Bolivar Public Library

Built in 1915. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

From the record

“Bolivar Public Library, also known as the Carnegie Library of Bolivar and Polk County Genealogical Society Library, is a historic Carnegie library located at Bolivar, Polk County, Missouri. It was built in 1915, and is a 1 1/2- to two-story, rectangular, brick building with Classical Revival style design elements.”
Wikipedia article Bolivar Public Library, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 4 National Register listings published here for Polk County · listed in 2003 · category: Building · built in 1915.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. 120 E. Jackson St., Bolivar, 65613
When was it listed? July 2003
Category. building
Township. Northeast Marion township
When was it built? 1915
National Register reference number. 03000652 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

26 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 26 fires within 5 miles of Bolivar Public Library between 1992 and 2020, burning about 160 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	19
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	3
Smoking	1
Arson/incendiarism	1
Recreation and ceremony	1
Equipment and vehicle use	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
7 September 1999	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Missouri Department of Conservation	not named
6 September 1999	Smoking	3.0 acres	Missouri Department of Conservation	not named
4 September 1995	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	3.0 acres	Missouri Department of Conservation	not named
29 September 1999	Debris and open burning	7.0 acres	Missouri Department of Conservation	not named
1 September 1995	Debris and open burning	2.0 acres	Missouri Department of Conservation	not named
18 April 2007	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office	not named
11 April 2002	Debris and open burning	2.0 acres	Missouri Department of Conservation	not named
9 March 2008	Recreation and ceremony	under an acre	Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office	not named

Every fire recorded in Polk County

Mines and quarries near this property

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Bolivar Public Library: 3 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Mcreynolds Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Unknown - Limestone	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Vilas Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer

