BlockFrom the record
6 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Foster County, North Dakota
35 topographic sheets cover 10 settlements here, and 6 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 96 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 6 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 3 buildings, 2 structures and 1 district.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 10 populated places in this county; 10 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
6Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Foster County Courthouse | building | 1980 | 80002911 |
| Grace City Bridge | structure | 1997 | 97000174 | |
| Hall, Ralph, Farm District | district | 1987 | 87001781 | |
| McHenry Railroad Loop | structure | 1986 | 86002751 | |
 | Thomas Nichols Putnam House | building | 1992 | 92001604 |
 | US Post Office-Carrington | building | 1989 | 89001754 |
Wildfire, 1994 to 2020
76 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 76 of them, burning about 946 acres. None started naturally and 4 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 53 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 6 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 4 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 April 2016 | Debris and open burning | 250 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | COLLIER'S AGAIN |
| 21 May 2016 | Arson/incendiarism | 200 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | SHEYENNE CEMETARY HILL |
| 3 April 2017 | Debris and open burning | 60 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | BRAATEN FIRE |
| 2 June 2020 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | DOELING CORN FIELD FIRE |
| 27 April 2006 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Arrowwood Wetland Management District | FLORHAUG WPA 06 |
| 10 April 2015 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | SCHROEDER |
| 11 April 2015 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | BJ THEIS |
| 20 July 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 acres | Arrowwood Wetland Management District | BARLOW |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1957 to 2025
60 of 199 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 199 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 2 injuries and about $16,191,530 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 101 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 66 |
| Tornado | 15 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 |
| Flash Flood | 4 |
| Flood | 3 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1994 | Hail | Carrington | 2 hurt, $25,000 | A severe hailstorm that lasted nearly twenty minutes damaged buildings, homes, and vehicles. The large hail put holes in roofs and broke windows. Fifty percent of the homes in Carrington were damaged. Three golfers were caught in the storm, their injuries ranged from cuts and bruises to a broken hand. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Melville | $10,000,000 | Damage to 400 farm dwellings and 250 farm structures, including grain bins and farm machinery. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bordulac | $2,000,000 | Severe thunderstorm winds of 65 to 105 miles per hour tore across Foster County causing extensive damage on many farms and in towns. Damage included grain bins destroyed, a grain elevator severely damaged, roofs torn off of outbuildings, and damage to homes. Vehicle damage was also surveyed, including to a semi tractor that was struck by a grain bin. Agricultural damage was severe and extensive. |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | Bordulac | $1,000,000 | Very heavy rain washed out a culvert under the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks near Kensal at a bridge crossing the James River. The washout caused two locomotives and approximately 25 cars to derail. |
| April 2009 | Flood | Barlow | $555,000 | Rapid snowmelt caused heavy overland flooding and flooding along the James River. This resulted in flood damage to numerous county and local roads, railroad bridges, and seven homes. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grace City | $500,000 | Structural, tree, and crop damage occurred in and around Grace City. |
| June 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Grace City | $300,000 | The tornado touched down to the southwest of Grace City, then tracked northeasterly approximately five and three-quarter miles before lifting. Near the point of touchdown, the tornado struck a farmstead causing significant damage. A barn which was built with brick about half-way up then built with wood and sheet metal had the top wooden and sheet metal portion torn off, while an adjacent silo had its top blown off. A pole barn had its roof blown off and another barn had its doors blown off. The tornado then progressed through open fields until it moved through a shelterbelt at a farmstead near the end of its path, where it broke many trees, and twisted off large branches. It also took one large branch and speared it into a camper. Across the road the tornado broke down power lines before it broke in the large door and tore a significant portion off one of the Foster County shop buildings housing a maintainer. Based on the damage done this tornado was rated EF-1, and from that wind speeds were estimated to be around 110 mph. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bordulac | $250,000 | Road signs were bent, railroad crossing arms were damaged, and a grain bin was lifted and flipped in the area. |
| July 1987 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Juanita | $150,000 | Measured wind gusts to 74 mph combined with quarter size hail to cause widespread damage in the Juanita area. One foot diameter trees were broken down. Wind driven hail caused damage to windows, vehicles, and siding. A grain truck was knocked over, and a door was torn off a quonset hut. Crops were damaged, with some corn flattened. Other reports of wind included estimates as high as 85 mph. |
| September 2014 | Hail | Carrington | $150,000 | Vehicle damage occurred in Carrington. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Melville | $125,000 | A semi truck was blown over on Highway 281 near Melville and trees three feet in diameter were uprooted. Crop damage was extensive. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington Arpt | $100,000 | Winds gusted over 60 mph for a prolonged period of time, with the strongest gust of 79 mph occurring at approximately 615 am CDT. The strong winds resulted in downed trees and power lines. Pea sized hail accompanied the winds. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bordulac | $75,000 | Trees were uprooted, and a roof was blown off a structure. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Glenfield | $75,000 | Multiple power lines and trees were down. A tractor-trailer truck was blown over. |
