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Musselshell County, Montana

28 topographic sheets cover 19 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
Musselshell County within Montana

What the record shows

  • 124 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 2 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 buildings.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 19 populated places in this county; 19 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
Roundup Central Schoolbuilding200707001243
St. Benedict's Catholic Schoolbuilding198888001120

Wildfire, 1994 to 2020

137 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 137 of them, burning about 127,297 acres. 69 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Natural69
Missing data/not specified/undetermined56
Equipment and vehicle use9
Debris and open burning2
Misuse of fire by a minor1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
24 August 2012Natural40,085 acresBillings Field OfficeDELPHIA
2 September 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined30,030 acresMusselshell CountyBOBCAT
26 June 2012Natural22,045 acresBillings Field OfficeDAHL
8 September 1998Natural6,356 acresSouthern Land OfficeBURNT SHED
22 September 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined4,100 acresSouthern Land OfficeWILSON
14 July 2017Natural3,800 acresBillings Field OfficeNORTH DELPHIA
24 July 1999Natural3,500 acresMiles City Field OfficeHORSE THIE
28 March 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,700 acresMusselshell CountySUNSET

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

Storms, 1955 to 2025

60 of 324 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 324 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $6,241,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail230
Thunderstorm Wind45
Flash Flood26
Flood9
Funnel Cloud6
Tornado5
Heavy Rain2
Debris Flow1

