BlockBefore

McDonald County, Missouri

48 topographic sheets cover 47 settlements here, and 3 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

3 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service

Missouri within the United States
McDonald County within Missouri

What the record shows

  • 635 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 3 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 buildings and 1 structure.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 47 populated places in this county; 47 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

3

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
Old McDonald County Courthousebuilding201212000251
Old McDonald County Jailbuilding2020100005347
Powell Bridgestructure201111000215

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

295 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 295 of them, burning about 6,184 acres. 4 started naturally and 63 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning130
Missing data/not specified/undetermined68
Arson/incendiarism63
Equipment and vehicle use15
Smoking8
Natural4
Recreation and ceremony3
Railroad operations and maintenance2
Misuse of fire by a minor2

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
16 March 1992Arson/incendiarism595 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
18 February 1997Debris and open burning300 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
21 March 1995Natural273 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
9 April 1994Arson/incendiarism200 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
6 April 1998Arson/incendiarism180 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
6 December 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined180 acresMissouri Department of ConservationBUFFALO HILLS
9 April 2007Missing data/not specified/undetermined176 acresMissouri Department of ConservationHIDDEN ACRES
9 April 1992Arson/incendiarism176 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named

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

Storms, 1954 to 2026

60 of 652 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 652 reports for this county, causing 5 deaths, 28 injuries and about $43,402,400 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail207
Thunderstorm Wind177
Flash Flood154
Flood59
Heavy Rain29
Tornado24
Lightning1
Funnel Cloud1

