BlockFrom the record
10 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Mower County, Minnesota
27 topographic sheets cover 23 settlements here, and 10 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 191 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 10 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 9 buildings and 1 structure.
- 1 of the 10 listings was added during the 1970s.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 23 populated places in this county; 23 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
- 1 public-domain county history, 1911, supplies 79 words of narrative reproduced here.
Places on the National Register
10Every 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Booth Post No. 130-Grand Army of the Republic Hall | building | 1986 | 86001278 |
| Bridge No. 5388 | structure | 1998 | 98000718 | |
 | Cook-Hormel House | building | 1982 | 82002989 |
 | Exchange State Bank | building | 1975 | 75000997 |
 | First National Bank of Adams | building | 1986 | 86000442 |
 | First State Bank of LeRoy | building | 1986 | 86000445 |
| Freund Store | building | 1986 | 86000867 | |
 | LeRoy Public Library | building | 1986 | 86000447 |
 | Paramount Theater | building | 1986 | 86002906 |
 | Arthur W. Wright House | building | 1986 | 86000441 |
Wildfire, 1998 to 2020
8 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 8 of them, burning about 38 acres. None started naturally and 2 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Two of them were set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 March 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 30 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 14 March 2006 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 December 2004 | Smoking | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 17 August 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 December 2004 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 May 2018 | Fireworks | under an acre | Windom Wetland Management District | LOST LAKE |
| 16 May 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 12 September 1998 | Smoking | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1959 to 2026
60 of 501 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 501 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 13 injuries and about $48,913,450 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 185 |
| Hail | 154 |
| Flood | 50 |
| Tornado | 34 |
| Flash Flood | 33 |
| Funnel Cloud | 23 |
| Heavy Rain | 15 |
| Lightning | 7 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1984 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 7 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Tornado (EF2) | Taopi | 2 hurt, $1,600,000 | This EF2 tornado formed southwest of Taopi and quickly intensified and caused significant damage in Taopi. Most buildings were damaged and 10 were destroyed. Cars were tossed, grain bins destroyed, and numerous trees and power lines downed. Two people were injured seeking shelter from the storm when they became trapped under debris. Just outside of Taopi, part of the roof was removed from a farmhouse, several outbuildings were damaged, and several head of cattle were missing. |
| August 1961 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 2 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Tornado (EF2) | Ramsey | 1 hurt, $2,000,000 | A tornado caused damage on the north and northeast side of the city of Austin. Specific reports included minor tree damage, as well as debris blown into fences and bent poles on the northwest side of Austin. Several power poles were snapped off or bent along Highway 218 on the north side of the city. Several metal work buildings were heavily damaged along 243rd St, along with numerous trees and some minor roof damage to nearby homes. Large debris, such as metal dumpsters, were tossed large distances. There was straight-line wind damage noted south of the tornado path, or along Highway 218 and 4th St NW. Several homes had minor damage, with numerous trees blown over or sheared off along 236th and 237th Street directly north of downtown Austin. There was considerable damage done in Todd Park, including athletic equipment, small buildings and hundreds of trees toppled and uprooted. The north side of the park, including the northern softball fields had the most damage. There was also considerable tree damage along 21st St NE or 555th Ave, which continued into the Austin Country Club. Minor damage was noted about a half mile east of the Austin airport and about 2 miles southeast of the airport. One minor injury was reported when a man sustained scrapes and bruises when he took shelter in a shed that rolled over twice. |
| June 1992 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| April 1967 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Austin | $3,200,000 | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Tornado (F3) | Le Roy | $3,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Austin | $1,900,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Austin Arpt | $1,500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $1,300,000 | no account filed |
| September 2010 | Flood | Racine | $850,000 | A few county roads were closed, including County Road 28 due to flooding. Also, city roads were closed in Austin, Grand Meadow, Adams and Le Roy, while evacuations of some apartments took place near Oakland Place in Austin. The rain began around 2 p.m. CST on the 22nd and continued through 10 p.m. CST on the 23rd. However, the majority of the rain fell by 7 a.m. CST on the 23rd. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Varco | $600,000 | The Cedar River in Austin reached a crest of 22.4 feet at the waste water treatment plant and 21.4 feet 3 miles south of Austin. Both of these crests occurred on June 12 and were the third highest on record. Flood stage at the waste water treatment plant is 15.0 feet and 11.0 feet 3 miles south of Austin. In addition, Turtle and Dobbins Creek near Austin crested at 13.74 feet and 18.95 feet respectively on June 12, which were both the second highest crests on record. All-time record crests were 14.77 feet at Turtle Creek, 25.0 feet at the waste water treatment plant and 23.26 feet 3 miles south of Austin, all of which occurred on September 16, 2004. Dobbins Creek all-time record crest was 19.18 feet on July 10, 2000.||Sections of Interstate 90 were closed from flood waters along the Cedar River. |
| April 2013 | Lightning | Dexter | $500,000 | A lightning strike destroyed one of three blades on a wind turbine near Dexter. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Lyle | $500,000 | Hardest hit by flash flooding were locations in the southern part of the county, including the communities of Adams and Lyle. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Austin Acres | $500,000 | Numerous roads were closed due to high water, especially over the south part of the county near the Minnesota-Iowa state line. Creeks ran very high in Austin area. |
| May 1980 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1959 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF1) | Racine | $210,000 | This was the second tornado of the night across Mower County. This EF1 tornado formed south of Racine, moved northeast just missing the town and then dissipated northeast of Racine. This tornado lifted the roof off a home and destroyed some farm buildings. |
