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Pondera County, Montana

54 topographic sheets cover 31 settlements here, and 3 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

3 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Montana within the United States
Pondera County within Montana

What the record shows

  • 333 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 3 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 2 buildings and 1 site.
  • 1 of the 3 listings was added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 31 populated places in this county; 31 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

3

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
Conrad City Hallbuilding198080002429
Two Medicine Fight Sitesite197070000361
Valier Public Schoolbuilding198585000646

Wildfire, 1992 to 2019

104 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 104 of them, burning about 66,233 acres. 18 started naturally and 1 was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Equipment and vehicle use20
Missing data/not specified/undetermined19
Natural18
Recreation and ceremony15
Debris and open burning10
Fireworks8
Power generation/transmission/distribution5
Other causes4
Smoking3
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Arson/incendiarism1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
12 August 2015Natural53,640 acresHelena - Lewis and Clark National ForestSPOTTED EAGLE
11 August 2017Natural11,003 acresHelena - Lewis and Clark National ForestCRUCIFIXION
6 March 2005Equipment and vehicle use460 acresBlackfeet AgencyTRUCK
12 August 2015Natural335 acresBlackfeet AgencyDRY CREEK
13 August 2015Natural203 acresHelena - Lewis and Clark National ForestMOUNT POIA
5 September 2011Equipment and vehicle use150 acresBlackfeet AgencyOIL FIRE
6 August 2018Equipment and vehicle use100 acresCentral Land Officenot named
22 August 2016Equipment and vehicle use97 acresBlackfeet AgencyHOOT

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

Storms, 1956 to 2025

60 of 141 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 141 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 1 injury and about $5,520,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail76
Thunderstorm Wind48
Heavy Rain7
Flood6
Funnel Cloud2
Flash Flood2

