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Lake County, Montana

73 topographic sheets cover 39 settlements here, and 9 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

9 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Montana within the United States
Lake County within Montana

What the record shows

  • 325 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 9 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 7 buildings and 2 districts.
  • 1 of the 9 listings was added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 39 populated places in this county; 39 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

9

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
Big Arm Schoolbuilding200707000816
Dayton State Bankbuilding201212000829
Fort Connah Sitebuilding198282003173
Kootenai Lodge Historic Districtdistrict198484002476
Don E. Olsson House and Garagebuilding200908001325
Polson Feed Millbuilding198080002423
St. Ignatius Missionbuilding197373001053
St. Joseph's Catholic Churchbuilding199999000345
Swan Lake Rock House Historic Districtdistrict198484002485

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

1,738 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 1,738 of them, burning about 46,064 acres. 513 started naturally and 70 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Recreation and ceremony549
Natural513
Debris and open burning217
Missing data/not specified/undetermined156
Equipment and vehicle use101
Arson/incendiarism70
Fireworks55
Power generation/transmission/distribution34
Smoking17
Misuse of fire by a minor12
Other causes7
Railroad operations and maintenance6
Firearms and explosives use1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
13 August 2012Equipment and vehicle use9,864 acresFlathead AgencyWEST GARCEAU
2 September 1998Arson/incendiarism7,038 acresLolo National ForestBOYER
28 July 2012Natural5,500 acresFlathead National ForestCONDON MOUNTAIN
9 August 2006Natural3,800 acresFlathead AgencyASHLEY LAKE
24 July 2007Natural3,045 acresFlathead AgencyGARCEAU
13 August 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined2,160 acresFlathead National ForestSOUTH FORK LOST CK
27 July 2013Arson/incendiarism1,570 acresFlathead AgencyFIRESTONE
30 August 2018Arson/incendiarism1,375 acresFlathead AgencyRATTLESNAKE

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

Storms, 1961 to 2024

60 of 111 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 111 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $894,800 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail48
Thunderstorm Wind46
Heavy Rain6
Tornado4
Lightning2
Flood2
Funnel Cloud1
Storm Surge/Tide1
Waterspout1