| June 2024 | Flood | Austin Acres | $150,000 | Significant rainfall later into June pushed the Cedar River at Austin into flood stage of 15.0 ft early on June 22nd. The river stage crested at 20.7 ft during the evening on the same day in major flood stage. |
| May 2001 | Tornado (F1) | Austin | $150,000 | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Hail | Lyle | $125,000 | Golf ball sized hail fell west of Lyle. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Corning | $88,000 | Amateur radio operators reported estimated wind gusts up to 80 mph. A NWS Storm Survey confirmed straight-line wind damage to a large area of trees and roof damage to a farm building. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Meadow | $80,000 | One side of a roof was blown off a large commercial building and trees were blown down in a path of wind damage southeast of Grand Meadow. |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $80,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Austin Acres | $75,000 | A public report of tree damage and power poles down 1 mile west of Rose Creek. |
| November 2005 | Lightning | Grand Meadow | $75,000 | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $75,000 | no account filed |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Racine | $60,000 | A 32' x 172' dairy barn was blown down near Racine and another outbuilding was damaged. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mapleview | $60,000 | The KMSQ TV transmitter tower, located at Riverland Community College in Austin, was blown down. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Austin | $60,000 | no account filed |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lyle | $55,000 | The roof was blown off an auto repair shop in Lyle destroying a car that was parked in front of the business. Trees were blown across town with at least one of them landing on top of a house. |
| April 1995 | Tornado (F0) | Rose Creek | $55,000 | A small tornado touched down damaging a machine shed and a home as well as uprooting some trees. Debris was scattered over a stretch of one mile. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mapleview | $50,000 | The public reported trees uprooted and structural damage 1 mile east of Austin. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Le Roy | $50,000 | A barn was destroyed near Le Roy. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Austin | $50,000 | The automated weather observing equipment at the Austin airport measured a wind gust of 60 mph. The winds blew down trees and power lines throughout Austin causing the entire city to lose power. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Austin | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds and nickel-size hail caused $8,000 damage in the city of Austin. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Racine | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Le Roy | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Le Roy | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Sargeant | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | South Portion | $45,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Austin | $45,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Flood | Lyle | $35,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Austin | $35,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grand Meadow | $35,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Austin | $35,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Racine | $35,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Waltham | $35,000 | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Racine | $30,000 | A metal pole shed was destroyed, trees were uprooted and large branches blown down in Racine. |
| August 2020 | Lightning | Racine | $30,000 | A barn northeast of Dexter was destroyed by a fire started by a lightning strike. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mapleview | $30,000 | Several trees were blown down in Austin. Some homes and vehicles were damaged by the fallen trees. Around 700 customers lost power because of the storm damage. |
| June 2014 | Heavy Rain | Adams | $30,000 | Heavy rains caused damage to a high school in Adams. Plugged drains on the roof caused water to fill air vents which then damaged the ceiling, some lighting and a piano inside the school. |
| May 2013 | Flash Flood | Elkton | $30,000 | Flood waters from Rose Creek inundated Jellystone Campground east of Austin. A pedestrian bridge was severely damaged. The majority of the campers and RVs in the park were moved to safety, but a few vehicles did suffer some water damage. Highway shoulders in the area were washed out and some secondary roads were closed by the high water. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lyle | $30,000 | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Austin | $25,000 | Trees were blown down and a camper destroyed on the northwest side of Austin. |
| June 2019 | Flash Flood | Le Roy | $25,000 | Runoff from heavy rain produced flash flooding across the eastern portions of Mower County. The intersection of U.S. Highway 63 and State Highway 16 was covered in water and both Deer Creek and Bear Creek went out of their banks. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Austin | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Austin | $25,000 | no account filed |
Mines and quarries
16 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 16 workings inside this county. 13 still produce and 3 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 11 |
| Iron | 3 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Meadow Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Ulland Quarry & Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Cooper Mine | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Mace Mine | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Thorson Mine | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Ackerman Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Anderson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Dave Spinler Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Durst Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Hemnermeiter Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Hyland Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Lea Sand & Gravel Plit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Osmundson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Rowe Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Sheedy Pit & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Wachlin Plit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
The townships, in 1911
79 wordsThe History of Mower County, Minnesota : Illustrated devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. The one chapter is reproduced here in full. Each row shows the township's own shape and where it lies in the county, drawn from the Census Bureau's boundary. Which settlements belong to which township is computed from that same boundary, not taken from the book.
| Shape and position in the county | Township | Settlements in it | Length | Sections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windom Township | Rose Creek | 79 words | 2 |
The county's history books
452,096 wordsOne book written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 45 chapters in all. Every chapter is public domain, machine-read from the scan and reproduced complete. A chapter already given under one of the county's towns is not repeated in this list.
The History of Mower County, Minnesota : Illustrated (1911)
Every populated place in the county
23Named 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.