BlockFrom the record
4 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Kittson County, Minnesota
49 topographic sheets cover 22 settlements here, and 4 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 256 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 4 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 3 buildings and 1 district.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 22 populated places in this county; 22 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
4Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Lake Bronson State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources | district | 1989 | 89001659 |
 | St. Nicholas Orthodox Church | building | 1984 | 84001480 |
| Teien Central School | building | 2025 | 100012386 | |
| U.S. Inspection Station-Noyes, Minnesota | building | 2014 | 14000257 |
Wildfire, 1992 to 2020
730 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 730 of them, burning about 128,155 acres. 2 started naturally and 514 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 514 |
| Debris and open burning | 153 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 30 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 10 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 8 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 5 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Every one of them was set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 April 2003 | Arson/incendiarism | 12,680 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | CARIBOU FIRE |
| 12 November 2007 | Arson/incendiarism | 5,100 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | LAST DAY FIRE |
| 18 April 2008 | Arson/incendiarism | 3,854 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 April 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 3,490 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 31 October 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 3,000 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | MCKINLEY FIRE |
| 3 May 2007 | Arson/incendiarism | 3,000 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | BORDER FIRE |
| 14 April 2007 | Arson/incendiarism | 2,500 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | DEERWOOD FIRE |
| 30 April 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | 2,400 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | MCKINLEY FIRE |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1957 to 2025
60 of 390 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 390 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 9 injuries and about $7,764,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 178 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 131 |
| Tornado | 33 |
| Flood | 22 |
| Flash Flood | 16 |
| Funnel Cloud | 10 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1995 | Tornado (F1) | Hallock | 8 hurt, $3,000,000 | Several funnel clouds were sighted in the same area, northwest of Hallock. After several brief touchdowns, one tornado remained on the ground one mile northwest of Hallock and traveled south to southeast to three miles east of the town of Kennedy. The tornado collapsed the roof of the grandstands at the Kittson County Fairgrounds, where 800 people had been several minutes earlier. Many homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed in Hallock. Path length, width and property damage were estimated. |
| August 1990 | Hail | not stated | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Flood | Countywide | $1,370,000 | The Red River at Drayton (ND) rose above flood stage around 6 PM CST on April third and remained above flood stage until around 1 PM CST on May 2nd. The river peaked at roughly 42.90 feet around 11 PM CST on April 10th. Unofficially, 42.90 feet would be the third highest modern-day river stage recorded. The Red River at Pembina (ND) rose above flood stage around 5 AM CST on April 5th and remained above flood stage until around 2 AM CST on May 3rd. The river peaked at roughly 51.45 feet around 8 PM CST on April 14th, unofficially the 3rd highest modern-day river stage recorded. The Red River spread well out of it banks (8 miles wide in spots) from around Oslo (MN) northward, essentially becoming a lake. Overland flooding also occurred in addition to the river flooding, with many roads around the county closed due to flooding. The Red River bridges at Drayton, Joliette, and Pembina were also closed during the flood. The border crossing at Noyes was also closed. At Lake Bronson State Park, one campsite was closed due to flooding. Several Coast Guard units were brought in to assist residents with emergencies through the use of airboats and helicopters. Kittson County received a Presidential Disaster Declaration for damages caused by spring flooding.In summary, the total public and private flood losses experienced within the Red River of the North basin through late March and April 2006 were likely in excess of $20 million. This includes the following amounts. For Minnesota state and local infrastructure (this total includes the damages listed for each county), $8.5 million. For North Dakota state and local infrastructure (this total includes the damages listed for each county), $8 million. For Federal agencies (USACE, USGS, and USCG), $1.5 million. For the transportation industry costs due to traffic diversions caused by prolonged road and bridge closures, $1.5 million. For personal property losses due to floodwaters surrounding more than 500 individual farmsteads and rural homesteads, $1.0 million. |
