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Golden Valley County, Montana

24 topographic sheets cover 13 settlements here, and 7 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

7 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Montana within the United States
Golden Valley County within Montana

What the record shows

  • 130 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 7 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 5 buildings, 1 district and 1 structure.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 13 populated places in this county; 13 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

7

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
Adams Hotelbuilding200505001377
Grace Lutheran Church of Barberbuilding198282003171
Lavina School Historic Districtdistrict2023100009087
Lavina State Bankbuilding200707001293
Musselshell River Bridgestructure2025100012496
Sims-Garfield Ranchbuilding198080002419
Slayton Mercantile Co.building200000001567

Wildfire, 1994 to 2020

48 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 48 of them, burning about 13,526 acres. 20 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Natural20
Missing data/not specified/undetermined18
Equipment and vehicle use6
Power generation/transmission/distribution2
Smoking1
Recreation and ceremony1

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 2008Natural3,558 acresNortheastern Land OfficeGOLDEN VALLEY COMPLEX
14 August 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined2,939 acresNortheastern Land OfficeANDERSON
14 May 2001Natural2,900 acresMiles City Field OfficeTWIN COULE
9 September 1994Natural870 acresNorth Central Montana DistrictSO SNOWIES
14 September 2020Power generation/transmission/distribution814 acresGolden Valley CountyMIDDLE
13 July 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined389 acresNortheastern Land OfficeSHERAUD
7 August 2005Natural295 acresNortheastern Land Officenot named
19 July 2013Missing data/not specified/undetermined264 acresNorth Central Montana DistrictTODD

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

Storms, 1964 to 2025

60 of 156 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 156 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $50,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail123
Thunderstorm Wind14
Flash Flood8
Flood6
Funnel Cloud4
Heavy Rain1

