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Carter County, Montana

43 topographic sheets cover 17 settlements here, and 2 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

2 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Montana within the United States
Carter County within Montana

What the record shows

  • 146 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 2 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 1 building and 1 district.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 17 populated places in this county; 17 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

2

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
First National Bank of Ekalaka and Rickard Hardware Store Buildingbuilding201515000815
Medicine Rocks State Parkdistrict2017100000539

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

532 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 532 of them, burning about 145,335 acres. 450 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Natural450
Missing data/not specified/undetermined33
Equipment and vehicle use32
Recreation and ceremony7
Debris and open burning6
Power generation/transmission/distribution3
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
30 August 2002Natural69,900 acresCuster Gallatin National ForestKRAFT SPRINGS
14 September 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined10,473 acresMiles City Field OfficeDUGAN
20 August 2000Natural8,000 acresMiles City Field OfficeCEDARBUTTE
31 October 1999Power generation/transmission/distribution7,800 acresEastern Land OfficeJOHNSTONE
17 September 2000Natural6,370 acresMiles City Field OfficeTOOKE
9 September 1994Missing data/not specified/undetermined5,000 acresEastern Land OfficeCUNNINGHAM
4 September 2002Natural4,277 acresEastern Land Officenot named
31 October 1999Equipment and vehicle use3,800 acresMiles City Field OfficeMILL IRON

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

Storms, 1954 to 2025

60 of 457 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 457 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $661,250 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail290
Thunderstorm Wind121
Tornado18
Funnel Cloud11
Flash Flood6
Heavy Rain6
Flood4
Wildfire1