| September 2014 | Tornado (EF2) | Northcote | $600,000 | This tornado snapped or uprooted numerous trees along its path. Several farm outbuildings, steel grain bins, and a steel pole shed were completely destroyed. One farmstead sized wooden grain elevator was completely dismantled and sections of it were thrown dozens of yards. Multiple power poles were snapped at different locations. Peak winds were estimated at 130 mph. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karlstad | $600,000 | The county highway department building was severely damaged. Equipment in the building was also damaged. Peak winds were estimated at 95 mph based on extreme structural damage and related tree damage. Trees and power lines were down all around Karlstad. |
| May 2010 | Flash Flood | Noyes | $250,000 | Two to five inches of rain fell across portions of Kittson County, causing street flooding, basement flooding, and sewer backup in Lancaster and Hallock. Some water was reported in the Hallock courthouse. 3.48 inches of rain fell in Northcote and 3.08 inches in Hallock. |
| July 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Humboldt | $250,000 | The tornado tore the doors off a steel building, flipped a camper trailer, and uprooted around 50 trees. Around 30 power poles were damaged, causing $150,000 in damages to the local utility. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Orleans | $250,000 | Railroad tracks were washed out near Orleans. One house had water one foot deep on the main floor. Widespread overland flooding occurred throughout the county. |
| July 1977 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karlstad | $200,000 | Widespread wind damage was noted across Deerwood and Arveson townships. Numerous large tree limbs were broken down in yards, shelterbelts, and groves. Peak winds were estimated at 85 to 95 mph. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F3) | Humboldt | $200,000 | The tornado demolished 4 structures. One of the structures, a 30x40 foot machine shed, was swept from its foundation and thrown into the adjacent fields. Tools from the shed were driven into the banks of a nearby highway. Other debris was spread over a mile away. Many trees were torn up. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orleans | $150,000 | Six 50,000 bushel grain bins were destroyed and 4 others were damaged by the strong wind. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Noyes | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Flood | Noyes | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Flash Flood | Robbin | $50,000 | Heavy rain in excess of 4 inches produced widespread field and farm access road flooding across southern Svea Township. Some township roads were impassable. |
| May 2010 | Flood | Noyes | $50,000 | Widespread overland flooding was reported around the Lancaster area. Water flowed over portions of highway 59 south of Lancaster. |
| July 2005 | Tornado (F1) | Northcote | $50,000 | The tornado damaged a grain dryer, an antenna, and a satellite dish. These three items had been unaffected by the tornado that began at 1845 CST, 5 miles west of Northcote. Peak winds were estimated at 100 mph. |
| June 2020 | Flood | Lancaster | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 2019 | Flood | Noyes | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Tornado (F1) | Donaldson | $40,000 | The tornado touched down in a field just north of highway 11 and travelled for about 3.5 miles before it crossed into Marshall county. Tornadic winds snapped several cottonwood trees at a homestead and swirled tree branches around the yard. Smaller tree branches were lofted over a mile to the south by the tornado and crops were swirled by the winds. Peak winds were estimated at 80 mph. |
| July 2020 | Flash Flood | Robbin | $25,000 | Two to four inches of rain fell across northern Teien Township, flooding coulees, fields, and farm access roads. The soil was saturated, after 5 inches of rain fell earlier in the week. |
| July 1982 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1976 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Flash Flood | Karlstad | $20,000 | Fields and farm access roads were flooded between Karlstad and Halma in western Deerwood Township. |
| July 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Mattson | $10,000 | This tornado originated in Pembina County (ND) at 832 pm CDT. It continued for about 1 mile to 9 miles west-northwest of Donaldson. The tornado broke down several large tree branches. Peak winds were estimated at 90 mph. |
| May 2009 | Flood | St Vincent Jct | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2022 | Tornado (EF0) | Lancaster Arpt | $5,000 | Several poplar trees located in a grove along the North Branch of the Two Rivers River were snapped anywhere from 10 to 20 feet above ground level. A few other were snapped nearer the base in downstream agricultural shelter belts. Peak winds estimated to 80 mph. |
