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Divide County, North Dakota

22 topographic sheets cover 11 settlements here, and 5 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

5 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

North Dakota within the United States
Divide County within North Dakota

What the record shows

  • 87 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 5 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 5 buildings.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 11 populated places in this county; 11 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

5

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
Alkabo Schoolbuilding201010000997
Divide County Courthousebuilding198080002910
Niels Nielsen Fourteen-Side Barn Farmbuilding198686002743
Travelers Hotelbuilding201010000423
U.S. Inspection Station-Ambrose, North Dakotabuilding201414000587

Wildfire, 1996 to 2020

21 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 21 of them, burning about 1,481 acres. 2 started naturally and 1 was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning7
Equipment and vehicle use4
Missing data/not specified/undetermined3
Power generation/transmission/distribution3
Natural2
Arson/incendiarism1
Fireworks1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
4 May 2018Debris and open burning485 acresNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceCOUNTY LINE
14 April 2015Power generation/transmission/distribution400 acresNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceKNUDSON
10 August 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined250 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Servicenot named
11 August 2015Equipment and vehicle use200 acresNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceWILDROSE ASSIST
20 May 2018Debris and open burning40 acresNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceBRODAL FIELD
10 August 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined30 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Servicenot named
4 April 2007Debris and open burning26 acresCrosby Wetland Management DistrictBRATLEINWF
3 May 2016Debris and open burning20 acresNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceNYGAARD

