Interstate 35 both north and south of the Barnum exit.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindMahtowa-Numerous trees were blown down across Highway 61 south of Mahtowa.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindBarnum-A large pine tree that was blow down fell on a house.
June 2018Flash FloodFrogner-Minnesota State Highway 23 was washed out at the Nemadji River Crossing at mile marker 322.
June 2018Flash FloodHolyoke-Floodwaters washed out a stone culvert on the BNSF Railway railroad tracks, opening up a 300' long and 60' deep hole in the railroad roadbed. The tracks were suspended over the washout. A new steel culvert was built and the tracks were returned to service at midnight on June 22nd.

Mines and quarries

45 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 45 workings inside this county. 30 still produce and 15 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction29
Uranium9
Clay4
Iron1
Manganese1
Peat1
Silica1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Carlton County Peat BogsPeatProducer
Carlton County Sand BedSilicaOccurrence
Syracuse Reserve St-4Iron, ManganesePast ProducerHematite, Magnetite
Carlton County Clay DepositClayOccurrence
Nemadji Tile and Pottery Pit No 2ClayPast Producer
Nemadji Tile and Pottery Pit No 3ClayPast Producer
Nemadui Tile and Pottery Pit No 1ClayPast Producer
Uranim Prospect No 8UraniumOccurrence
Uranium Prospect No 1UraniumOccurrence
Uranium Prospect No 2UraniumOccurrence
Uranium Prospect No 3UraniumOccurrence
Uranium Prospect No 4UraniumOccurrence
Uranium Prospect No 5UraniumOccurrence
Uranium Prospect No 6UraniumOccurrence
Uranium Prospect No 7UraniumOccurrence
Uranium Prospect No 9UraniumOccurrence
Airport PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Anderson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Angell PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Atkinson Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Big Lake PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Brandt PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Bush PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Carter PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Cherrie PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Conservation PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
County Pit No 1Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
County Pit No 2Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Erickson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
G N Lindsay PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Hatchery PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Heikala MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Heikala PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Jergonson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Koski PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Lindholm PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Menghini PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Miller PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Mueller Sand and Gravel Pit No 2Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Scanlon Pit and ShopSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Thompson Twp PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Tompson Township PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Ulland Bros PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Williams PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Zacher PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

31

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.