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 2011FloodRoundup Arpt$6,000,000Persistent heavy rainfall combined with snowmelt in the mountains resulted in extensive and significant flooding along the Musselshell River and its tributaries, including the Roundup area where record flows were observed. The Musselshell River at the gauge at Roundup crested at a record of 14.78 feet on May 26th. As the water on the Musselshell rose quickly on the 26th, floodwaters quickly inundated the town of Roundup. Portions of Highways 12 and 87 were closed in and around Roundup with up to 8 feet of water covering the roads in spots. This completely cut off the town from surrounding areas for several days. Homes and businesses in Roundup were inundated by flood waters with water up to rooftop levels in some cases. 39 homes experienced major damage and were complete losses. Another 110 homes and businesses experienced at least minor flood damage. Four teenagers were rescued from the high waters after they disobeyed orders to stay out of the area and then became stranded. Further downstream on the Musselshell River, another 14 homes were damaged by the flood in the town of Musselshell. In all, hundreds of families were isolated due to the floodwaters and severely damaged roadways. Railroad tracks were reported as washed out in spots. Musselshell County was reported as one of the worst hit counties in the state of Montana.
July 1998Flash FloodRoundup$200,000A slow moving thunderstorm with heavy rain caused water to run over roads on the east end of Roundup. Over one inch of rain fell during a ten minute period. The Roundup Tribune reported that several basements were flooded.
May 1999Tornado (F0)Roundup$25,000Eyewitnesses reported seeing a funnel cloud pass over Roundup, and a tornado touchdown north of US12 1 mile east of Roundup. Several trees were downed, a chicken shed was demolished and several sections of wood fencing were destroyed.
August 1998Thunderstorm WindRoundup$10,000A strong thunderstorm downed several trees and a few power lines in and around Roundup.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindRoundup$3,0002.00 inch hail reported along with broken windows. A hay bale was blown 50 yards.
May 1986Tornado (F2)not stated$2,500no account filed
August 1999Thunderstorm WindRoundup$1,000Wind gusts to 60 mph damaged several large construction signs.
June 2025HailRoundup Arpt-One inch hail reported.
June 2025Funnel CloudRoundup Arpt-Corrects previous tornado report. Funnel cloud reported but no evidence of a confirmed touchdown.
July 2025FloodRoundup-Spotter reported flooding of drainage ditches and streets. Water flowing up over lawn at hospital in Roundup.
July 2025HailRoundup-Quarter size hail reported.
July 2025HailRoundup Arpt-Spotter reported trees stripped badly.
July 2025HailRoundup Arpt-Observer reported hail went through patio roof. Drifts of hail. Flooding into basement.
July 2025Heavy RainRoundup-Got 1.27 ins in 30 minutes. Flooding on property.
June 2023Flash FloodKlein-Some road damage was reported.
June 2023Flash FloodKlein-East Parrot Creek road was underwater. West Parrot Creek Road and other rural/private roads in the vicinity that contained culverts were nearly washed out.
July 2022Flash FloodRoundup Arpt-Numerous roads around US-87 were closed due to water over the roadway.
July 2022HailRoundup Arpt-Some windows were broken.
July 2020HailElso-Golf ball size hail fell from 410-420pm.
July 2020HailKlein-The average hail size was 0.5 inches and covered the ground.
July 2020HailMusselshell-A window was broken.
May 2019HailRoundup Arpt-Roofs and siding were damaged along with at least 6 solarium windows.
June 2019HailRoundup-Quarter size hail was reported 5 miles west of Roundup.
June 2019HailKlein-Quarter size hail was reported in Klein.
May 2018HailRoundup-Seven windows were broken in a home.
May 2018HailRoundup-Some broken windows were reported.
May 2018HailRoundup-There was widespread golf ball to tennis ball size hail in Roundup. Please see Episode Narrative for this event.
May 2018HailRoundup-There was widespread golf ball to tennis ball size hail in Roundup. Please see Episode Narrative for this event.
May 2018Flash FloodRoundup-Please see Episode Write-up.
May 2018HailElso-The hail was 2 inches deep on a deck.
May 2018HailElso-The hail was 2 inches deep on a deck.
June 2018Flash FloodMusselshell-The peak river stage of the Musselshell River at Roundup was 11.5 feet, a foot and a half above flood stage and the sixth highest crest on record. These high water levels moved downstream toward the town of Melstone where flooding was reported along Highway 12 between Roundup and Melstone. Bender Road was washed out between Log Cabin Road and County Road #4. In addition, Ragged Point Road was washed out approximately 9 miles up near the CRP Fields.
March 2014FloodRoundup Arpt-County officials reported low land and small stream flooding impacting portions of Musselshell County...mainly small creeks emerging from the Snowy and Bull Mountains.
March 2014FloodElso-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.
May 2013Debris FlowKlein-Flash flooding occurred in the Dahl Fire burn scar area, especially along the drainages on the western side of the burn area. Water flowed across Buckskin Road and flooding was also significant in the Harper Coulee.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindKlein-Large tree branches were broken.
June 2013HailRoundup-Pea to quarter size hail with winds estimated at 50 mph were reported.
June 2013HailRoundup-Pea to quarter size hail was reported.
June 2013Flash FloodDelphia-The County Emergency Manager reported flash flooding over the Dahl, Wilson, and Delphia Burn Scar areas. Water was running over private roads in the burn scar areas.
June 2013HailRoundup-Hail was quarter to half dollar size and was accompanied by 50 mph winds.
June 2013HailRoundup-Hail was nickel to quarter size and was accompanied by winds estimated at 70 to 80 mph.
June 2013Funnel CloudKlein-There were multiple funnel cloud reports.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindMusselshell-Numerous power poles were snapped.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindRoundup-Thunderstorm wind gusts brought down large tree branches.
July 2013HailRoundup Arpt-There was significant crop damage due to the hail and strong winds. The largest hailstones were estimated to be 3 inches in diameter, which is slightly larger than baseball size. Hail drifts were still 4 inches deep at 6 pm. Power outages also occurred in the area.
May 2013Flash FloodElso-There were numerous reports of flash flooding affecting all of the drainage's within the Dahl Fire burn scar area. Most of the private roads in the burn scar were reported as rivers and had severe erosion as most were over-topped.
May 2013Flash FloodDelphia-There were several reports of flash flooding within the Delphia Burn Scar area. Some area roads were affected by washouts.
July 2013Flash FloodKlein-Flash flooding again occurred across portions of the Dahl and Wilson Burn Scar areas with water running across many county roads.
June 2013Flash FloodElso-Flash flooding occurred along Buckskin Road near Harper Coulee in the Dahl Fire burn scar area.
June 2013Flash FloodKlein-There were numerous spotter reports and DES (Department of Emergency Services) reports of flash flooding along Halfbreed Creek south of Roundup near the Wilson Burn area. The DES also reported high water and debris over numerous roads in the Dahl and Wilson Burn areas.
June 2013Flash FloodElso-Significant flooding occurred on Dean Creek along the Golden Valley/Musselshell County line. Driveways and fences were destroyed.
June 2013FloodElso-Emergency Managers and trained spotters reported flooding and significant debris flows over and near the Dahl, Delphia and Wilson Burn Scar areas. The city of Roundup experienced street flooding. Many secondary roads in the area were washed out. Flooding also occurred on Dean Creek just southwest of Roundup resulting in damage to driveways and fences.
June 2013Flash FloodKlein-Several roads in the Dahl and Wilson Burn Scar areas were impacted by flash flooding, including Harper Coulee, Buckskin, Shortcut, Hampton, McCord and Aspen. Many private roads experienced significant erosion due to very heavy rainfall. Radar estimated 1 to 2 inches in an hour.
June 2013Flash FloodKlein-Flash flooding occurred across portions of the Wilson and Dahl Fire burn scar areas. Radar estimated between 1 and 2 inches of rain fell in an hour.
June 2013Flash FloodDelphia-Fast moving water, approximately 1 foot deep, flooded private roadways.
September 2013Flash FloodElso-Flash flooding was reported on the Dahl Burn Scar area with water running across numerous roads.
September 2013Flash FloodDelphia-Flash flooding was reported on the Delphia Fire Burn Scar area with water running across numerous roads.
September 2013Flash FloodElso-Water was reported running across county and private roads within the Dahl, Delphia, and Wilson Burn Scar areas.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindRoundup Arpt-A wind gust was estimated at 60 mph southwest of Flatwillow.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindElso-A wind gust of 60 mph was estimated southeast of Lavina.

Every populated place in the county

19

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 Musselshell 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.