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 2011FloodSahara$50,000Persistent rainfall combined with snowmelt in the mountains resulted in significant flooding along the Musselshell River and its tributaries, including the Ryegate area. The Musselshell River at the gauge at Lavina crested at a record 14.04 feet on May 25th. Extensive lowland flooding resulted along the Musselshell River as well as its tributaries. As the water on the Musselshell rose quickly on the 24th, floodwaters quickly inundated Highway 12 east of Ryegate (Slayton Underpass) and at the height of the event, water was over Highway 12 in 3 different locations. Approximately 10 homes required evacuations due to the rapidly rising flood waters. One resident canoed in/out of their home for 2 weeks straight. Extensive flooding was reported in both Ryegate and Lavina where numerous homes and businesses were under water. A grocery store in Ryegate reported 3 feet of water both in and outside their business. Numerous roads were closed by floodwaters with many washing out. A bridge was also washed out east of Lavina. Flooding persisted into the month of June. Damage estimates were based only on individual assistance approvals through FEMA. No dollar amount was available for infrastructure losses.
June 2025HailRyegate-Time estimated by radar for hail.
July 2025HailFranklin-Reported by spotter.
June 2023Flash FloodRyegate-Flash flooding was reported in the town of Ryegate.
June 2023Flash FloodLavina Arpt-Numerous homes were reported flooded. In addition, water was reported flowing down Main Street.
May 2020HailFranklin-The hail lasted for 20 minutes.
March 2019FloodBelmont-Flooding occurred across much of the southeastern portion of the county. Granary, Pained Robe, Custer-Gultch, and Rothemay and Williams roads were washed out in many areas. Culverts were also washed out.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindLavina Arpt-Thunderstorm winds toppled a 12 foot elm tree.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindLavina Arpt-A very large Cottonwood tree was toppled. In addition, an alfalfa crop was destroyed by wind-driven hail.
March 2014FloodBarber-County officials and the Montana Department of Transportation reported significant flooding of streams and low lying areas across the area. The combination of rapid snow melt and ice resulted in high water levels along the Musselshell River from Harlowton to Shawmut...Ryegate and Lavina. In addition, some county roads were reported to be impassable.
March 2014FloodWallum-County officials and the Montana Department of Transportation reported small stream and low land flooding. Numerous roads and some highways were reported to have water flowing across them. The Montana Department of Transportation reported that Secondary 300 South of Ryegate off Highway 12 was closed because the bridge had washed away from the road.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindRyegate Arpt-Strong wind gusts were ahead of the approaching thunderstorm.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindRyegate-A lot of marble size hail accompanied the winds.
July 2013HailBarber-Some windows were broken.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindRyegate-Microburst winds estimated at speeds upwards of 75 mph occurred in the vicinity of Ryegate. The microburst was a quarter mile wide and a mile long with the majority of the damage occurring in the town of Ryegate. Several structures were impacted with mostly minor roof damage. Numerous trees were impacted as large tree limbs were downed and several large pine trees uprooted.
June 2011HailRyegate Arpt-A rancher reported the loss of 180 head of cattle as a result of running off a 200ft cliff to escape the hail.
June 2011Flash FloodRyegate-A thunderstorm producing between 5.00 and 5.5 inches of rain resulted in flash flooding and flooded homes in Ryegate.
June 2011FloodWallum-High flows along the Musselshell River from receding floodwaters from May quickly returned to flood as more heavy rainfall moved through the region. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches fell across most of Golden Valley County during the 6th and 7th of June. This caused rapid water runoff and more flooding similar to what was experienced in May. County officials indicated flooding in the town of Ryegate and water on Highway 12 near Ryegate. There were reports of several homes being flooded. In addition, a rancher 10 miles southwest of Ryegate received 5 inches of rain which washed out roads and caused flash flooding.
June 2011FloodSahara-Very heavy rainfall combined with high elevation snowmelt the second half of May 2011 maintained some flooding into June along the Musselshell River. See May 2011 Storm Data publication for details regarding the significant flood impacts and damage estimates on this particular flood event.
June 2010HailSahara-Hail covered the ground and a half an inch of rain fell.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindRyegate Arpt-An estimated wind gust of 60 mph was reported 5 miles south of Ryegate.
July 2009Flash FloodWallum-Heavy rain resulted in six inches of water to flow over the road at mile marker 127 on Highway 12. In addition, water also flowed over the roads south of Harlowton with cars reported to have hydroplaned on Highway 191 south of Harlowton.
July 2009Flash FloodWallum-Flooding was reported along Highway 12 from Ryegate to about 6 miles west of Ryegate near Barber. Water was flowing over the highway in spots. The flooding persisted until about 11 pm.
June 2008Funnel CloudRyegate Arpt-Two funnel clouds were reported five miles south of Ryegate.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindBelmont-Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph 7 miles south of Lavina.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindBelmont-Wind gusts of 60 mph were estimated 7 miles south of Lavina.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindRyegate-A mobile home was destroyed.
June 2007HailRyegate-Windows were broken by golf ball size hail.
June 2007HailBelmont-Crop damage was reported along with windows broken on the west side of the house. Hail drifts were also inside the house. Spotter also reported damaged windshields and roof. Estimated wind gust was 60 mph.
May 2005Heavy RainRyegate-1.05 inches of rain in 24 hours
May 2005Funnel CloudLavina-Strongly rotating wall cloud/mesocyclone noted by two observers near the Golden Valley/Musselshell County line 15 miles north of Lavina. The wall cloud extended as much as halfway down to the ground, but no tornado was reported.
July 2004Flash FloodRyegate-Flash flooding on a ranch 10-15 miles east-southeast of the Snowy Mountains took out fenches.
July 2001HailRyegate-Broken windows on car and house. Funnel cloud also spotted.
July 2001Flash FloodRyegate-Water covered a 1 mile stretch of roadway
August 1999Funnel CloudLavina-Funnel clouds were reported near Lavina.
August 1999HailLavina-Baseball size hail reported.
August 1999HailLavina-Golf ball size hail reported.
August 1999HailLavina-Quarter size hail reported.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindRyegate-Spotter estimated wind gust of 70 mph. Several large branches were downed in Ryegate.
June 1999HailLavina-Spotter report of dime size hail.
June 1999HailRyegate-Spotter report of dime size hail.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindLavina-A spotter reported a 60 mph wind gust.
June 1995HailRyegate-Two inch hail broke windows on a house and truck.
June 1995HailLavina-Two inch hail broke windows on a house and truck.
June 1995HailLavina-Two inch hail broke windows on a house and truck.
May 2023HailLavina-no account filed
July 2022HailFranklin-no account filed
July 2021HailLavina Arpt-no account filed
July 2021HailLavina-no account filed
May 2020HailFranklin-no account filed
May 2020HailRyegate Arpt-no account filed
May 2020HailRyegate-no account filed
May 2020HailLavina Arpt-no account filed
July 2020Thunderstorm WindBelmont-no account filed
July 2020HailBarber-no account filed
July 2020HailBelmont-no account filed
July 2019HailBarber-no account filed
July 2019HailRyegate-no account filed
July 2019HailRyegate-no account filed
July 2019HailFranklin-no account filed

Mines and quarries

3 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 3 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
Clay2
Copper1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Uncle SamCopperProspect
Cade RanchClayOccurrence
Minnemann RanchClayOccurrence

Every populated place in the county

13

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 Golden Valley 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.