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Toole County, Montana

48 topographic sheets cover 21 settlements here, and 6 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

6 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Montana within the United States
Toole County within Montana

What the record shows

  • 182 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 6 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 5 buildings and 1 structure.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 21 populated places in this county; 21 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

6

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
Bethany Lutheran Churchbuilding199393001375
Kevin Depotbuilding198080002433
Marias River Bridgestructure201212000173
Rainbow Conocobuilding199494000866
Shelby Town Hallbuilding200606000040
US Customs Buildingbuilding199191000152

Wildfire, 1998 to 2020

75 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 75 of them, burning about 882 acres. 5 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Equipment and vehicle use29
Missing data/not specified/undetermined17
Debris and open burning6
Power generation/transmission/distribution5
Natural5
Railroad operations and maintenance4
Smoking4
Fireworks2
Recreation and ceremony1
Other causes1
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
26 August 2017Equipment and vehicle use200 acresCentral Land Officenot named
30 September 2020Equipment and vehicle use150 acresToole CountyTOMSHX INC
25 August 2020Equipment and vehicle use100 acresToole CountyKW FIRE
4 November 2018Recreation and ceremony65 acresCentral Land Officenot named
8 December 2017Smoking50 acresCentral Land Officenot named
26 July 2020Equipment and vehicle use45 acresToole CountyMONROE
7 July 2018Equipment and vehicle use35 acresCentral Land Officenot named
17 August 2018Railroad operations and maintenance25 acresCentral Land Officenot named

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

Storms, 1957 to 2025

60 of 143 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 143 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $48,030 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind66
Hail58
Tornado6
Flash Flood5
Heavy Rain5
Flood2
Funnel Cloud1