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

Storms, 1950 to 2025

60 of 170 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 170 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $1,306,530 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail94
Thunderstorm Wind58
Tornado12
Funnel Cloud4
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
June 2016Thunderstorm WindCrosby$250,000Emergency management reported that the strong winds combined with large hail of 1.5 inches in diameter to cause damage from about three miles west of Crosby to three miles east of Crosby. Vinyl siding was peeled off the west side of homes, windows were broken, and vehicles were damaged.
July 1990Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
July 2018Thunderstorm WindFortuna$150,000The top of the local grain elevator main annex where the leg was located was blown off, damaging additional parts of the elevator.
June 2014FloodWestby$150,000Radar estimated three to five inches of rain in parts of Divide and northwest Williams counties. Damage was reported to culverts and roads. Deep water was standing in farm yards but the National Weather Service received no reports of water in homes. Crops were damaged.
June 2014FloodAmbrose$148,000Flooding occurred over eastern Divide County. Damage occurred to roads and culverts with many wash outs along township roads. There was crop damage as well. Rain amounts ranged from 2.50 inches in Bottineau County to as much as 7.00 inches in Renville County.
August 1997HailFortuna$100,000late season hail storm moved from Fortuna to Noonan destroying everything in its path. 180 thousand acres of crops were either severely damaged or destroyed.
June 2007Tornado (EF1)Crosby$75,000Tornado tore the roof off of an outbuilding on a farm about 21 miles southwest of Crosby and tore down part of a corral fence. It then crossed open rangeland and did no other damage. Estimated wind speed based on the EF scale was 100 mph. A second tornado was occurring closer to Crosy, Divide County, at around the same time.
August 2007Thunderstorm WindCrosby$65,000Tree limbs 10 to 12 inches in diameter were snapped. Part of a pool hall roof was blown off. Several buildings doors were torn off.
June 2010HailNoonan$30,000The large hail knocked holes in camper vents. The large hail also busted out the windows on a bus traveling near Noonan.
June 1950Tornado (F3)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 2009Thunderstorm WindCrosby$20,000Severe thunderstorm wind gusts resulted in broken tree branches, tipped over grain bins, and some broken windows.
August 2017HailNoonan$10,000Damage occurred to vehicles.
August 1994HailNoonan$10,000no account filed
May 2012Thunderstorm WindFortuna$8,000This storm report stated that tree branches up to six inches in diameter were broken off by the strong winds.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindAlkabo$5,000Large tree limbs were snapped due to the strong winds.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindFortuna$5,000Shingles were blown off roofs.
July 2009HailFortuna$3,000A vehicle was dented.
August 1962Tornadonot stated$2,500no account filed
July 1982Tornado (F0)not stated$30no account filed
June 2025Thunderstorm WindCrosby-Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by a trained spotter.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindCrosby-Winds combined with copious amounts of small hail, along with some hail the size of quarters, to cause crop damage in the area.
August 2025HailAlkabo-Crops were severely damaged, including an entire canola field which was totaled.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindFortuna-Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by a trained spotter.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindNoonan-Small tree branches were broken.
July 2020HailNoonan-A flowering canola field was damaged.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindFortuna-The public estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph.
June 2013Funnel CloudCrosby-A funnel cloud was reported one mile west of Crosby.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindCrosby-Pea size hail accompanied the strong winds.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindAmbrose-Very heavy rain accompanied the strong winds.
September 2013Thunderstorm WindNoonan-Heavy rain accompanied the strong winds.
May 2012Tornado (EF0)Ambrose-This tornado touched down in the open country of Divide County, along the international border. There were no reports of damage associated with this tornado.
July 2012Tornado (EF0)Noonan-This tornado briefly touched down in the open country of Divide County. There were no reports of damage associated with this tornado and it was rated EF0.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindWestby-An estimated peak wind report was received in rural western Divide County.
August 2011HailAlkabo-Strong winds up to 55 miles per hour were also reported.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindCrosby-Estimated winds of 60 mph were reported along with small hail and very heavy rain.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindNoonan-Very heavy rain and frequent lightning accompanied the strong winds.
July 2010Funnel CloudNoonan-This funnel cloud was short lived and never reached the surface.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindFortuna-In addition to the severe thunderstorm winds, pea size hail was covering the ground.
June 2008HailCrosby-The hail was reported to have lasted 20 minutes.
August 2008Thunderstorm WindWestby-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured at the Crosby Remote Automated Weather Station site.
August 2008Thunderstorm WindWestby-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured at the Crosby Remote Automated Weather Station site.
June 2007Tornado (EF0)Crosby-Tornado remained west and northwest of Crosby. The tornado hit no structures and no damage was reported to the National Weather Service. A second tornado was occurring in Divide County around the same time 21 miles southwest of Crosby.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindCrosby-Roof blown off a shed. One foot diameter limbs snapped off trees.
July 2005HailAmbrose-Reported by a NWS cooperative observer.
August 2004HailCrosby-A one mile swath of large hail damaged or destroyed 10,000 acres of crops. Estimated damage of 75 to 100 percent loss.
July 2004HailAlkabo-Wind gust to 52 knots accompanied the storm.
July 2003Tornado (F1)Crosby-Tornado touched down just northwest of Crosby ripping a 40 foot wide streak through a forest area where no trees were left standing. Trees on either side were still standing. The tornado skipped through Crosby tearing portions of roofs off a couple of buildings. Large trees were either damaged or toppled. A 1,800 pound bail of hay was lifted over a 4 foot fence and dropped on the other side. Additional minor damage was reported in and around the city before the tornado lifted just southeast of town.
June 2002Thunderstorm WindCrosby-Tree's uprooted and suspension bridge destroyed.
June 2002Thunderstorm WindCrosby-Suspension bridge destroyed and several trees uprooted.
July 2001HailNoonan-The hail storm leveled 250 acres of crops, ripped down tree branches and heavily damaged farm vehicles. Rainfall measured at 2.6 inches following the hail storm.
July 1995HailWildrose-75 mph winds also reported. Winds destroyed steel grain bins and crops. Several hail swaths with 100 percent crop damage.
June 2025HailAlkabo-no account filed
June 2025HailFortuna-no account filed
June 2025HailCrosby Muni Arpt-no account filed
June 2025HailCrosby-no account filed
July 2025Thunderstorm WindAlkabo-no account filed
July 2024Thunderstorm WindNoonan-no account filed
August 2023Thunderstorm WindAlkabo-no account filed
July 2022HailCrosby-no account filed
July 2022Thunderstorm WindAlkabo-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
Sodium2
Sand and Gravel, Construction1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Peterson Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Grenora LakeSodiumUnknown
North and Miller LayesSodiumUnknown

Every populated place in the county

11

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.

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.