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 1993Thunderstorm WindSwan Lake$500,000Many trees were blown down with the loss of power and telephone.
July 2009LightningSt Ignatius$140,000A home in St. Ignatius was completely burned down and destroyed by a lightning strike.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindMoiese$50,000Multiple large, mature Colorado spruce and ponderosa pine trees were blown down along with smaller deciduous trees across the Mission Valley. Shingle damage also occurred on several homes with power outages in Pablo.
May 1994Thunderstorm WindSwan Lake$50,000no account filed
July 2007Thunderstorm WindPablo$30,000National Weather Service storm survey crew saw numerous trees and several power poles down along the storm's track. Two structures received roof damage. The damage observed was indicative of straight line winds. A flag pole was bent in half southwest of Polson. Based upon the damage observed, winds were estimated to be between 80 to 100 mph.
March 1991Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
March 2003Thunderstorm WindRonan$20,000no account filed
May 2020Thunderstorm WindBig Arm$10,000Numerous tree damage led to power outages and blocked roadways. Damage was noted on both sides of Flathead Lake, but damage was most concentrated near Polson, Dayton, and Finley Point.
March 2013Thunderstorm WindPolson$8,300A 72 foot, 26 inch diameter Douglas Fir fell down from very strong thunderstorm winds and crashed onto owners' house. Soil moisture was relatively dry, but as seen in photo much of the branches on the trunk except at the top had already been cut off before this event. A forester examined the tree and found that its roots had been cut on the west side of the tree before the event.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindSwan Lake$8,000Sheriff reported 30 trees blown down over Highway 83 10 miles northwest of Condon.
July 2007Tornado (EF0)Pablo$8,000The public reported a tornado 10 miles west northwest of Pablo and also a waterspout over Flathead Lake north of Polson. In addition, a sail boat (located on the Flathead County/Lake County line) was spun around at least once in a counterclockwise direction and then sank.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindSwan Lake$6,000The Lake County Emergency Manager reported trees blown down on Highway 35 near Blue Bay along Flathead Lake.
July 2010HailCharlo$6,000A trained spotter relayed that their neighbor received golf ball sized hail that left dents in their car and caused damage to their corn crop.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindSt Ignatius$5,000A lot of trees down around St. Ignatius. The wind picked up a turkey pen and flipped it upside down. Trees and power lines were also downed in Kicking Horse and Polson.
August 2022HailMoiese$5,000Ping pong size hail, very heavy rain, and gusty winds were reported at the National Bison Range. A hay crop was destroyed near St. Ignatius. Hail damaged an RV roof.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindRonan$5,000Several live trees were uprooted as thunderstorm outflow winds moved from southwest to northeast across the Mission Valley. Power outages and one report of minor vehicle damage from a falling tree branch were reported.
July 2008HailCharlo$5,000Car dealership 5 miles south of Ronan reported 0.88 inch hail and damage to vehicles in the car lot.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindSwan Lake$5,000Public reported widespread tree damage near Lion Creek northeast of Condon. Many spruce trees 1.5 feet in diameter snapped.
May 2023Tornado (EF0)St Ignatius Arpt$2,000A thunderstorm moved through the Mission Valley, near St. Ignatius and produced a tornado as confirmed by multiple public reports and social media pictures. It briefly touched down and caused some minor property damage. Metal roofing was torn off a farm outbuilding, and minor shingle damage occurred at a house.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindCharlo$2,000A 25 foot power pole was snapped by the wind in Charlo, MT. The wind was strong enough to make it difficult for resident to open his front door.
July 2022HailRollins$1,000A spotter in Bigfork, MT sent in a photo showing 1 1/2 inch hail. Near Lakeside on Flathead Lake a cherry orchard reported a total loss of their cherry and apple crop from 125 trees, and they had to replace all their screens on one side of the house and a larger cherry producer in Bigfork reported a total loss.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindDayton$1,000Estimated winds to 60 mph caused waves to 4 feet on Flathead Lake and power outages in the Dayton area.
June 2016Heavy RainCharlo$1,000A resident in Charlo, MT reported 0.80 inches of rain in 10 min with minor street flooding.
August 2015Thunderstorm WindSt Ignatius$1,000Power lines and trees were downed by the wind. One of the trees that was knocked over was 18 inches in diameter.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindRollins$500A trained spotter from Woods Bay reported power outages with at least one tree snapped in half.
August 2024HailMoiese-The public reported two rounds of hail in and around the Bison Range. They reported wind gusts to 53 mph with the first round of hail.
August 2024HailSwan Lake-The public measured 1.5 inch hail near Ferndale east of Big Fork.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindArlee-A person from the public reported that there were dozens of trees down on forest service roads east and northeast of Arlee.
July 2022HailElmo-There was a report of 1.25 hail from a storm that traversed the southern portions of Flathead Lake. Two greenhouse businesses in Jette, MT reported nickel size hail, or 7/8. A greenhouse received significant damage.
July 2022HailRollins-This storm that moved generally from Lakeside northeast to the Flathead Valley just north of Echo Lake produced two reports of 1 inch hail. One of those reports was from Somers and the other along HWY-35 just north of Bigfork, MT.
July 2022HailCharlo-One inch hail was reported in Charlo, MT.
July 2022HailRavalli-Two reports of large hail were received, one of .88 around Ravalli ,MT and the second of 1 just south of Ninepipes Reservoir.
July 2022HailPolson Arpt-Both the Flathead Bio Station and a spotter 13 mi northeast of Polson reported 1/2 inch hail, resulting in unknown quantity of plant and leaf damage.
June 2022HailSouthern Cross-A Facebook report of 1.00 inch hail in Arlee.
June 2020HailBig Arm-A photo on social media showed several hailstones that were a little larger than a quarter. Also hail was reported to have accumulated several inches in the storm's path.
September 2019Heavy RainPolson-General rainfall of 1 to 2 inches fell across parts of the Flathead and Mission valleys eastward to the Continental Divide. Heavier amounts of 3 to 4 inches fell locally on the east side of Flathead Lake and in the Mission Mountains, which were near record 2-day totals for the month of September. Also, minor debris flows were noted on Hwy 35 between Bigfork and Polson with some water into the Bigfork after-school building.
March 2014FloodRound Butte-A driveway was completely washed out by a flood, presumably caused by snowmelt and very warm temperatures.
July 2013HailRollins-A trained spotter on the east side of Flathead Lake reported an estimated 1 hail with no damage to cherry trees.
July 2013HailMoiese-A thunderstorm outflow boundary triggered another cell that grew in strength over higher terrain west of Moiese. This thunderstorm produced hail one inch in diameter, as reported by personnel at the National Bison Range.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindDayton-A NWS employee reported trees bending with one large tree blown down. The waves on Flathead lake were the highest she had ever seen.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindSwan Lake-The highway department reported several trees blown down across highway MT-83 near mile marker 48.
October 2012Heavy RainSwan Lake-A spotter measured 0.34 inch rainfall in 1 hour.
October 2011Heavy RainRonan-Equipment at Ronan reported 0.89 inches of rainfall in 12 hours.
October 2011Heavy RainSt Ignatius-Rainfall of 0.91 inches was reported by a trained spotter.
July 2011HailRollins-Ping pong ball sized hail was measured at Yellow Bay.
July 2011HailRollins-The public reported 2 inch diameter hail that occurred for about three minutes at Yellow Bay.
July 2011HailArlee-A trained spotter NNW of Arlee measured 0.88 inch hail.
July 2011HailSt Ignatius-The public estimated 1.00 inch hail in Saint Ignatius.
July 2011HailBig Arm-The public measured 1.00 inch hail that covered the ground.
September 2011Tornado (EF0)Polson Arpt-A waterspout formed over Skidoo Bay and remained over water. No damage was reported.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindElmo-The public reported four trees blown down from thunderstorm winds at Lake Mary Ronan State Park.
May 2009HailPolson-Public reported nickel size hail and heavy rain from thunderstorm over the Irvine Flats area.
July 2008HailRonan-Spotter reported 1.50 inch hail 7 miles south of Ronan.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindPolson-The lodge owner in Wood's Bay reported an estimated wind gust to 60 mph about 1 mile east of town.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindSt Ignatius-An agrimet weather station reported a wind gust of 73 mph. In addition, numerous trees were blown down near McDonald Lake road. St. Ignatius experienced power outages.
June 2007HailSt Ignatius-A weather spotter reported hail stones up to one inch in diameter 6 miles north of St. Ignatius.
June 2007HailSt Ignatius-A weather spotter reported penny sized hail near St. Ignatius.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindRonan-Thunderstorm winds were reported to have blown down several trees and large limbs down onto power lines.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindRavalli-Severe thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree and several large branches in Ravalli.
September 2000Storm Surge/TideElmo-An arctic front from the north moved over Flathead Lake generating strong gusty winds to 50 mph. Winds over the lake generated waves from 6 to 10 feet high, which damaged docks and piers along the lake shore. Several boats also sank from high waves.

