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Kandiyohi County, Minnesota

41 topographic sheets cover 18 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.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Minnesota within the United States
Kandiyohi County within Minnesota

What the record shows

  • 164 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.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 19 populated places in this county; 18 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
John Bosch Farmsteaddistrict198787000620
Broman, Andreas, Johanna, Anna and Frank E., Farmsteaddistrict199191000098
District No. 55 Schoolbuilding198787000619
Lars and Guri Endreson Housebuilding198686001920
Hotel Atwaterbuilding198686001330
Lakeland Hotelbuilding201212000006
Larson, A., & Co. Buildingbuilding198989000156
Sibley State Park CCC/Rustic Style Historic Districtdistrict199289001673
Albert H. and Jennie C. Sperry Housebuilding2020100004861
John M. Spicer Housebuilding198686001545
John M. Spicer Summer House and Farmbuilding198686002292
Willmar Auditoriumbuilding199191000976
Willmar Hospital Farm for Inebriates Historic Districtdistrict198686001535
Willmar Municipal Airportsite201312001174
Willmar Tribune Buildingbuilding200707000425

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

55 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 55 of them, burning about 2,582 acres. 1 started naturally and 8 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning15
Missing data/not specified/undetermined12
Equipment and vehicle use10
Arson/incendiarism8
Recreation and ceremony6
Other causes1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Natural1
Smoking1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
16 May 2013Recreation and ceremony430 acresLitchfield Wetland Management DistrictSWAN LAKE WF
11 October 2012Equipment and vehicle use264 acresLitchfield Wetland Management DistrictREGAL MEADOW
21 April 2002Arson/incendiarism240 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
17 April 1997Arson/incendiarism231 acresLitchfield Wetland Management DistrictTFLATS 1
25 April 1999Arson/incendiarism229 acresLitchfield Wetland Management DistrictLOVELL LK.
6 April 2012Equipment and vehicle use170 acresLitchfield Wetland Management DistrictARCTANDER WF
26 April 2003Debris and open burning168 acresLitchfield Wetland Management DistrictRANDALL WPA
15 May 2020Arson/incendiarism130 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

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

Storms, 1955 to 2025

60 of 472 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 472 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 8 injuries and about $22,683,060 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail195
Thunderstorm Wind180
Tornado56
Funnel Cloud13
Heavy Rain12
Flash Flood9
Lightning4
Flood2
Strong Wind1