| July 2011 | Flash Flood | Karlstad | $5,000 | Street flooding was reported in Karlstad after 3.95 inches of rain fell. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kennedy | $5,000 | Power poles were blown down. |
| March 2009 | Flood | St Vincent Jct | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 2009 | Flood | St Vincent Jct | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karlstad | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Caribou | $2,000 | Several poplar trees were blown down near the intersection of CR4 and Highway 25. Road crews cleared debris from the roadways. |
| June 2016 | Flash Flood | Robbin | $2,000 | no account filed |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Halma | $1,000 | Trees and branches were blown down. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Robbin | $1,000 | Numerous large trees were uprooted. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lancaster | $1,000 | Branches were blown down and shingles were blown off a roof. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lancaster | $500 | Large branches were blown down. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hallock | $500 | A tree was blown down. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orleans | $500 | Branches were blown down. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lancaster | $500 | Trees were blown down in Lancaster. |
| June 2025 | Hail | Lancaster | - | Picture with tape measure shared on social media. |
| June 2025 | Hail | Lancaster | - | Hail estimated to be around 1 inch at gas station in Lancaster. Time estimated on radar. |
| July 2025 | Hail | Caribou | - | Spotter estimated hail size. Time estimated by radar. |
| July 2024 | Hail | Enok | - | Time estimated via radar. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donaldson | - | MN HWY 7 Mile post 11 RWIS...Also reports of trees snapped near the sensor location. Corrected to report the measured gust of 78mph not 68mph. |
| April 2023 | Flood | St Vincent | - | Pembina - Crest of 46.68 ft occurred on 5/4 (Noted in May 2023 storm data). |
| April 2023 | Flood | Robbin | - | Drayton - Crest of 40.38 ft occurred on 5/1 (Noted in May 2023 storm data). |
| April 2023 | Flood | Hallock Arpt | - | Hallock gage, on the Two Rivers River. Crested at 807.80 ft on April 17th at 23:15. |
| May 2023 | Flood | Robbin | - | Drayton - Crest of 40.38 ft occurred on 5/1. Flooding began in April. |
| May 2023 | Flood | St Vincent | - | Drayton - Crest of 40.38 ft occurred on 5/1. Flooding began in April. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karlstad | - | Peak wind was measured at a RAWS station near highway 11. Time estimated based on radar and other nearby wind sensor reports. |
| August 2022 | Hail | Pelau | - | Periods of large hail ranging from quarter to half dollar size occurred across west central pelen township and adjacent portions of western halma township. Hail occurred off and on between 840 and 850 pm and completely covered the ground. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hallock Arpt | - | A few large tree branches were broken down in shelter belts across the immediate area. |
| July 2022 | Hail | Caribou | - | Wind and hail impacted portions of eastern Cannon Township, over a mix of wildlife management area and farmland. Time is estimated based on radar. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | St Vincent | - | This gust was measured by the RWIS station located on Highway 171, milepost 1.8. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karlstad | - | Peak wind was measured at the Kittson RAWS station in the Twin Lakes Wildlife Management Area. Time estimated based on radar. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Donaldson | - | The wind gust was measured by a MNDOT RWIS mesonet sensor. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karlstad | - | The strong wind gusts caused minor damage to a house and blew down tree branches. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karlstad | - | The wind gust was measured by a RAWS mesonet sensor. |
Mines and quarries
5 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 5 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, Construction | 5 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson Pit and Mill No. 2 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Eddy Jerome Pit & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Halma Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Lake Bronson Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Loeffler Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Every populated place in the county
22Named 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.
-
Hallock
Hallock city · 56728 · On Middle Branch Two Rivers · Hallock quadrangle
11 sheets, 1941 to 1985
-
Viking Land Terrace
Hallock city · 56728 · On Middle Branch Two Rivers · Hallock quadrangle
11 sheets, 1941 to 1985
The vanished settlements of Kittson County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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.