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Shelby County, Missouri

43 topographic sheets cover 25 settlements here, and 4 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

4 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
Shelby County within Missouri

What the record shows

  • 240 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 4 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 3 buildings and 1 district.
  • 4 of the 4 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 25 populated places in this county; 25 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

4

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
Benjamin Housebuilding197272000732
Bethel Historic Districtdistrict197070000350
Elimbuilding197171000477
Hebronbuilding197878001677

Wildfire, 1997 to 2020

25 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 25 of them, burning about 335 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning17
Missing data/not specified/undetermined5
Equipment and vehicle use2
Other causes1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
19 April 2018Debris and open burning101 acresMissouri Department of Conservation176812-10243-04192018-1936
6 April 2002Debris and open burning80 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
20 April 2018Debris and open burning43 acresMissouri Department of Conservation176811-10243-04202018-1106
17 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined32 acresMissouri Department of Conservation176814-10243-04172018-2010
26 January 2002Debris and open burning22 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
22 March 1997Debris and open burning15 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
27 January 2002Equipment and vehicle use7.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
4 March 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined7.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservation176754-10243-03042018-0906

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

Storms, 1950 to 2025

60 of 193 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 193 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 4 injuries and about $3,005,703 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind82
Hail60
Flash Flood24
Tornado21
Lightning5
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
October 2005LightningHunnewell2 killed, 1 hurtTwo men were killed and one injured by a lightning strike west of Hunnewell. The 3 men were doing road work near the bridge over the North Fork of the Salt River when the storm approached. They took shelter in a nearby shed, and when the storm appeared to let up, they headed for their vehicle. They were struck within a few feet of the vehicle. The men who died were killed instantly.
May 2002Flash FloodCountywide2 hurtno account filed
March 2017Tornado (EF1)Maud1 hurtTornado touched down on County Road 503, just south of the intersection with Highway Y. A barn was destroyed in this location with the damage rated EF1. The tornado tracked to the northeast causing scattered tree and building damage. As the tornado crossed County Road 426, just west of the intersection with Highway A, it destroyed a farm outbuilding. The tornado then crossed U.S. Highway 36 and hit the South Shelby High School. The school suffered minor roof damage, a couple of storage buildings were destroyed, and the baseball field backstop was destroyed. The press box was blown off the football field bleachers and destroyed. One home just northeast of the high school had a portion of its roof blown off. Intermittent tree and farm outbuilding damage continued until about 5.2 miles northeast of Shelbina. One injury occurred. A man was cut on the forehead by flying debris and required stitches. Overall, the tornado was rated EF1 with a path length of 18.47 miles and max path width of 150 yards.
April 1975Tornado (F4)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
August 2025Tornado (EF1)Leonard$105,000A brief EF-1 tornado touched down just east of Leonard and moved northeast. The tornado caused damage to farm structures, homes, and trees along its short track before dissipating just west of Highway BB.
June 2008LightningShelbyville$100,000The communications tower at the county courthouse in Shelbyville was struck by lightning damaging computers for the 911 system and the sheriff's office, radio consoles, and various other electronic equipment. Damage is estimated around $100,000.
August 2025Tornado (EF1)Leonard$90,000A brief EF-1 tornado struck a farm just northeast of Leonard, MO on Shelby 129.
June 2001LightningClarence$50,000A lightning strike is believed to have been the cause of a fire that destroyed the building of an antique business in Clarence.
August 1986Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
April 1974Tornado (F3)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 1970Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
March 1963Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 1962Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
May 1995Thunderstorm WindShelbyville$8,500The county sheriff reported numerous windows broken and large tree limbs down in Shelbyville from high wind gusts. As the storms moved south, four barns were heavily damaged south of town. Numerous large trees across the county were blown over as well.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindClarence$5,000Thunderstorm winds blew a large tree branch onto a home causing minor roof and eave damage.
June 1996Thunderstorm WindBethel$5,000no account filed
August 1996LightningShelbyville$5,000no account filed
April 1963Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 1957Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 1950Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
