67 topographic sheets cover 34 settlements here, and 22 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
22 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources name 1 person · people the book names include Dr. And Mrs, Timothy O'Uonnor (Howard Lake City, 1915) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 29 of them, burning about 536 acres. 1 started naturally and 3 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 |
| Debris and open burning | 10 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 3 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 April 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 125 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | SUGAR LAKE |
| 11 April 2009 | Debris and open burning | 91 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 4 November 2001 | Debris and open burning | 64 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 March 2017 | Equipment and vehicle use | 60 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 1 April 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 45 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 27 October 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 18 April 1999 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 March 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 19 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 681 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 14 injuries and about $85,645,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 330 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 270 |
| Tornado | 27 |
| Heavy Rain | 17 |
| Funnel Cloud | 13 |
| Flash Flood | 13 |
| Lightning | 7 |
| Flood | 4 |
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 1992 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 8 hurt | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Lightning | Otsego | 2 hurt | Two people sustained minor injuries when lightning struck a nearby tree. |
| August 1981 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Lightning | Monticello | 1 hurt | Man struck and injured by lightning while accomplishing construction work on the roof of a home. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Annandale | 1 hurt | One woman critically injured when a tree branch was blown off a tree and struck her in the head. |
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | 1 hurt | Tree fell on house injuring one person. |
| September 2005 | Hail | Otsego | $25,000,000 | Hail damaged roofs and siding of houses, as well as many vehicles. Property damage total includes damage from across all of Wright County from 9-21-05. |
| June 2002 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $25,000,000 | Just three days after a heavy rainfall and flash flooding on the 21st, four to seven inches were widespread across Wright County, and there was an unofficial report of ten inches in less than six hours. Dozens of roads were closed, and many experienced washouts. A cabin at Waverly was pushed off its foundation by a mudslide. One home in Howard Lake sustained severe damage from a mudslide. A mobile home park in Howard Lake was flooded; 17 families were displaced by the water. Over 100 homes in Howard Lake had flooded basements. Some businesses and homes in Delano and Montrose were flooded. In Annandale, ten vehicles were submerged and numerous basements flooded. An auto dealership in Buffalo lost about 270 vehicles when flood waters soaked their lot. Dozens of basements were flooded in Buffalo and Maple Lake. Local agricultural officials estimate as much as 25% of the crops were lost, and 650 farms experienced losses. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $20,000,000 | While several tornadoes converged on the southern edge of town, hurricane force winds battered the northern portions. The intersection of Interstate 94 and highway 25 was hardest hit by downburst winds resulting in extensive roof damage. Every tree in Ellison Park damaged. Roof ripped off automobile dealership flung into new car area destroying 75 new cars and trucks. Numerous recreational vehicles at RV dealership totaled. Over 200 structures significantly damaged. 61 homes and apartment buildings declared uninhabitable. 30 factories closed. Northern States Power transmission towers blown down. 2500 trees lost. Air conditioning unit blown off high school roof. Parked truck blown two thirds of a block. $100 million dollars damage estimate in Wright county. Called worst storm in 60 year history of Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association. |
| August 2006 | Hail | St Michael | $5,000,000 | Vehicles, homes and businesses damaged. Damage total includes all storm reports from August 24 in Wright County. |
| September 2002 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $2,200,000 | Three to seven inches of rain fell on waterlogged Wright County, site of several flash floods earlier in the summer. Several creeks and ditches overflowed, including Willow Creek in Buffalo. Water was two to three feet deep over numerous roads. Basements were flooded in homes and businesses. The parking lot of a vehicle dealership flooded, and 80 vehicles sustained damage. Several other vehicles were flooded at a nearby auto repair shop. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | St Michael | $2,000,000 | Trailer office blown over. Trees also blown over. Estimated windspeed. Damage estimate for entire county. |
| September 2002 | Tornado (F1) | Albertville | $1,400,000 | A rare late night tornado struck a subdivision in Albertville. According to a damage survey conducted by NWS personnel, it touched down on the eastern edge of Cedar Creek Golf Course, trekked straight east, and dissipated in a city park just west of the railroad tracks. It completely tore the roof off of one home. Roofs were partially off a number of other homes, many attached garages collapsed, and a couple of houses were rotated on their foundation. About 20 homes were damaged, nine of which sustained significant damage. |
| June 2007 | Hail | French Lake | $1,000,000 | A ten mile long and two mile wide swath of hail caused significant crop damage, broke windows, and dented siding and vehicles. At Mud Lake, 3 miles southeast of French Lake, the hail got progressively larger, reaching golf ball size just before it ended. |
| April 2016 | Lightning | Otsego | $500,000 | The morning of Sunday, April 24th, a thunderstorm moved across eastern Minnesota. Lightning struck one home in Otsego around 5 AM LST and caught fire. Then the fire and high winds spread the fire to two additional homes in the neighborhood. One home was completely destroyed while the others had extensive fire, water and smoke damage. No one was injured. |
