44 topographic sheets cover 17 settlements here, and 7 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources tell 2 stories and name 74 people · people the book names include Henry Anderson (Nishnabotna Township, 1905) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: J. T. Maxwell; Old And New Residences Of Eugene Rhoades. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
TAMES T. MAXWELL, son of Thomas and Morning Maxwell, was born in Putnam J county, Tennessee, on March 11, 1864, and was the second of six children. lie never saw his father, who was killed in the war of the rebellion. He was raised on a farm and began fanning' for himself in his twenty-first year. I le afterward had charge of a hoisting machine three years, in a coal mine in Lucas county, Iowa.
Grant county, Wisconsin, Jan. '5, 1840. When he was quite young1 his father died, and he lived at home with his mother until he enlisted in the Union army, on June 11th. 1862. He was assign¬ ed to Co. C, 2nd Wisconsin Infantry; was in the first battle of Bull Run; was wounded in the battle of Gainesville, Aug.
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 | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Atchison County Memorial Building | building | 1987 | 87001578 |
 | John Dickinson Dopf Mansion | building | 1984 | 84003858 |
| Mule Barn Theatre | building | 1970 | 70000321 | |
 | Rankin Hall | building | 2010 | 10000022 |
 | St. Oswald's Protestant Episcopal Church | building | 1992 | 91001959 |
 | Thompson-Campbell Farmstead | building | 2003 | 03001056 |
 | Walnut Inn | building | 1982 | 82003124 |
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 45 of them, burning about 1,469 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 39 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
| Other causes | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 March 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,200 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 18 October 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 80 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 179461-00307-10182019-1300 |
| 12 October 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 26 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 230861-00307-10122020-1720 |
| 20 April 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 26 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 179095-00307-04202019-2346 |
| 9 April 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 190467-00000-04092020-1310 |
| 31 March 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 190358-00307-03312020-1700 |
| 9 April 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 21 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 230705-00310-04092020-1300 |
| 7 November 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | 13 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 178133-00307-11072018-1854 |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 340 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $7,003,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 161 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 131 |
| Tornado | 19 |
| Flood | 17 |
| Flash Flood | 11 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2007 | Flood | Tarkio Gould Muni Ar | $5,000,000 | The Tarkio River near Fairfax crested at 25.78 feet, or 8.78 feet above flood stage. This was its highest crest ever and occurred on May 7, 2007. Major flooding in the communities of Fairfax and Tarkio. Numerous homes and businesses suffered flood damage. A levee break just upstream of Fairfax contributed to the flood damage. |
| June 1994 | Hail | Fairfax | $500,000 | Hail the size of tennis balls caused extensive damage to roofs, windows, and automobiles in Rockport, Tarkio, and Fairfax. Corn and bean crops in the area were also damaged. |
| September 1993 | Hail | Tarkio | $500,000 | Numerous roofs, automobiles, and windows were damaged. Some wooden window shutters had holes through them from large hail. |
| April 1954 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Tarkio | $210,000 | An EF1 tornado entered Atchison County at 18:59CST 2.3 miles east southeast of Milton. It proceeded north northeast and dissipated 1.3 miles east southeast of Tarkio. It damaged 5 sheds and destroyed 3 grain bins. Several power poles were also snapped off. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Fairfax | $100,000 | Once the Missouri River started flooding on March 9, it remained in flood through the remainder of the month. The gauge in Brownsville, Nebraska - along the west bank of the Missouri River - reached 45.73 feet on March 16 (preliminarily a new record). The flooding was caused by several rounds of heavy snow across the Northern Plains through the winter months, followed by a rapid warm-up and several days of heavy rain. The Missouri River Basin across the Northern Plains flooded with catastrophic consequences as numerous dams and levees failed. As the water flowed into the Missouri River upstream of Atchison County, the river swelled and ultimately overwhelmed the levees along the river. Most the worst damage occurred near Watson, when a nearby levee failed and inundated the city with several inches of water. Local fields were also submerged, which delayed the growing season in the region, but several roads were washed away across Atchison County, and I-29 from St. Joseph northward to the Iowa/Missouri border was closed until mid May. Note: The dollar valued assigned to this event is likely inaccurate as a full tally of the extent of the physical damages is unknown. The Missouri River remained in flood through the rest of the month, into April. |
| May 1996 | Tornado (F1) | Highway 59 | $70,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Langdon | $50,000 | A severe thunderstorm moved northward through Atchison County from near Langdon through Phelps City through Linden and to the Iowa border. Property damage estimated at 50,000 dollars occurred along along Route 275 and County Road T. Numerous large trees were downed as a result of the winds and several farms reported damage to barns and grain bins. The most severe damage occurred at a farmstead on County Road T about 7 miles south of the Iowa border. Two farm houses had portions of the roof removed from the winds and falling trees damaged the southwest section of the house. One of the barns was completely leveled on the property. The property damage here alone was approximately 40,000 dollars. |
| September 1993 | Hail | Rockport | $50,000 | Numerous roofs, automobiles, and windows were damaged. Some wooden window shutters had holes through them from large hail. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $30,000 | Severe thunderstorm winds knocked down large trees, 6 inches or more in diameter , into utility lines in Tarkio. |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | $25,000 | Roof blown off shed. Trees damaged and highway signs snapped off on Highway 46. |
| April 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $25,000 | The Atchison County Sheriff's office reported a wind gust to 80 MPH at the intersection of Route 59 and Route B. Damage was reported to barns, sheds and an outbuilding in the area. |