Every working recorded in Polk County

Storms near this property

60 of 122 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Bolivar, the town this property stands in, in 122 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 50 thunderstorm wind, 47 hail, 16 flash flood, 5 heavy rain. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
April 2024	Hail	Bolivar	$9,550,000	Hail ranging from baseball to softball in size fell to the northwest, north and east of Bolivar. 200 homes at an average of $32,000 suffered damages to siding, roofs and windows, and 350 cars were damaged, many totaled.
April 2022	Hail	Bolivar	$5,500,000	Golf ball to tennis ball sized hail and 50 mph winds were reported in Bolivar. Approximately 150 homes suffered severe damage to roofs, siding and windows. An equal number of cars suffered significant damage, with most 2014 model year and older totaled by insurance companies. This damage figure accounts for all damage in Polk County, Missouri for this event.
April 2023	Hail	Bolivar	$3,000,000	Baseball sized hail was reported in town. Emergency management reported 170 houses suffered damaged along with numerous cars. This entry includes all damages reported in Polk County during this event.
April 2013	Hail	Bolivar	$500,000	There were reports of broken windows and damage to siding on homes. The estimated damage cost for the entire county including the city of Bolivar due to this storm will be in this event.
April 2024	Hail	Bolivar	$200,000	Hail to the size of golf balls was reported in the northern portions of Bolivar. Limited reports of damage to roofs and vehicles occurred.
April 2024	Hail	Bolivar	$200,000	Hail up to half dollars in size was reported. Minor damage to roofs and vehicles occurred.
April 2024	Hail	Bolivar	$120,000	Hail up to two inches in size was reported with minor roof and vehicle damage occurring.
April 2017	Flash Flood	Bolivar	$100,000	Numerous city streets including Highway 83 were flooded and impassable. Several homes and business sustained flood damage across the county. This report will contain the total dollar estimate for flood damage to infrastructure, businesses, and homes across Polk County.
June 2015	Flash Flood	Bolivar	$100,000	Numerous city streets experience minor street flooding. Numerous county roads and low water crossings were flooded and impassable. The Polk County Jail reported flooding into the building. This storm report will contain the overall storm damage estimates across the entire Polk County for this storm event. Numerous roads, bridges, and low water crossings were heavily damaged.
May 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$100,000	no account filed
April 2024	Hail	Bolivar	$80,000	Half dollar sized hail was reported. Some minor roof damage occurred.
June 2008	Flash Flood	Bolivar	$75,000	Excessive rain caused several homes and businesses to flood.
July 2021	Flash Flood	Bolivar	$60,000	Excessive rainfall caused flooding across the city of Bolivar. Some homes were flooded or had sewage water in their basements. Numerous roads were also flooded and impassable.
July 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$50,000	Three mobile homes were heavily damaged. A tree was blown down on another mobile home.
June 2005	Flash Flood	Bolivar	$50,000	Slow moving thunderstorms trained over central Polk County, including the city of Bolivar, causing major flash flooding in and near the city. Several roads and highways were closed. Water flooded a nursing home, along with several houses.
April 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$50,000	A local agricultural office reported numerous trees down and structural damage to homes and businesses.
September 1993	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$50,000	A metal storage building was wrapped around a utility pole and several carports were blown down or knocked of their foundation.
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$30,000	A storm survey was conducted northeast of Bolivar where a church suffered structural damage to its exterior wall. There was also roof damage and a collapse of an interior room within a large metal office building. Several trees in the same area were laying to the south, west and east. The damage was classified as thunderstorm downburst winds.
October 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$30,000	Power poles and lines were reported down causing power outages.
May 1998	Hail	Bolivar	$30,000	Golf ball hail damaged cars and roofs in town. Thunderstorms winds also downed trees and powerlines.
December 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$20,000	A few power poles and lines were reported down.
August 2002	Hail	Bolivar	$15,000	no account filed
May 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$10,000	A National Weather Service storm survey found straight line winds uprooted trees and overturned a construction trailer.
September 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$10,000	A communication tower was blown down.
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$10,000	Severe thunderstorm wind gusts downed a large tree onto a roof which caused damage.
May 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$10,000	no account filed
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$10,000	no account filed
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$5,000	A large tree was blown down on to a wooden fence and a storage building causing damage.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$5,000	Power lines and large limbs were blown down along Buffalo Road.
July 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$5,000	An outdoor shed was blown over and collapsed near Bolivar.
May 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$5,000	Two power lines were snapped off and over the roadway at Highway 83 and 425th Road.
May 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$5,000	A large sign was damaged.
May 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines.
April 1994	Hail	Bolivar	$5,000	Golf ball-size hail was reported along with wind gusts to 50 mph.
November 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$2,000	no account filed
March 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$1,000	Numerous large trees branches and several trees were blown down. A section of a wooden fence was blown down.
June 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$1,000	A large section of a wooden fence was blown down near Bolivar.
May 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$1,000	A large tree limb was blown down on to a powerline.
August 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$1,000	The emergency manager reported power lines down in Bolivar.
May 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds blew down many trees in the Foose area, along old Highway 65 and EE.
April 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$1,000	no account filed
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	$500	Tree limbs were downed by thunderstorms in Bolivar.
April 1994	Hail	Bolivar	$50	no account filed
September 1994	Tornado (F0)	Bolivar	$30	Two large barn doors ripped off, trees twisted off and deposited in pond several hundred yards away. Shingles lifted several hundred feet into the air. Report by K. Hargis, CD Director. Length and width is estimated.
April 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	-	A large tree was reported down blocking the road in town.
April 2024	Hail	Bolivar	-	Hail to the size of ping pong balls was reported northeast of Bolivar in a mainly rural area.
April 2024	Hail	Bolivar	-	Hail to the size of half dollars was reported.
April 2023	Hail	Bolivar	-	Ping pong ball sized hail was reported via MPing.
May 2023	Hail	Bolivar	-	Quarter sized hail was reported.
July 2023	Hail	Bolivar	-	Hail up to quarters in size was reported.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	-	Several trees and large limbs were reported down.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	-	The emergency manager recorded a wind gust of 70 mph on a private weather station.
April 2022	Heavy Rain	Bolivar	-	The Coop Observer reported a 24 hour rainfall total of 1.15 inches.
April 2022	Hail	Bolivar	-	Quarter sized hail was reported via MPing.
July 2021	Flash Flood	Bolivar	-	Flooding in town forced an ambulance to detour to reach its destination.
July 2020	Heavy Rain	Bolivar	-	The Mesonet station AV374 measure 2.61 inches of rain in an hour and a half.
April 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Bolivar	-	A large tree was reported down in town.
February 2019	Flood	Bolivar	-	Missouri Highway 83 northbound was closed due to flooding.
July 2019	Heavy Rain	Bolivar	-	A 24 hour rainfall of 2.00 inches was measured.
July 2019	Heavy Rain	Bolivar	-	A 24 hour rainfall of 1.15 inches was measured.

Every storm recorded in Polk County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

2 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph	Property	Distance	Listed
	First National Bank	under 500 feet	2013
	North Ward School	0.4 miles	2011

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 03000652 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Polk County	All 4 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
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.