| July 2016 | Lightning | Monticello | $500,000 | The Wright County Sheriffs Office said that several people had to be evacuated from their homes, and three townhouses were damaged in the fire-related lightning strike. The lightning struck a home and spread to three different townhouses near the area. No one was injured. |
| May 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Hanover | $500,000 | One home lost part of its roof, and others lost shingles. Several homes had windows blown in. Several dozen trees and a number of power poles were broken or knocked down. Siding and soffits were ripped off a few houses. Numerous backyard fences were blown over. A pole barn was lifted up about three feet before being set back down. The tornado was photographed and videotaped by several people. The condensation funnel was not fully extended, and the debris cloud never extended as high as the condensation funnel. The tornado was a marginal EF-1, with winds near 90 mph. |
| September 2019 | Tornado (EF1) | Howard Lake | $250,000 | A brief tornado occurred just southwest of Howard Lake, MN. The tornado damaged 3 properties, with 2 barns heavily damaged and a private residence with shingles ripped off along with numerous trees snapped along the path of the tornado. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $250,000 | A pole barn was destroyed west of Monticello, on County Road 39. |
| June 1981 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1979 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| September 2006 | Tornado (F0) | South Haven | $200,000 | An NWS damage survey confirmed a brief tornado touched down along the western shore of Twin Lake. There were an estimated two hundred trees downed at the north end of Quinn Avenue, and two homes suffered substantial damage, partially from falling trees. Minor damage was reported to several additional homes. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cokato | $200,000 | One barn was demolished with some materials blown 800 feet. Two other barns and several sheds were blown down. |
| August 2020 | Hail | Buffalo | $100,000 | There were numerous reports of large hail, the largest measured at 2 inches in diameter, occurred across Wright County. Based on radar, and observations, there was a swath of hail between Buffalo, and Montrose, including the towns, that moved eastward toward the Hennepin County line near Rockford. There was also likely large hail west of Buffalo but due to the time of night and the rural area, there were no reports and is not included here. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Silver Creek | $100,000 | A barn was damaged along with power poles snapped east of Silver Creek. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hanover | $100,000 | A storm survey revealed that damaging straight line winds caused an area of transmission lines to blow down south of St. Michael near County Road 15, east to the Hennepin County line. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | St Michael | $100,000 | Three west facing homes on the corner of 30th Street Northeast and Kahl Avenue in St. Michael had siding and shingles torn off. |
| May 2011 | Lightning | St Michael | $100,000 | A lightning bolt struck a home in St. Michael and caused a house fire. |
| July 2010 | Tornado (EF0) | Clearwater | $100,000 | Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted, roofs removed from sheds, and several outbuildings destroyed. A house sustained minor damage, with the roof partially removed above a porch, and some shingles and siding removed. |
| July 2010 | Hail | Highland | $100,000 | Several trained spotters reported numerous dime, up to hen egg size hail from north of Howard Lake, southeast to north of Montrose, Minnesota. |
| August 2020 | Hail | Hanover | $50,000 | There were a few reports of large hail, the largest measuring golf ball size, occurred west of Hanover, to the community of Hanover, and moved eastward over the Wright, Hennepin County line. |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | St Michael | $50,000 | Significant street flooding occurred in Albertville, Otsego, and St. Michael due to rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, on top of previous heavy rainfall that had saturated the soil. In addition, township & county roads were flooded south of Montrose and Waverly. Basement flooding was noted in Albertville and in Woodland Township. |
| July 2010 | Hail | Annandale | $50,000 | Several trained spotters reported numerous nickel, up to hen egg size hail from southwest of Annandale, to northeast of Cokato. |
| June 2002 | Tornado (F1) | Delano | $50,000 | Tornado touched down briefly, knocking down trees and damaging two houses. One house had a roof blown off while the other had damage to siding and shingles. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Delano | $25,000 | A metal roof was blown off a barn, with several large trees and power lines blown down south of Delano. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $25,000 | A 63 knot wind gust was measured on a home weather station. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Maple Lake | $25,000 | An isolated microburst hit the Maple Lake area when scattered thunderstorms rolled through central Minnesota. Winds lifted and overturned a construction trailer at Holy Cross Church. One man inside the trailer escaped without any injuries. The church was untouched. |
| May 1957 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Lightning | Annandale | $20,000 | A home on Maple Avenue suffered an electrical fire after being struck by lightning. Damage to electrical appliances, wiring, and attic insulation totaled $20,000. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo Muni Arpt | $15,000 | A local TV station reported damage to a building, and several large trees uprooted near Buffalo. These reports were relayed to the NWS through social media after the damage occurred. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Annandale | $15,000 | Multiple reports of blown down trees and power lines from Annandale, to northwest of Maple Lake, Minnesota. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Monticello | $15,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down in Monticello, Minnesota. |