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 2022Thunderstorm WindBlomkest1 killedA grain bin blew over and landed on a man who was about to enter a vehicle. This resulted in a fatality.
June 1964Tornado (F1)not stated2 hurt, $250,000no account filed
July 2008Tornado (EF3)Priam2 hurtThree homes were destroyed and eight others were damaged. Barns and sheds were destroyed, along with two businesses, including two turkey barns. At Highway 71 and County Rd. 19 a small trailer was turned on its side, and several farm tractors were turned on their sides. Two minor injuries occurred at a turkey barn 2.5 miles South of Downtown Willmar.
June 2001Tornado (F1)Spicer2 hurtSheds and pole barns down. Church lost part of its roof. Two people were injured when their truck and camper were flung to the edge of a lake.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindWillmar1 hurtLarge tree blown onto hood of car. One passenger injured.
April 1985Thunderstorm Windnot stated1 hurtno account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindSunburg$15,000,000The mesocyclone which produced its first tornado 9 N Kerkhoven in Swift County intensified dramatically as it neared Spicer. A 5 to 6 mile wide swath of damaging wind blasted an area in a strip from Sunburg to 5 S Sunburg, then intensified dramatically as it neared Spicer and Green Lake. It continued toward the Atwater area, where a seed farm measured 103 knots (119 mph). It then exited Kandiyohi County and went into Meeker County. Hundreds of structures were damaged by the wind, including roofs off some businesses and garages, along with many downed barns, grain bins and outbuildings. Several thousand trees were felled, many onto homes and vehicles.
April 1985Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
July 2003Tornado (F1)Pennock$1,000,000A multiple vortex tornado touched down west of Pennock near a turkey farm, which was severely damaged. 200 to 300 turkeys were killed. The tornado then tracked straight east through the city of Pennock, knocking down trees and causing some damage to houses, including partially removing the roof from one home. A large storage building was destroyed in Pennock, as were several sheds and a garage. Just east of Pennock, it took direct aim on a house, lifting off its roof and blowing a shed into a nearby field. Another garage nearby had its roof removed. A strong rear flank downdraft accompanied the tornado, producing wind damage from just east of Pennock to Willmar (see corresponding entry).
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPennock$500,000A large portion of a turkey barn sheet metal roof was ripped off and blown up to 100 yards away. The flying debris also damaged nearby homes.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindSvea$500,000A large grain bin was blown down near Svea. There were also several turkey barns with roofs blown off.
August 2020Tornado (EF1)Spicer$250,000A NWS survey, plus storm chasers video indicated an EF-1 tornado across portions of eastern Kandiyohi County, or the Irving Township area. This tornado destroyed one large shed and heavily damaged another. Drone video indicated the exact track of the tornado as it moved into Meeker County.
August 2016Flash FloodWillmar$250,000Several rounds of very heavy rainfall caused significant flooding in the town of Willmar. The first two rounds of heavy rainfall added up to locally 4-6 inches by 9 PM CST. Significant runoff caused some roads to close with basement flooding.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindKandiyohi$250,000A line of severe straight-line winds, estimated over 75 mph, occurred north of Kandiyohi, then southeast to the city of Atwater. Numerous trees were uprooted, several barns were damaged or destroyed, windows were blown out in several communities, and power was out for several hours.
July 2009Tornado (EF1)Spicer$250,000A National Weather Service storm survey, plus visual reports and video, confirmed that a tornado moved through portions of Kandiyohi County near the town of Spicer. Portions of downtown Spicer were damaged, including the partial destruction of the upper level of a home, roof damage to multiple houses, several outbuildings destroyed, and a dozen or more car windows blown out at the local Green Mall parking lot. Maximum wind damage was estimated between 100 to 110 mph.
June 1979Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
June 1979Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
July 2023Thunderstorm WindNew London$200,000A large machine shed was destroyed. Several dozen large trees and power poles were uprooted or broken. A pontoon was flipped and there was some soffit and shingle damage to a couple houses.
June 2017Tornado (EF1)Kandiyohi$200,000A tornado was associated with a quasi-linear storm complex. It mostly hit trees and crops, but during the latter half of its path, the tornado did move across or just south of a couple metal farm buildings, causing heavy damage.
April 2001Flash FloodCountywide$200,000no account filed
August 2020Tornado (EF0)Spicer$100,000An NWS survey found EF-0 tornado damage along and south of Green Lake around Spicer. The county emergency manager reported portion of a metal roof was blown off near the beginning of the tornado. As it moved northeast, dozens of trees were snapped, and docks along the lake sustained damage. The tornado was documented on several videos, and drone images also provided information on the damage path, including the ending point of the tornado.
August 2018Tornado (EF0)Atwater$100,000A NWS storm survey indicated an EF0 Tornado began near Atwater and tracked east for 1.6 miles along Highway 12, and entered Meeker County. Multiple trees and power lines were blown down in the city of Atwater. Some of the trees landed on houses and caused structural damage.
September 2017Tornado (EF1)Sunburg$100,000A tornado moved out of Swift County and into northwestern Kandiyohi County. It knocked down trees, damaged crops, and destroyed two machine sheds at a farm.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindPennock$100,000A strong rear flank downdraft accompanied the Pennock tornado (see corresponding entry). Several trees were felled, bleachers at an athletic complex were destroyed, a grain bin collapsed onto a Bobcat, and a sign at the Kandi Mall was knocked down.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindNew London$50,000A spotter with New London Fire and EMS measured 68 mph winds just southeast of Lake Andrew.