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
January 2005Flash FloodNoel2 killedno account filed
June 2019Flash FloodAnderson1 killed, $800,000Excessive heavy rainfall caused rapid rises to occur on the Beaver Branch and Indian Creek. A home along Beaver Branch was swept off its foundation and washed downstream. An elderly woman in the home was unable to escape and perished in the flood waters. A bridge on Main Street received significant damage from rapidly moving high water where Beaver Branch flows through the middle of town. Significant damage occurred to a building in the vicinity of the bridge. Numerous evacuations were performed by emergency crews from homes, apartments and businesses. Around 80 homes and businesses received water damage as water several inches deep entered the structures. Some structures had as much as 3 feet of water in them. The dollar damage amount is a summary for all damages in McDonald County for this event.
August 2013Flash FloodJane1 killed, $500,000This storm report will contain the total estimated damages and cost for the flooding event including one fatality for the county. A vehicle was washed off the road on Highway 90 at Brush Creek just west of Jane. She was driving eastbound at 4:50 am when her car was swept into the stream, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Multiple people had to be rescued at campgrounds along the Elk River near Noel. Several roads and low water crossings were severely damaged due to flooding. Several homes were flooded.
June 2007Flash FloodPineville1 killed, $10,000A 66 year old male died after driving into a flooded low water crossing. Witnesses report he drove a truck into 5 feet of swiftly flowing water at the intersection of Klondike Road and the Beamon Hollow Branch of the Buffalo Creek. Numerous other locations across McDonald County experienced flash flooding.
April 2001Thunderstorm WindRocky Comfort9 hurt, $125,000no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindLongview4 hurt, $25,000no account filed
December 1971Tornado (F1)not stated3 hurt, $250,000no account filed
June 2014Thunderstorm WindMt Shira3 hurt, $5,000Several trees and large limbs were blown down at Elk Springs Road along the Elk River. Three injuries were reported from flying debris due to wind near the Shady Beach Campground.
May 2011Tornado (EF3)South West City2 hurt, $1,000,000A storm survey concluded that an EF-3 tornado crossed into McDonald County from adjacent Delaware County, Oklahoma. The tornado crossed Stateline Road 2.8 miles north of Southwest City, Missouri at 7:26 pm and destroyed a single family resident and vehicles near the residence. The vehicles rolled up to 200 yards away from the house. Several trees were uprooted along the path of the tornado as it tracked southeast towards chicken houses near the intersection of Highway 43 and Farm Road 4385. The tornado lifted right before reaching Highway 43 about 2.2 miles north northeast of Southwest City. Maximum wind speeds were estimated between 150 and 160 mph. The maximum width of the path was estimated at a quarter of a mile wide.
June 2008Tornado (EF0)Plainview2 hurt, $25,000A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-1 tornado impacted rural sections of McDonald County. Several trees were snapped or uprooted. One large tree fell on a house causing structural damage along with two injuries.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindNoel2 hurt, $20,000no account filed
April 1956Tornado (F1)not stated1 hurt, $25,000no account filed
March 1954Tornado (F2)not stated1 hurt, $25,000no account filed
August 1997Thunderstorm WindPineville1 hurt, $5,000Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and power lines in the county.
April 2026HailPineville$22,400,000Hail from nickels to hen eggs in size fell along a path from Pineville to Rocky Comfort as a developing and intensifying left moving supercell move to the northeast across the County. Along the storms path numerous homes, vehicles, businesses, equipment, crops, livestock and other structures were damaged by hail.
December 2015FloodAnderson$10,000,000At least 10 homes were flooded and there were numerous water rescues conducted. Several homes and business sustained flood damage. Numerous roads also suffered flood damage throughout the county. This storm report will contain the damage estimates for the entire county for this event.
April 2017Tornado (EF2)Goodman$1,000,000An EF-2 tornado hit the town of Goodman in McDonald County and continued northeastward into southern Newton County southeast of Neosho. Numerous homes and buildings were damaged. The school in Goodman was destroyed. The tornado started southwest of Goodman and ended on the southwest side of Granby.
April 2011Flash FloodPineville$1,000,000Emergency manager reported Highway W and Highway H just north of Pineville was closed due to high water.||The total cost estimate for flooding damages for McDonald County for this entire episode has been included. This includes roads, bridges, and structures which were affected.
April 2017Flash FloodPineville$750,000Several homes and business sustained flood damage across the county. Numerous roads and bridges were severely damaged or washed away across the county. This report will contain the total dollar estimate for flood damage to infrastructure, businesses, and homes across McDonald County.
June 2001Flash FloodCountywide$700,000no account filed
March 2008Flash FloodKlondike$500,000Six to six and a half inches of rain fell over McDonald County. Major flood damage occurred to county roads and bridges. All areas that typically experience flooding during periods of excessive rainfall were flooded.
January 2008HailNoel$500,000Wind driven golf ball sized hail fell damaging wind shields and homes in Noel and Southwest City.
January 2008Flash FloodSouth West City$500,000Training supercell thunderstorms caused major flash flooding in countless locations of McDonald County. Numerous roads and low water crossings were washed away. A picket fence two miles south of Noel along Higwhay 59 was completely washed away and destroyed.
October 1993Tornado (F2)Longview to$500,000A tornado touched down near Highway 76 around Longview and lifted near Rocky Comfort. Six chicken houses were destroyed killing approximately 60,000 chickens. Three houses and two barns were also damaged.
January 2008Tornado (EF1)Mountain$300,000A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in rural southeast McDonald County, and tracked northeast into rural southwest Barry County. Numerous trees and a few structures were heavily damaged or destroyed.
May 2011Flash FloodNoel$250,000Highway 59 north of Noel was washed away.
May 1959Tornado (F2)not stated$250,000no account filed
July 2015Flash FloodJacket$200,000State Route KK at Big Sugar Creek was flooded and closed. This storm report will contain the overall flood damage estimates across McDonald County for this storm event. There were several episodes and heavy rainfall events which led to a compound affect to the flooding damage. Numerous roads, bridges, and low water crossings were heavily damaged.
May 2017Tornado (EF1)Caverna$100,000A brief EF-1 tornado touches down along Golf Ridge Road in southeastern McDonald County. The tornado was about one mile long and up to 100 yards wide. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. Several homes had damage with windows knocked out and roof damage. One home had half the roof blown off. Estimated maximum winds were up to 95 mph.
April 2015Thunderstorm WindLanagan$100,000A NWS storm survey found straight line wind damage for about 1.5 miles along Highway H west of Pineville. There were about 100 trees snapped or uprooted. One barn had the roof ripped off. One barn had the side of the structure buckled in. One tree fell on a pickup truck.
May 2011HailNoel$100,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindCountywide$100,000no account filed
May 2015FloodBethlehem$90,000Highway U was closed north of Mikes Creek south of Highway 76 because of flooding. There were several roads and low water crossings across McDonald County that sustained damage due to flood water. This report will contain the total damage estimates for the entire county.
July 2004Thunderstorm WindCountywide$75,000A derecho developed over southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma, and tracked across McDonald county during the early morning hours of July 4th. Sustained winds up to 75 mph were estimated from the National Weather Service storm survey. Numerous power lines and trees were downed along with random structural damage to homes countywide.
February 2001Thunderstorm WindAnderson$75,000no account filed
April 2009Thunderstorm WindAnderson$60,000Several buildings were damaged near the intersection of Highway 76 and Highway 59.
May 2009Thunderstorm WindCyclone$60,000A home was destroyed from a large tree falling into the house.
March 2021HailAnderson$55,000Hen egg size hail was reported in Anderson. Numerous cars suffered hail damage and a few vehicles had significant window damage.
April 2019Tornado (EF1)Sincoe$50,000A National Weather Service storm survey confirmed an EF-1 tornado that tracked a total of 12 miles from five miles southwest of Rocky Comfort in McDonald County to five miles northeast of Wheaton in Barton County, Missouri. The tornado was on the ground for approximately 22 minutes along its total track with maximum wind speeds estimated at 110 mph. The tornado tracked for six miles across northeastern McDonald County before continuing into western Barry County. As the tornado tracked across McDonald County a Missouri Highway Patrolman and Sheriff Department Deputy observed the tornado touch down along Carnell Road southwest of Rocky Comfort and intermittently cause light damage to trees before causing minor damage to the roof of an outbuilding along Chitwood Road. This tornado track continued into Barry County.
May 2017Tornado (EF1)May$50,000An EF-1 tornado touched down near the Newton County and McDonald County line southeast of Seneca. The tornado lifted near Highway DD and Eagle Drive. There was roof damage to several homes and outbuilding. Estimated maximum winds were up to 90 mph.
May 2011HailPack$50,000Emergency management reported golf ball size hail on Highway 43 about 3 miles north of Southwest City.
July 2001Flash FloodCountywide$50,000no account filed
October 1993HailJane$50,000no account filed
March 2020HailGinger Blue$45,000Tennis ball size hail was reported by the Tiff City Fire Department on Highway O just east of the Oklahoma state line. Six vehicles and a business roof suffered hail damage.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindAnderson$40,000Several trees and large limbs were reported down on power lines. At lease 3 separate fires resulted from the downed limbs and power lines.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindAnderson$35,000Report of a collapsed wall on a metal building.
March 2021HailAnderson$30,000Golf ball sized hail was reported in the down town Anderson area. Several vehicles suffered minor hail damage.
March 2021HailPineville$25,000Golf ball sized hail was reported. Minor roof and vehicle damage occurred.
June 2015FloodHavenhurst$25,000There was a water rescue of a stranded car on Cyclone Road in McDonald County. This storm report will contain the overall storm damage estimates across the entire McDonald County for this storm event. Several roads, bridges, and low water crossings were heavily damaged.
May 2009Thunderstorm WindAnderson$25,000Severe thunderstorm wind gusts destroyed the press box at the McDonald County High School football facility. The press box was blown into the bleachers as it tore into pieces.
March 2002Thunderstorm WindAnderson$25,000no account filed
April 2026Thunderstorm WindNoel$20,000A large tree was reported down on powerlines.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindCyclone$20,000A large tree was reported down on a home causing minor roof damage.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindSincoe$20,000Report of trees uprooted or snapped and a roof blown off.
April 2017Thunderstorm WindNoel$20,000A tree fell on to a house and car. There were no injuries.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindMt Shira$18,000Winds blew down a tree and snapped power poles 3 miles west of Pineville on Highway H.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindPineville$18,000Trees and power lines reported down.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindPowell$15,000Numerous trees were uprooted or suffered significant limb damage from high winds. A few outbuildings also suffered minor roof and siding damage.
April 2000Thunderstorm WindPineville$15,000no account filed
May 2000Thunderstorm WindCountywide$15,000no account filed