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
July 1989Hailnot stated1 hurtno account filed
June 1994Thunderstorm WindValier$5,000,000no account filed
June 1994HailValier$500,000no account filed
June 1994Thunderstorm WindConrad$5,000no account filed
May 1993Thunderstorm WindValier$5,000no account filed
May 1993Thunderstorm WindConrad$5,000no account filed
May 1993Thunderstorm WindBrady$5,000no account filed
July 2025Thunderstorm WindConrad Arpt$500Peak wind gust of 52 mph resulted in a tree branch of 6 to 12 inches in diameter breaking off. Hail was the size of nickels.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindBrady-Ambient weather station. Sustained winds were 57 mph at the time of observation.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindBrady Woods Arpt-Ambient weather station. Sustained winds were 57 mph at the time of observation.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindBrady-An Ambient weather station reported a 69 mph wind gust.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindConrad Arpt-A 65 mph wind gust measured at Midway Colony MT Mesonet site.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindBrady-A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust measured on Wednesday evening at Brady NE Montana Mesonet site.
June 2024HailBrady-Golf ball sized hail was reported by the public on the s curve east of Brady on Brady rd.
June 2024HailBrady-The public reported golf ball sized hail along I-15. It was hailing long and hard enough, with low visibility, that vehicles had to pull over on I-15.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindBrady-Public weather station measured a severe caliber gust.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindValier-Public weather station measured a severe caliber gust.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindBrady-Trained spotter reports a partially broken power pole. Time was estimated by radar.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindBrady-An ambient weather sensor measured this strong gust.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindValier-A personal weather station measured a severe gust.
August 2023Thunderstorm WindValier-Measured via Ambient Weather.
June 2022Heavy RainDupuyer-Social media report.
July 2022HailConrad Arpt-Trained spotter reported hail upwards of 1 inch, with most being nickel-sized.
May 2020Heavy RainLedger-Rainfall total for 24 hours (7 AM Tuesday 5/19 to 7 AM Wednesday 5/20) was 1.75 inches.
April 2019Heavy RainBrady-A trained spotter reported a heavy rainfall of 1.86 inches at 6 W Brady.
June 2019HailValier-Pondera County Sheriff relayed a public report of golf ball size hail breaking windows on the north facing side of a home in Valier.
June 2019HailValier-Measured by a trained spotter 5 miles SE of Valier.
June 2019HailBrady-Quarter size hail west of Brady. Severe crop damage.
June 2019HailConrad-Lots of quarter to ping pong ball size hail up to 2 inches deep at mile marker 334 on Interstate 15 in the wake of a severe thunderstorm.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindBrady-Emergency management officials reported that a portion of a corrugated metal roof was blown off, with debris hitting a transformer and causing a power outage. The event time was estimated by radar.
March 2019FloodValier-The water came up really fast yesterday in the late afternoon. Slowed somewhat during the night but expecting increases again this afternoon.
March 2018FloodConrad Arpt-Law enforcement reported widespread snowmelt flooding in Pondera County. Exact extent of flooding unknown. Several roads were closed and there was also some flooding of outbuildings in the county.
June 2017HailValier-Storm chaser reported quarter sized hail.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindManson-Trained spotter reports tree blown down by thunderstorm outflow. Winds estimated around 60 mph.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindConrad-Public report of a temporary greenhouse tent destroyed at a grocery store.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindWilliams-Mesonet site reported a measured wind gust of 60 mph.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindConrad Arpt-Conrad Airport AWOS site reported a thunderstorm wind gust of 70 mph.
August 2014Heavy RainHeart Butte-Heavy rain, measuring over 1.00 inches in 1 hour, was reported.
June 2014Heavy RainHeart Butte-Heavy rain of about 1.31 inches in 24 hours was reported at the Heart Butte RAWS.
June 2014Heavy RainBrady-Heavy rain of about 1.98 inches in 48 hours was reported.
June 2014FloodValier-Emergency manager reported Spring Creek Road was washed out and had water running over it.
June 2013Heavy RainBrady-Heavy rain of 0.92 inches in one hour was reported 4 miles S of Brady, MT as a result of strong thunderstorms in the area.
June 2013HailBrady-Severe hail measuring 1.50 inches (approximately ping pong ball sized) was reported 5 miles SSE of Brady, MT.
June 2013Flash FloodBrady-Multiple public calls about flash flooding due to thunderstorms in the area. Water was reported flowing over portions of Interstate 15 near Brady.
July 2013HailValier-Hail measuring 1.75 inches (golf ball sized) was reported 5 mi SSW of Valier, MT. Windows were reported as being broken at a spotters residence.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindConrad-High winds measured at 64KT (73MPH) were reported 7 mi SSW of Conrad, MT.
July 2013HailBrady-Hail measuring 1.00 inches (quarter sized) was reported 6 mi W of Brady, MT.
August 2013HailHeart Butte-Hail measuring 1.00 inches (quarter sized) was reported covering the ground 1 mile NW of Heart Butte, MT.
June 2012HailBrady-Hail of 1.00 inches was reported 10 miles NE of Brady.
June 2012HailBrady-Hail of 1.00 inches was reported 4 miles NW of Brady.
June 2012HailLedger-Quarter sized hail, measuring 1.00 inches, was reported 7 miles ESE of Ledger.
June 2012HailBrady-Golf ball sized hail, measuring 1.75 inches, was reported 12 miles ENE of Brady.
June 2012HailConrad-Golf ball sized hail, measuring 1.75 inches, was reported 9 miles W of Conrad.
July 2012HailLedger-Thunderstorm generated golf ball sized hail, measuring 1.75 inches, 12 miles E of Ledger.
March 2011FloodConrad-Numerous road closures across Pondera county.
June 2011FloodDupuyer-Several area roads closed due to flooding including parts of U.S. Highway 89.
July 2010HailBrady-A thunderstorm dropped 1 inch diameter hail at Brady 7E.
July 2010HailBrady-A thunderstorm dropped 1 inch diameter hail southwest of Brady.
July 2010HailValier-A thunderstorm dropped 1.75 inch diameter hail at Valier 15NW.
July 2010HailConrad-A thunderstorm dropped 2 inch diameter hail at Conrad 7N.

Mines and quarries

14 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 14 workings inside this county. 1 still produces and 13 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Iron5
Titanium5
Sand and Gravel, Construction4
REE, Titanium2
Iron, REE2
REE1
Iron, Titanium1
Barium-Barite1
Uranium1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Blackbird 1-16 ClaimsUraniumUnknown
Iron-Titanium OccurrenceREE, Iron, TitaniumOccurrence
Unnamed LocationBarium-BariteOccurrence
Iron OccurrenceIron, REE, TitaniumOccurrence
Iron-Titanium OccurrenceIron, REE, TitaniumOccurrence
Iron-Titanium OccurrenceTitanium, Iron, REEOccurrence
Titanium-Iron OccurrenceTitanium, Iron, REEOccurrence
Conrad PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Oscar Mortenson SandSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Conrad DepositIron, TitaniumOccurrence
Dry Fork Marias PropertyIron, TitaniumProspect
Heart Butte DepositIron, TitaniumOccurrence

Every populated place in the county

31

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 Pondera 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.