July 2008LightningShelbyville$2,000Lightning struck the county courthouse for the fourth time since June 4th of this year. This time it knocked out part of the 911 capabilities, along with other software and computers throughout the courthouse.
June 2008Flash FloodCherry Box$1,000Over 3 inches of rain fell on Shelby county on already saturated soils. This caused widespread flash flooding. Numerous secondary roads were flooded including Highway 151 north of Clarence, Highway N north of Lentner, and Highways K and 15 near Shelbyville.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindShelbina$500Large tree limb blown down on north side of town.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindShelbyville$500The county sheriff reported large trees down just west of Shelbyville. Numerous trees were also blown down with wind gusts estimated at 70 mph along the shores of Hunnewell Lake.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindHunnewell Lake$500The county sheriff reported large trees down just west of Shelbyville. Numerous trees were also blown down with wind gusts estimated at 70 mph along the shores of Hunnewell Lake.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindShelbyville$203The county sheriff reported numerous windows broken and large tree limbs down in Shelbyville from high wind gusts. As the storms moved south, four barns were heavily damaged south of town. Numerous large trees across the county were blown over as well.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindLeonard-Thunderstorm winds downed 4 inch branches between Leonard and Highway J just east of Highway W.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindBethel-A backyard anemometer recorded a 58 mph wind gust. Minor tree damage was reported along with the gust.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindBethel-Large limbs were blown down.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindShelbina-A large tree snapped near its base on Highway 15 near Shelbina Lake. Another tree fell behind Ayerco. Power was reportedly out in Shelbina and Hunnewell.
April 2024HailClarence-Clarence Police Department reported dime to quarter sized hail falling.
October 2024Thunderstorm WindClarence-Thunderstorm winds caused a 4 to 5 inch diameter tree to fall across Hwy Z. Steel truss metal and lumber was also reported across Hwy 151.
April 2023HailClarence-A wide swath of large hail fell from Clarence northeastward through Bethel.
June 2023HailLentner-A wide swath of large hail up to golfball size fell across the southern portions of Shelby County.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindClarence-Thunderstorm winds blew down several large trees around town.
April 2021Thunderstorm WindShelbyville-Thunderstorm winds tore a screen door off of a house, uprooted a large tree, and snapped off numerous tree limbs. Also, the winds caused minor damage to a machine shed and knocked down a dog pen.
April 2021Thunderstorm WindShelbina-Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs around town. Also, several sheds and outbuildings sustained minor to moderate damage.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindBethel-Thunderstorms winds blew down several trees and tree limbs between Bethel and Shelbyville. In Shelbyville, one tree fell onto a house and vehicle. No injuries were reported. Also, several trees were blown over onto Highway 15 about two miles south of Shelbyville.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindShelbina-Thunderstorm winds caused damage to a farmstead on the north side of Highway WW near intersection with County Road 425, southwest of Shelbina. The barn roof was torn off and an empty semi trailer was blown over onto a pickup truck. The barn door was also torn off and thrown a quarter of a mile south (into Monroe County). In Shelbina, several large trees and numerous tree limbs were blown down around town. One large tree landed on a house causing major damage. A large tree limb fell onto a pickup truck causing damage.
June 2021Tornado (EFU)Shelbina-A brief tornado was observed touching down in a field southwest of Shelbina. The tornado was on the ground less than a minute and did no damage. The tornado was rated EFU with a path length of approximately 0.10 miles and a path width of 10 yards. No damage was reported.
June 2019HailLakenan-It hailed for at least 5 minutes with a lot of quarter sized hail stones along U.S. Highway 36 near State Highway T. Many people on the road had to pull over to wait the storm out in this area.
May 2019Flash FloodCherry Box-Up to four inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded including Highway J just west of the intersection with Highway W, Highway W south of intersection with Highway J, and Highway K just west of Shelbyville.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindCherry Box-Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees and tree limbs across northern portions of the county. In Bethel, a power pole was snapped off.
May 2019Flash FloodCherry Box-Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding county wide. Numerous roads were flooded and the county government office had flooding issues.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindKellerville-Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off of a machine shed. Some pieces of the roof were blown 200 yards away into the nearby cornfield. This occurred about two miles south of Kellerville, MO.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindShelbyville-Thunderstorm winds blew over a large tree onto a house causing moderate damage.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindOakdale-Scattered wind damage extended from 3 miles west southwest of Emden to Emden. Numerous tree limbs were blown down. In Emden, several trees were blown down around town. One tree caused moderate damage to one building. Just north of Emden, there was one outbuilding that sustained minor roof damage.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindBethel-Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs around town.