Mines and quarries

61 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 61 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 59 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction41
Silver6
Lead3
Copper3
Copper, Silver2
Stone2
Silver, Lead1
Gold, Copper1
Lead, Silver1
Lead, Silver, Copper1
Copper, Lead, Zinc, Silver1
Copper, Gold, Silver1
Lead, Copper, Silver1
Barium-Barite1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Chief Cliff MineLead, SilverOccurrenceVein
JumboSilver, Lead, CopperPast Producer
Jumbo MineSilver, Lead, Gold, CopperOccurrence1914
Silverstone MineCopper, Lead, Zinc, SilverOccurrenceVein
Unamed ProspectLead, Silver, Copper, QuartzProspect
Unnamed BariteBarium-BariteOccurrence
Unnamed Building StoneStone, DimensionOccurrence
Unnamed ProspectLead, Silver, CopperOccurrence
Unnamed ProspectsCopper, Gold, SilverProspect
Unnamed ProspectsLead, Copper, SilverProspect
Mosher ProspectCopper, SilverOccurrence1910
QuarryStoneUnknown
QuarryStoneUnknown
Swan Lake Copper - Silver OccurrenceCopper, SilverOccurrenceMalachite
Chief Cliff MineLead, SilverOccurrence
Mosher ProspectCopperPast Producer
Silverstone MineSilver, LeadOccurrence
Unamed LocationCopper, SilverOccurrence
Unnamed ProspectCopper, SilverProspect
Flathead Mines Inc.SilverPast Producer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Mission Valley ConcreteSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Polson Gravel ServiceSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Redi Mix Concrete Co.Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

39

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 Lake 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.