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
June 2000Thunderstorm WindShelby$15,0001.5 inch hail...gust to 60kt...roof/siding damage to homes...wind damage to shed.
July 1998Flash FloodShelby$10,000no account filed
July 1994Thunderstorm WindShelby$5,000no account filed
July 1994HailEthridge$5,000no account filed
May 1993Thunderstorm WindConrad$5,000no account filed
June 1991Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
May 1982Tornado (F2)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 2000Thunderstorm WindShelby$2,0001.5 inch hail...gust to 52kt.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindOf Shelby$1,000A wind gust to 124 mph was recorded at the Hillside Hutterite Colony. The winds toppled an empty grain bin. The exact time and location have been estimated.
May 1982Tornado (F0)not stated$30no account filed
July 2025Thunderstorm WindSweetgrass Ross Arpt-Ambient Weather station in Sweet Grass measured a 61 mph gust.
July 2025HailSunburst Arpt-One inch hail reported from mPING.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindDevon-Mesonet station GW5346 Devon Three West measured a 59 mph wind gust.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindGalata-Bootlegger S CG SW Mesonet peak gust.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindEthrdg Torgerson Arp-Mesonet station GW1987 Ethridge 3 SE measured a severe caliber gust.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindSweetgrass Ross Arpt-Mesonet station MTWST Sweetgrass DOT sensor measured a sever caliber gust.
June 2022Heavy RainKevin-Dw0975 Kevin.
June 2022Heavy RainShelby Arpt-Gw0664 Shelby Airport.
August 2022HailShelby Arpt-Pictures were received from a farmer in Toole county showing numerous nickel to quarter sized hail stones.
September 2022Thunderstorm WindSunburst-Mesonet station MTSUN (Sunburst) reported 50 knot wind gust.
September 2022Thunderstorm WindSweetgrass Ross Arpt-Mesonet station MTSWT Sweetgrass reported 50 knot wind gust.
September 2022Thunderstorm WindKippen-Trained spotter reported a 73 mph wind gust. Time estimated via radar.
September 2022Thunderstorm WindKippen-Ambient weather station E of Kippen reported 70 knot wind gust.
September 2022Thunderstorm WindSunburst-Mesonet station FW8513 Sunburst reported 59 knot wind gust.
September 2022Thunderstorm WindKippen-Mesonet station GW0659 Grassy Butte 2SE reported 59 knot wind gust.
July 2022HailShelby Arpt-Trained spotter reported golf ball sized hail (1.75 inch) near Welker Farms, just NE of Shelby. Damaged crops.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindHellinger-Mesonet station gw0799 Galata 12 NNE.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindShelby Arpt-Gust measured at Shelby Airport.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindShelby Arpt-Gust measured via an Ambient sensor.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindHellinger-Measured via an Ambient sensor.
July 2022HailNaismith-Trained spotter reported 1 inch hail over a 30 minute period 12 miles E of Ledger.
July 2022HailKippen-Trained spotter reported up to quarter sized hail (1 inch) 9 miles E of Ferdig.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindKippen-Gust measured via an Ambient sensor.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindKevin-Mesonet station DW0975 near Kevin measured 58 mph wind gust.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindGalata-Mesonet station at 10 NNE Galata measured a 56 kt (64 mph) thunderstorm wind gust.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindShelby Arpt-Toole County Airport measured a 52 kt (60 mph) thunderstorm wind gust.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindGalata-Measured by ambient weather station.
April 2018FloodDunkirk-KRTV reported a high water rescue along US-2 near Dunkirk. Exact location unknown, but rescue occurred around 12 AM MDT on April 19th. Good Samaritan rescued woman from her car after it became stranded in floodwaters.
June 2018Flash FloodShelby-Facebook video of flash flooding at and near the US-2/I-15 interchange in Shelby. Some cars stalled in the floodwater.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindSunburst-MT DOT sensor 6-miles NNW of Sunburst reported 62-mph peak gust from thunderstorm.
June 2017HailEthridge-Public report of quarter sized hail south of Ethridge near Potter Road.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindShelby Arpt-Trained spotter reported 2 semis and 1 camper blown over along I-15 north of Shelby.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindSunburst-Sunburst DOT sensor recorded a gust of 83 mph.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindShelby-Trained spotter reported a severe wind gust that caused sheet metal to wrap around pole.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindShelby Arpt-Law Enforcement reported a double semi-trailer blown over at Mile Marker 358 along Interstate 15.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindHellinger-Mesonet station reported 75 mph wind gust.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindKippen-Mesonet station reported severe wind gust of 58 mph.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindHellinger-Mesonet site reported a measured thunderstorm wind gust of 58 mph.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindOilmont-Trained spotter reported severe wind gust of 62 mph via social media.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindSunburst-A 115 mph thunderstorm wind gust was recorded by personal weather station. Likely associated with downburst. Damage to trees, picnic area, roof, and siding.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindKevin-Trained spotter reported downed tree branches and a power outage.
August 2016HailSunburst-A thunderstorm dropped 1.75 inch diameter hail at Sunburst 1NW. Also, 1 inch diameter hail fell at Sunburst 4WNW.
August 2016HailSunburst-A thunderstorm dropped 1.25 inch diameter hail at Sunburst 16ENE.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindKippen-Blue Herron Mesonet site reported a wind gust of 64 knots.
July 2015HailRoss Intl Arpt-The ground was covered in penny to nickel size hail.
August 2015Thunderstorm WindHellinger-A 67 mph wind gust at the Crooked Coulee Mesonet site.
June 2013HailShelby-Heavy rain, pea sized hail, and a few severe hailstones measuring 1.00 inches (approximately quarter sized) were reported in Shelby, MT.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindDevon-High winds measuring 58KT (67MPH) were reported 7 mi NW of Devon, MT.
July 2013Heavy RainFerdig-Heavy rain measuring .95 inches associated with a passing thunderstorm. Winds gusted to 48KT (56MPH) with the storm.
August 2013HailEthridge-Hail measuring 1.00 inches (quarter sized) was reported 5 miles SSW of Ethridge, MT by KSEN radio.

Mines and quarries

3 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 3 workings inside this county. 1 still produces and 2 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction3

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
B & N Portable CrusherSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Belzer PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Shelby Pit and PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

21

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 Toole 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.