| July 2011 | Flash Flood | Carrington Arpt | $70,000 | Very heavy rain resulted in water over one foot deep in parts of Carrington. Surrounding areas had water running over low water crossings. Basement flooding occurred. Two to Four inches of rain fell in this area. There were no specific reports of amounts around Carrington, however, to the south, in Stutsman County, there were several reports of around three inches of rain. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $60,000 | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts resulted in damage to a storage building near Carrington, along with downed power lines. Based on pictures and reports from the Foster County Emergency Manager, it was determined that damage was consistent with straight line winds and not a tornado. |
| September 2019 | Hail | Carrington | $50,000 | Cars were dented from the hail. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $50,000 | A barn roof was blown off. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $50,000 | The strong winds resulted in downed trees and power lines in Carrington. |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Melville | $50,000 | Water was reported over the roads near Bordulac. |
| March 2009 | Flood | Barlow | $50,000 | Overland flooding damaged county and township roads. No structures were flooded in March. Flooding continued into April. |
| August 1994 | Tornado (F1) | Carrington | $50,000 | The path was estimated. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $40,000 | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts resulted in roof damage to a farm house and damage to a garage. Based on pictures and reports from the Foster County Emergency Manager, it was determined that damage was consistent with straight line winds and not a tornado. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $40,000 | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts resulted in damage to grain bins near Carrington. Based on pictures and reports from the Foster County Emergency Manager, it was determined that damage was consistent with straight line winds and not a tornado. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $30,000 | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts resulted in roof damage to a feed building near Carrington. Based on pictures and reports from the Foster County Emergency Manager, it was determined that damage was consistent with straight line winds and not a tornado. |
| June 1977 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1972 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $15,000 | Strong winds blew down several trees in Carrington. |
| April 2023 | Flood | Barlow | $10,000 | Flooding from snow melt runoff caused significant damages to county infrastructure. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mc Henry | $10,000 | The public reported that some trees were blown over in shelter belts. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $5,000 | A couple of trees were uprooted and a fence was blown over at a park on the north side of Carrington. At CrossRoads Golf Course, multiple tree branches were blown down. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $5,000 | The strong winds blew down trees near Carrington. |
| September 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | $1,000 | Patio furniture blew about 50 yards away from the original location and was damaged. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Barlow | $500 | A large tree was blown down by the strong winds. |
| May 1982 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $30 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Tornado (EFU) | Bordulac | - | This is one of the two tornadoes that occurred at approximately the same time east of Bordulac. The tornado touched down in an open field impacted no structures. There was no damage to evaluate. By National Weather Service policy the tornado is rated EF-U (Unknown). |
| June 2025 | Tornado (EFU) | Bordulac | - | This is one of the two tornadoes that occurred at approximately the same time east of Bordulac. The tornado touched down in an open field impacted no structures. There was no damage to evaluate. By National Weather Service policy the tornado is rated EF-U (Unknown). |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by a trained spotter. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | - | Wind gusts to 60 mph were reported by a trained spotter. |
| May 2018 | Tornado (EF0) | Bordulac | - | This tornado was considered to be a landspout tornado. It occurred over rural areas east-southeast of Bordoulac, and no damage occurred. Therefore, it was rated EF0. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mc Henry | - | A COOP Observer reported that some tree branches were down due to the thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | - | Thunderstorm wind gust speed was measured by a law enforcement official. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mc Henry | - | Heavy rain accompanied the strong winds. |
| June 2011 | Heavy Rain | Bordulac | - | A heavy rainfall report of 4.22 inches was received. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | - | A public report relayed by North Dakota State radio. |
| July 2011 | Tornado (EF0) | Juanita | - | This tornado touched down in the open country. There were no impacts to structures and so no reports of damage. |
| July 2011 | Tornado (EF0) | Glenfield | - | This tornado touched down in the open country. There were no impacts to structures and so no reports of damage. |
| June 2010 | Hail | Mc Henry | - | Severe Hazards Analysis and Verification Experiment (SHAVE) report. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mc Henry | - | The strong thunderstorm wind gust was accompanied with large hail. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Juanita | - | Several trees uprooted, numerous branches broken, roofs peeled off trailers, homes and lake cabins. |
| March 2003 | Hail | Mc Henry | - | Reported by a National Weather Service cooperative observer. Hail event lasted 11 minutes. |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Mc Henry | - | Briefly touched down in open field. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | - | Large trees toppled and numerous branches down. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mc Henry | - | Dime size hail reported with the storm. Reported by a NSW cooperative observer. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mc Henry | - | Cooperative observer reported large tree's down and dime size hail with the storm. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | - | Large tree's uprooted in town. |
| August 2000 | Hail | Mc Henry | - | Reported by a cooperative observer. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Carrington | - | Tree's down. |
| July 2000 | Hail | Carrington | - | Storm produced widespread 1 to 3 inches of rain. |
Mines and quarries
2 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 2 workings inside this county. All of them still produce. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 2 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Pit& Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Richard Ebentier Trucking Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Every populated place in the county
10Named 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.