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
May 2011FloodAlbion$320,000Record to near record flooding reported on rivers and streams across Carter County. A total of 10 homes were reported as damaged by floodwaters. Damage estimates were based on FEMA reports and Individual Assistance approvals. On Boxelder Creek, at it's highest levels, water was flowing across Highway 277 between Hammond and Ridgeway and across Highway 323 (3 miles north of Belltower) about a half mile wide in spots. On the Little Missouri River, record flooding was reported. Significant flooding noted in the Albion area where one individual had to be rescued as floodwaters surrounded their house. Two dams also breached due to the high waters. Widespread farmland flooding occurred along Thompson Creek in southern Carter County between Ridge and Alzada. Significant erosion and flooding occurred along numerous small stream tributaries all across the county due to the rapid rainfall rates, resulting in considerable damage to county roads. At one point, Hammond Road between Hammond and where it intersects Highway 323 just northeast of Ridgeway was flooded in 7 different places.
July 1978Tornadonot stated$250,000no account filed
April 2009FloodRidge$80,000Rapid snowmelt caused streams within Carter County to run high. In addition to Box Elder Creek, minor flooding was also reported along the Little Missouri River and other streams. Residents along Box Elder Creek from near Hammond to Ridgeway, Belltower and Mill Iron also experienced minor flooding. In addition, heavy rain showers resulted in additional rises to the streams. One rancher reported fence repairs totally $80,000.
August 1993HailAlzada$5,000no account filed
July 2000Thunderstorm WindMill Iron$3,000Tree damage with 60-70 mph winds
May 1986Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
May 1985Tornado (F0)not stated$250no account filed
June 1971Tornado (F1)not stated$250no account filed
July 1969Tornado (F1)not stated$250no account filed
April 2025HailEkalaka-Spotter reported 1.5 hail.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindEkalaka Arpt-Time estimated by radar for this report.
June 2025Funnel CloudBelltower-With quarter size hail .
June 2025HailEkalaka-Facebook report .
June 2025HailEkalaka-Hail report.
June 2025HailBelltower-Hail report.
July 2025HailMill Iron-Most pea size, but with the occasional golf ball size hail.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Mesonet station mtekl at 12.1 S Ridgeway.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindAlzada-Mesonet station mtalz at 2.3 E Alzada.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindAlzada-Recorded by weather station via mt dot.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindEkalaka Arpt-Weather station report.
May 2024Funnel CloudAlbion-A potential touchdown of a funnel cloud about 8 miles northeast of Albion was reported.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Weather spotter had a broken out window in his home.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Numerous power poles were snapped.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Winds were estimated at 60 mph.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Winds of 60 to 70 mph were estimated.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindBelltower-An estimated wind gust of 70 mph was reported 4 miles north of Belltower.
June 2023Funnel CloudRidgeway-A funnel cloud was spotted along Highway 323 at Mile Marker 50.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindRidge-Several barns and shelters were destroyed.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindEkalaka Arpt-A wind gust of 59 mph was recorded 7 miles southeast of Ekalaka.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindAlzada-A wind gust of 60 mph was reported in Alzada.
July 2019Flash FloodAlbion-The Little Missouri River had 3 to 4 feet of water covering it. Water covered much of the bulldozers that were putting in a pipeline. In addition, a temporary bridge was washed out.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-A wind gust of 61 mph was recorded 12 miles south of Ridgeway.
September 2019Thunderstorm WindEkalaka Arpt-Tree branches were broken.
July 2019Flash FloodCapitol-Flooding was reported on small creeks including Hackberry Creek. A large amount of hail was also reported.
July 2019Tornado (EF1)Ridgeway-During the early morning of July 19th at 12:44am, a tornado briefly touched down 3 miles northeast of Ridgeway in Carter County. The tornado was 100 yards wide and was on the ground for a half a mile. There was considerable damage to buildings on a local ranch. A shop building had 2 doors blown in and roof damage. Two other sheds had significant roof damage. Several metal rooftops were torn off and peeled back. A small garage was destroyed with a vehicle displaced inside, turned and moved by a couple of feet. In addition, several trees were snapped (approximately 1 foot diameter), with other smaller trees blown over or uprooted.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindEkalaka-A severe thunderstorm moved across portions of Carter County during the early morning hours on the 13th. Very intense straight line winds from this thunderstorm downed |30-35 large pine trees. In addition, a number of additional trees had limbs snapped.
March 2019FloodHammond-Many areas across the eastern half of the county experienced flooding. County Department of Emergency Services reported that two major tributaries flowing into Box Elder Creek and the Little Missouri River resulted in both of these waterways to flow out of their banks near Albion and Ekalaka. In addition, Highway 323 near Bell Tower was closed due to flood waters crossing the highway.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindHammond-An outbuilding was blown over and there was quite a bit of tree and garden damage from the wind.
June 2018Tornado (EF2)Capitol-The tornado was on the ground for 7 miles (approximately 24 minutes) from south of Capitol, Montana northeast into South Dakota. In Montana, the tornado path was 3 miles long with a width of 200 yards. Damage ranged from EF-1 at the initial touchdown, increasing to EF-2 just before the South Dakota border. Large tree limbs were downed and trees snapped. The damage became more widespread as the path approached the Little Missouri River. |The maximum wind speed during the life of the tornado was 136 mph (EF-3). The tornado ranged from 200 yards wide in Montana to a half mile wide in South Dakota.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindAlbion-A microburst occurred as a result of a severe thunderstorm. Two 30 inch diameter trees were uprooted. A barn roof and shed were lost and a horse trailer tipped over.
June 2018HailRidgeway-Extensive truck hood damage was reported.
June 2018Tornado (EF0)Ridgeway-The tornado was on the ground for 10 miles. No damage was visible from the tornado. However, EF-0 microburst damage was observed to the south of the tornado due to the rear flank downdraft; 2 trees uprooted, barn roof blown off, shed destroyed, and a horse trailer flipped over.
June 2018Tornado (EF0)Capitol-The tornado briefly touched down and reports indicated there was anti-cyclonic rotation. There were no reports of damage.
June 2018Tornado (EF0)Capitol-The tornado was on the ground across rural areas for four miles. There were no reports of damage with this tornado.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-Very strong wind gusts combined with half dollar size hail resulted in extensive crop damage, as well as broken windows to a home.
July 2017HailRidgeway-Very strong wind gusts combined with half dollar size hail resulted in extensive crop damage, as well as broken windows to a home.
August 2016HailRidgeway-Baseball size hail damaged homes, dented cars and damaged pasture ground.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindRidgeway-The storm took out a calving shed along with several windows in two homes. Other homesteads across the area also suffered some broken windows and siding.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindAlzada-Shingles were torn off a roof.
June 2015Tornado (EF0)Piniele-The tornado touched down briefly over open country.
June 2015HailHammond-The public reported softball size hail 2 miles north of Hammond on Crow Creek Road.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindMill Iron-A spotter reported 60 mph winds and downed tree limbs.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindHammond-A spotter estimated a 60 mph wind gust.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindEkalaka-Considerable damage occurred in the town of Ekalaka. The door from a newspaper building was blown off its hinges. An 80 foot tall 36 inch diameter Cottonwood tree was blown over along with numerous trailers being overturned. There was tree damage and power lines down all over town resulting in power outages. Other damages included blown down distribution poles and broken windows. In addition, four hangers and an enclosed private aircraft at the county airport suffered severe damage.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindMill Iron-A steel wheelbarrow was flipped over and some tree branches 3-4 inches in diameter were broken.
March 2014FloodAlzada-The Little Missouri River was reported to be out of its banks causing minor flooding across low-lying areas from near Alzada to Albion and Capitol.
June 2014Tornado (EF3)Capitol-A supercell thunderstorm developed very quickly in Eastern Carter County around 2:15 pm. The thunderstorm produced the first ever EF-3 rated tornado in southern Montana. The tornado first touched down at 2:27 pm around 13 miles southwest of Camp Crook, South Dakota, or about 10 miles southwest of Capitol, Montana. The tornado formed in the Sheep Mountains and eventually crossed Tie Creek Road as it moved slowly north. People lost site of the tornado as it entered Custer National Forest around 3:30 pm. ||The tornado was on the ground for an hour and traveled 10 miles and was reported to be a half mile wide at times. The tornado completely destroyed a trailer home, twisting and throwing debris over a mile. A small and old A-frame school house was completely destroyed, with debris blown 100 yards away, leaving only the basement behind. Six vehicles were picked up and tossed up to 200 yards. Around 20 power poles were snapped off with one pulled up out of the ground. In addition, 20 hay bales, weighing 3/4 ton a piece, were blown so far away that they were not recovered. A swath of trees on the north end of the track into the Custer National Forest was flattened by the tornado. There were no injuries or deaths from the tornado but two horses were killed. ||This was the strongest tornado ever recorded in the Billings National Weather Service area of responsibility.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindAlzada-A wind gust of 60 mph was estimated 3 miles NW of Alzada.
July 2014HailAlzada-Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindAlzada-Carter County dispatch reported an RV and another vehicle were blown off Highway 212 between mile markers 138 and 139.