| March 2017 | Hail | Silver Creek | $10,000 | A swath of large hail, up to golf ball size, fell west and northwest of Monticello. Some damage to cars was also reported. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Howard Lake | $10,000 | A large swath of hail occurred in southern Wright County between Howard Lake and Watertown. The largest hail stone was measured at 2.5 inches (tennis ball) between Montrose and Watertown along Highway 25. |
| May 2016 | Hail | Cokato | $10,000 | In addition to the quarter size hail, a wind gust of 55 mph southwest of of Cokato. There was a social media video of power poles blown down and large hail covering the ground. |
| May 2016 | Hail | Stockholm | $5,000 | The resident had damage to their camper, and automobile. |
| June 2015 | Hail | Otsego | $5,000 | Numerous reports of large hail occurred for several minutes around the city of Otsego. The largest hail stone was golf ball size. The local emergency manager indicated some crop damage around Otsego. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Montrose | $5,000 | Numerous trees were snapped off from about half way up. One tree landed on a trained spotter's house. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo Muni Arpt | $5,000 | Several trees were blown down and knocked down power lines. |
| July 1965 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| July 1961 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo Muni Arpt | $500 | Numerous large tree branches were blown down around Buffalo. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Howard Lake | - | Three large trees were downed. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Clearwater | - | Photo provided via social media. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Albertville | - | Reports of a tree down between St Michael and Albertville. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Howard Lake | - | Trees down in both Cokato and Howard Lake. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Annandale | - | Tree downed by thunderstorm winds. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo Muni Arpt | - | Downed tree near 1st street NE and Calder Ave. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | St Michael | - | Thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 65 mph down trees in the city of St. Michael. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hanover | - | Thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 65 mph snapped a large snapped way up its trunk. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 16 workings inside this county. 12 still produce and 4 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 15 |
| Granite | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delano Granite Works Plant | Granite | Producer | ||
| Anderson Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Barthel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Barton Pit No 755 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Berg Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Carlson Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Con Rock Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Gullings Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Hanover Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Karinen Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Minnesota Rock Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Morris Nebtz Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Munsterteiger Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Munsterteiger Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Rockite Schram Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Varner Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
History of Wright County, Minnesota devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 22 are 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.
2 books written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 36 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.
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1: Natural Phenomena | 11,946 words |
| Chapter 2: Prehistoric Inhabitants | 5,949 words |
| Chapter 3: Indian Occupancy and Treaties | 10,076 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 4 of those read) | 8,237 words |
| Chapter 5: The Explorers | 5,615 words |
| Chapter 6: First Settlement | 1,898 words |
| Chapter 7: County Representation | 7,206 words |
| Chapter 8: County Government | 8,651 words |
| Biographical sketches (1 of 2 so headed) | 2,977 words |
| Chapter 9: The Sioux Uprising | 7,754 words |
| Chapter 10: Land Office Records | 2,109 words |
| Wright County War | 5,193 words |
| Chapter 12: Pioneer Development | 8,124 words |
| Chapter 13: Coming of the Railroads | 3,281 words |
| Chapter 14: Wright County Horticulture | 7,957 words |
| Chapter 15: Agricultural Development | 6,810 words |
| Biographical sketches (2 of 2 so headed) | 140,853 words in 9 parts |
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| S Vil | 14,537 words |
| Bench and Bar | 2,605 words |
| Biographical sketches (1 of 2 so headed) | 11,340 words |
| Chapter 19: Military History | 9,028 words |
| Chapter 20: Postal History | 5,394 words |
| Chapter 21: Dairying and Creameries | 10,064 words |
| Chapter 22: Protestant Episcopal Church | 2,228 words |
| Churches and Church Activities | 12,816 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 9 of those read) | 6,199 words |
| The Newspaper Press | 5,762 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 11 of those read) | 4,029 words |
| Fraternities | 3,197 words |
| Xix | 10,282 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 15 of those read) | 7,172 words |
| Incidents and Events | 4,475 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 17 of those read) | 9,290 words |
| Chapter 34: Old Settlers' Association | 1,292 words |
| Biographical sketches (2 of 2 so headed) | 57,312 words in 4 parts |
| German Lutherans in Wright County | 4,875 words |
Everyone History of Wright County, Minnesota stops to write about, with the section that describes them. Among them are the men who founded the place and governed the Territory. Each name opens the passage itself, in the words of 1915.
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.
Middleville township · 55349 · On Sucker Creek · Albion Center quadrangle
10 sheets, 1953 to 1986
French Lake township · 55302 · On French Creek · French Lake quadrangle
10 sheets, 1953 to 1986
Rockford city · 55373 · On North Fork Crow River · Rockford quadrangle
15 sheets, 1909 to 1991
Rockford city · 55373 · On North Fork Crow River · Rockford quadrangle
15 sheets, 1909 to 1991
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