June 2017Flash FloodMaud-Up to 6 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding, especially across the southern half of Shelby County. Numerous roads were flooded including Highway 15 at the Salt River Bridge and U.S. Highway 36 at various locations both east and west of Shelbina. In Shelbina, numerous roads were closed due to flash flooding.
August 2016Flash FloodBethel-Up to 5 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded across the western half of the county. Route K was flooded at the intersection with County Road 237. Also, U.S. Highway 36 was flooded just east of Clarence.
April 2016Tornado (EF0)Emden-A weak tornado touched down south side of Emden and moved northeast destroying several outbuildings, uprooting large trees and damaging a church. The tornado continued northeast causing minor tree damage and structural damage to a property one mile northeast of town before dissipating. The tornado was rated EF-0 with a path length of 0.85 miles and a max path width of 75 yards.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindBethel-A line of severe storms blew down numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines, especially between Bethel and Shelbina. Some of the trees blocked US Highway 36 in Shelbina.
July 2016Flash FloodHagers Grove-Up to 3 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding. Several roads were flooded including U.S. Highway 36 southwest of Shelbina and at the intersection of Highway 151 and Highway K.
June 2015Flash FloodMaud-Up to four inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding. Numerous primary and secondary roads were flooded. Also, several vehicles were off the highway and partially submerged along U.S. Highway 36 and Highway 15 near Shelbina. No injuries or deaths were reported.
October 2014Thunderstorm WindShelbina Arpt-Thunderstorm winds caused damage to the bleachers and backstop at South Shelby High School.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindEpworth-Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large tree limbs between Bethel and Shelbyville. Also, a large tree was blown across a gravel road 3 miles southwest of Bethel. Some shingles were blown off of a house 5 miles north of Bethel.
April 2013Flash FloodMaud-Up to five inches of rain fell over Shelby County in a short amount of time causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded including Highway 151 just north of Clarence.
February 2012Thunderstorm WindCherry Box-Thunderstorm winds blew down a machine shed as well as numerous large tree limbs and a fence in Cherry Box.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindBethel-A intense bow echo moved through the area, blowing down numerous large trees, tree limbs and power lines. Several power poles were snapped as well.
June 2011Tornado (EF1)Shelbina-The first tornado formed near Elm Street and Douglas Avenue, north of U.S. Highway 36 at approximately 1245 a.m. CDT. The roof and walls of a corrugated steel building buckled on the west and south sides, along with a portion of the roof. The tornado moved across U.S. Highway 36 and destroyed three unoccupied house trailers. Debris was tossed about 100 yards from the trailers. The tornado continued to move east-southeast and caused roof damage to the town power and water plants on Chestnut Street west of Shelby Street. A portion of the gables holding the roof of the power plant was uplifted and tossed approximately 50 yards to the east. Much of the water plant's roof was removed and tossed 40 to 50 yard to the east. The tornado then caused minor roof damage on homes and snapped numerous large trees about 10 to 20 feet from the base. Some of the large branches fell on top of vehicles. The tornado then caused extensive damage to the roof of the two story town museum on Center Street (Highway 15). Several bricks fell to the ground from the top of the museum roof. Additional tree damage was found east and southeast of the town museum building. The path length was 1.15 miles with width varying between 50 and 70 yards. The tornado was rated an EF1.

Mines and quarries

13 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 13 workings inside this county. 3 still produce and 10 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Stone, Crushed/Broken11
Clay2

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Cluskey Pottery PitClayPast Producer
Huggins PitClayPast Producer
Central Stone Co QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
O'Laughlin Quarry and MillStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
O'Lauglin Quarry - PlantStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
UndwnStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

The county's history books

348,837 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.

General History of Shelby County, Missouri (1911)

ChapterLength
Chapter with an unread heading (no. 1 of those read)13,443 words
Chapter 33,989 words
Chapter 46,357 words
Chapter 55,519 words
Chapter 610,207 words
Chapter with an unread heading (no. 6 of those read)4,238 words
Chapter 84,752 words
Chapter 916,279 words in 2 parts
Chapter 115,611 words
Chapter 126,977 words
Chapter 147,622 words
Chapter 159,747 words
Biographical sketches254,096 words in 16 parts

Every populated place in the county

25

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.

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.