May 2022Thunderstorm Wind(Bdh)Willmar Municipal Airport$50,000Several large trees were uprooted near the Willmar airport. Some of the trees were snapped at the base along with a destroyed shed. A grain bin was also damaged near the airport. Some sheds in the city of Willmar were also damaged.
April 2014LightningSpicer$50,000An early-morning lightning strike ignited a fire that caused extensive damage to a house overlooking Green Lake near Spicer, Minnesota. The lightning sparked a fire which destroyed a utility room and moved upward to the second story and roof. The interior suffered smoke damage, the electrical system was destroyed, and there was other charring and heat damage.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindHawick$30,000A large machine shed had part of its roof torn off, and a few nearby trees were also broken.
May 1977Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
September 1975Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 1965Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 1964Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
May 1959Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 2017LightningWillmar$20,000Early Wednesday morning, a lightning bolt struck a house in south Willmar. The lightning traveled inside the roof line of the home, which caused the insulation to catch fire. The house suffered considerable smoke damage, along with some water damage from the hoses. pitched roof.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindWillmar$20,000Scattered trees down in a swath that extended to Atwater. Church under construction in Spicer blown down.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindAtwater$15,000Decaying thunderstorm caused a large tree to fall on an unoccupied vehicle in the city of Atwater. The photo was relayed by the emergency manager, and time was estimated from radar.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPennock$10,000There were two train cars that were derailed outside of Pennock city limits.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPrinsburg$10,000Several large tree limbs, and power lines were blown down, including a piece of sheet metal on power lines.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindPennock$10,000Power lines were reported blown down near Pennock, Minnesota.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindSpicer$10,000Power poles were blown down near Spicer.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindNew London$10,000Several power poles were blown down near New London.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindSpicer$10,000A National Weather Service storm survey found straight-line wind damage associated with the rear-flank downdraft of the tornadic thunderstorm that went through Spicer. Localized extensive tree damage was observed where winds were estimated between 90 and 100 mph.
May 2016Thunderstorm WindBlomkest$5,000The emergency manager reported five power poles blown down north of Highway 7, on County Road 44.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindRaymond$5,000Mobile home damaged.
June 1969Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 2022Thunderstorm WindBlomkest$500Several large tree branches were blown down.
June 1981Tornado (F1)not stated$30no account filed
June 1972Tornado (F0)not stated$30no account filed
June 2025Thunderstorm WindPrinsburg-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 65 mph damaged a metal outbuilding near Prinsburg.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindRoseland-Thunderstorm winds downed power lines near Roseland.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindAtwater-Multiple downed trees on a property west of Lake Elizabeth.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindSunburg-Strong thunderstorm wind gusts caused grain bins to buckle near Sunburg.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindLake Lillian-Trees down in Lake Lillian and Prinsburg.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindNew London-Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a tree in New London.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindWillmar-There were multiple reports of tree damage in the city of Willmar.
August 2025Heavy RainPrinsburg-Cocorahs station MN-KD-23 Renville 7.1 N. 72 hour total of 5.11 inches.
June 2025Heavy RainRaymond-Report of damage to several roads and many basements with water and sewage. Impacts from heavy rain were mainly across the southern half of Kandiyohi County, including a Trailer Park in the town of Raymond.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindSpicer-A thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 60 mph downed two trees in Dovre Township.
September 2025Funnel CloudBlomkest-Photo of funnel cloud approximately two miles east of Blomkest submitted via Facebook messenger.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindLake Lillian-Downed tree reported in Big Kandiyohi Lake County Park East.

Mines and quarries

20 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 20 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, Construction20

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Atwater Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Benson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Central Allied Enterprises IncSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
De Cathelineau PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Duininck and Gilchrist PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Eagle Lake Pit & MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Elliot PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Goodall Pit No 1Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Goodall Pit No 2Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Hall PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Hegstrom PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Mcbroom PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Messenbrink PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Olson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Olson Pit No 2Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Oscar Erickson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Ringo Lake PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Ringo Lake Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Tallakson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Willmar Realty PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

19

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.