| April 1968 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1968 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1966 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| April 1955 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1954 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | $10,000 | Emergency Manager reports massive blow down across southern Atchison county, from Fairfax to the county line. Widespread trees and power poles down. Entire corn fields mowed down by straight line winds. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $5,000 | Numerous trees and powerlines were reported down. Two houses were damaged by falling trees. Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rockport | $5,000 | Porch blown off house on Rainbow Drive in Rockport. Many trees...power lines and phone lines down. Corn fields were also flattened. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $5,000 | Roof blown off recycling center near intersection of Highway 59 and Highway 136. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watson | $5,000 | Several tractor trailers blown over on I-29 between mile markers 120 and 124. |
| April 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $5,000 | Utility wires downed along US 136 |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rockport | $4,000 | Severe thunderstorms produced damaging winds which knocked down trees in and around Rockport. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Milton | $3,000 | Tree uprooted and buildings were reported to have damage. Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 70 mph. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watson | $3,000 | Three power poles were reported blown down. Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 70 mph. |
| May 1967 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| July 1958 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $2,000 | Power lines and trees were reported down. Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | $2,000 | Power lines were reported down on Highway 59. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Fairfax | $2,000 | Levy break was reported near Fairfax on the Tarkio River. |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nishnabotna | $2,000 | Barn blown over. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $2,000 | Trees and power lines knocked down in Tarkio. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $2,000 | The Tarkio Police Department reported damage to a television antenna a mile south of Tarkio. |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westboro | $1,000 | Minor damage to structures was reported, and several trees were down. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rockport | $1,000 | Power lines down on Highway 275. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watson | $1,000 | Tractor Trailer blown over at mile marker 116 on Interstate 29. |
| April 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $1,000 | Numerous tree limbs and power lines down with widespread power outages in Tarkio. |
| September 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rockport | $500 | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph. A few road signs were damaged and powerlines were reported down in Rockport. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | $500 | One large tree fell down on a power line. Power out in the town. Several large tree limbs were also knocked down. Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | York | $500 | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph. An anchored wooden playset was torn from the ground and destroyed, near the intersection of Highway 46 and Highway N. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rockport | $500 | At the intersection of Highways 136 and 275, large signs were reported blown down. |
| June 2025 | Heavy Rain | Rockport | - | Coop Observer near Rock Port reports 4.12 inches of rain from the night of June 23 into the morning of June 24. |
| April 2024 | Hail | Nishnabotna | - | Quarter size hail reported just northwest of Corning along Interstate 29. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nishnabotna | - | Personal weather station measured 63 mph wind gust. |
| October 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rockport | - | Downed power poles near Clay Street and Calhoun Street. |
| October 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairfax | - | Downed wires and widespread power outages in southeastern Atchison County. |
| October 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nishnabotna | - | Private weather station recorded 58 mph wind gust. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nishnabotna | - | Measured gust of 76 mph from a personal weather station NW of Corning. |
| June 2024 | Tornado (EFU) | Nishnabotna | - | Multiple reports of a tornado near the Missouri River northwest of Corning. Radar imagery paired with various photos and videos suggests it was about one mile east of the Missouri River west of the intersection of Route Z and I Avenue. With no damage, will go down as a brief EF unknown. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Westboro | - | Golf ball sized hail was reported in Westboro. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Linden | - | Quarter sized hail was reported north of Rock Port. |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | - | Estimated 60 mph at this location. |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | - | Wind gusts up to 60 mph were estimated in Tarkio as a squall line moved through town. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Langdon | - | Public weather station reported 60 mph wind. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rockport | - | Several small tree limbs were down in Rock Port. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rockport | - | Law enforcement reported 60 mph wind in Rock Port. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Langdon | - | A highway sign was blown over along I-29 at mile marker 108. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watson | - | A trained spotter near Watson, Missouri reported 80 mph wind. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarkio | - | Trained spotter reported 70 mph wind in Tarkio. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 9 workings inside this county. 1 still produces and 8 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 6 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unk | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Mikkelson Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Biographical History: Atchison County, Missouri 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nishnabotna Township | Sonora, Watson | 69,548 words | 172 |
Everyone Biographical History: Atchison County, Missouri 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 1905.
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.
Lincoln township · 64498 · Blanchard quadrangle
12 sheets, 1940 to 1993
No longer a settlement
Tarkio township · 64491 · On West Tarkio Creek · Tarkio West quadrangle
12 sheets, 1939 to 1986
The vanished settlements of Atchison County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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