Mines and quarries

24 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 24 workings inside this county. 1 still produces and 23 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Stone, Crushed/Broken17
Zinc2
Lead, Zinc2
Iron, Lead, Zinc1
Bituminous, Iron1
Iron1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Unknown - IronIronPast Producer
Unknown - Iron & CoalBituminous, IronPast Producer
Unknown - Lead & Zinc & IronIron, Lead, ZincPast Producer
Unknown - ZincZincPast Producer
Unknown - ZincZincPast Producer
Unknown - Zinc & LeadLead, ZincPast Producer
Unknown - Zinc & LeadLead, ZincPast Producer
Armstrong & Cravens QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Jane QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Jeffers QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
John P Hughes QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Joplin-Elk River Stone Co QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Lanagan QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Lewis QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Madge Stone Co QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Mill Creek QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Railroad QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Truitt QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown - LimestoneStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown - LimestoneStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown - LimestoneStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown - LimestoneStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown - LimestoneStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown - LimestoneStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

The county's history books

58,890 words

One book written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 13 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.

Illustrated History of McDonald County, Missouri: from the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time (1897)

ChapterLength
Chapter 1: Location and Topography2,419 words
Chapter 2: Early Settlement776 words
Chapter 3: County Organization2,387 words
Chapter 4: Organization After the War931 words
Chapter 5: Townships3,867 words
Chapter 6: Towns and Villages8,932 words
Chapter 76,067 words
Chapter 81,373 words
Chapter 9: Accidents2,497 words
Chapter 10: Summary Justice2,343 words
Chapter 114,414 words
Chapter 12: Miscellaneous7,029 words
Biographical sketches15,855 words

Every populated place in the county

47

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.

The vanished settlements of McDonald 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.