Mines and quarries

38 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 38 workings inside this county. None of them still produces: all are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Uranium24
Sand and Gravel, Construction6
Aggregate, Light Weight6
Clay2
Lignite2

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Eastern Clay ProductsClayProspect
Foster MineClayPast Producer
Lewis Nos. 1-5Uranium, LigniteProspect
Maverick 1-2 ClaimsUranium, LigniteOccurrence
Gravel DepositSand and Gravel, ConstructionOccurrence
Gravel DepositSand and Gravel, ConstructionOccurrence
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Pot Hole Reservoir Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Site C Gravel PitAggregate, Light WeightPast Producer
Site D Gravel DepositAggregate, Light WeightOccurrence
Site E Gravel DepositAggregate, Light WeightOccurrence
Site H Gravel DepositAggregate, Light WeightOccurrence
Site I Gravel DepositAggregate, Light WeightOccurrence
Site K Gravel DepositAggregate, Light WeightOccurrence
Speelmon Site F Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed ProspectSand and Gravel, ConstructionOccurrence
Ekalaka HillsUraniumOccurrence
Ekalaka Lignite FieldUraniumOccurrence
Ekalaka Lignite FieldUraniumOccurrence
Long Pine HillsUraniumOccurrence
Northeast Long Pine HillsUraniumOccurrence
Richardson RanchUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
Richardson RanchUraniumOccurrence
Sand CreekUraniumOccurrence
School SectionUraniumOccurrence
UnknownUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
UnknownUraniumOccurrence
UnknownUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
UnknownUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
UnknownUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
UnknownUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
UnknownUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
UnknownUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
UnknownUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
UnknownUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
UnknownUraniumOccurrence
Vada Dee ClaimsUraniumOccurrenceStratabound
Vada Dee No. 2UraniumOccurrence

Every populated place in the county

17

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 Carter 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.