BlockFrom the record
3 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Rolette County, North Dakota
28 topographic sheets cover 14 settlements here, and 3 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 107 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 3 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 3 buildings.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 14 populated places in this county; 14 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
3Every 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Coghlan Castle | building | 2008 | 08000681 |
 | Urbain Cote Round Barn | building | 1986 | 86002755 |
 | U.S. Inspection Station-St. John, North Dakota | building | 2014 | 14000588 |
Wildfire, 1992 to 2020
4,535 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 4,535 of them, burning about 49,226 acres. 7 started naturally and 1,008 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 1662 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1310 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1008 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 221 |
| Fireworks | 123 |
| Other causes | 65 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 61 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 55 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 17 |
| Natural | 7 |
| Smoking | 4 |
| Firearms and explosives use | 2 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Two of them were set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 April 2007 | Arson/incendiarism | 2,560 acres | Turtle Mountain Agency | WOODTICK |
| 11 October 1992 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2,100 acres | Turtle Mountain Agency | CLARK II |
| 16 April 2007 | Debris and open burning | 1,400 acres | Turtle Mountain Agency | STAR |
| 16 April 2007 | Debris and open burning | 1,288 acres | Turtle Mountain Agency | TOO BIG |
| 27 April 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,000 acres | Turtle Mountain Agency | BIG MARY |
| 24 April 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 850 acres | Turtle Mountain Agency | SANHILLS |
| 4 May 2015 | Arson/incendiarism | 785 acres | Turtle Mountain Agency | PUSS-N-BOOTS |
| 26 April 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 700 acres | Turtle Mountain Agency | RABBITHEAD |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1958 to 2025
60 of 148 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 148 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 3 injuries and about $4,523,530 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 69 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 44 |
| Tornado | 16 |
| Flash Flood | 9 |
| Flood | 4 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 |
| Lightning | 1 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2023 | Flood | Mylo | 1 killed, $20,000 | During the morning hours of April 16, a flood death (direct) occurred as a 54 year old female was driving along ND Highway 66 near the intersection of 47th Avenue NE, to the northwest of Mylo. The road was covered with water and ice due to snow melt flooding, and temperatures below freezing. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which went into the north ditch, rolled and overturned onto its roof in the flooded ditch. The driver died (direct). |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belcourt | 1 killed | Trailer home blown over by straight line winds. Trailer home was not tied down. |
| July 2008 | Tornado (EF3) | San Haven | 3 hurt, $1,500,000 | By North Dakota standards this was a long lived tornado that covered many miles.||A National Weather Service storm damage survey was completed in Rolette County on July 8, the day following the event. The storm survey concluded that the total path length was 17.6 miles, with a maximum width of 250 yards. The worst damage corresponded to low end EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with maximum estimated winds of 140 mph. ||Multiple tornado sightings were reported by local officials and residents along Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Highway number eight between 2:50 PM CDT and 3:10 PM CDT. The storm survey concluded that tree and structural damage along this corridor west and northwest of Belcourt corresponded to EF1 and EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, or wind speeds ranging from 90 to 130 mph, with a path width ranging from 50 to 75 yards. Greater damage was surveyed north and northeast of Belcourt. Along BIA Highway number seven, a tornado path width of 250 yards was observed with significant widespread tree damage, corresponding to an EF2 rating or winds of 115 to 130 mph. Northeast of Belcourt along BIA highway number five, a home sustained heavy damage and there was one injury. Here, a rating of EF2 was assigned, with estimated wind speeds up to 135 mph. Storm reports around the immediate Belcourt area indicate a time of approximately 3:15 PM CDT for tornado impact. Seventy structures in total were impacted in the Belcourt area with varying degrees of damage.||The tornadic storm continued east hitting the north side of the city of Rolla at approximately 3:30 PM CDT. Twelve homes were destroyed and 18 homes were damaged. The homes with the most significant structural damage corresponded to an EF3 rating. From this it was determined that the maximum wind speeds here were on the order of 140 mph. Two minor injuries were also reported in the Rolla area. The tornado continued east-southeast, hitting a farmstead east of Rolla which sustained structural and tree damage consistent with an EF2 tornado, or winds around 125 mph. The tornado then crossed US Highway 281 before pushing southeast into Towner County (See National Weather Service Grand Forks, North Dakota Storm Data from July 7, 2008). |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dunseith | $600,000 | Many large tree branches were down, with several trees uprooted. There was some damage to roofs, and power poles and lines were down. In one case, a tree fell onto a power line then onto a house, causing the house to start on fire. In another case a teenager, whose age is unknown, was injured (indirect) as he was burned while cleaning up tree damage and unknowingly came in contact with a live downed electrical wire. The teen was hospitalized. |
| August 2016 | Tornado (EF2) | Mylo | $600,000 | A long tracked tornado developed about six miles south of Mylo, Rolette County, North Dakota, and traveled northeast before crossing into Towner County just northeast of Agate, along highway 66. The tornado did significant damage to two farmsteads in Rolette County, destroying pole barns and grain bins and damaging equipment. Crops were flattened along the tornado path. The tornado was highly publicized as national media showed a live feed from a storm chaser. This was a long tracked tornado of around 20 miles, about eight miles in Rolette County and 12 in Towner County. There were no injuries and no deaths with the tornado in either county. Based on the damage done its maximum rating was EF2 in Rolette and EF2 in Towner. From that, wind speeds were estimated to have been around 120 mph. See the tornado entry from Towner County, National Weather Service Grand Forks forecast area, for more details from Towner County. |
| August 1988 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1965 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| February 2011 | Flood | Belcourt | $200,000 | Flooding was the result of a minor early melt dislodging a stop log on a dam upstream of Belcourt along Ox Creek. Contributing to this flooding through Belcourt was the inappropriate disposal of heavy snow from the season into the creek bed. Flooded was a number of homes and the dialysis center at the local hospital. There were 26 Project Worksheets (PW). Estimated damages were $200,000. |
| July 2016 | Hail | Thorne | $150,000 | Large hail combined with strong winds to cause extensive damage to a house, vehicle, and outbuildings. Wind speeds were estimated at 55 mph. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Dunseith | $150,000 | Significant damage at the International Peace Gardens. Extensive damage to flowers. Water was nearly a foot deep in the gift shop, the interpretive center, and the administration building. One side of a basement wall on one building collapsed. Water on the grounds and over roads was up to 3 feet deep. Total rain was 4.1 inches, of which 3.1 inches occurred in less than a one hour period. |
| April 2009 | Flood | San Haven | $145,000 | Heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt caused overland flooding and flooding of the upper Willow Creek area. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belcourt | $125,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds damaged playground equipment, knocked over some trees, severely damaged a home, blew a shed down, and pushed two dumpsters. |
| March 2009 | Flood | San Haven | $105,000 | The upper Willow Creek flooded due to thunderstorms with heavy rain causing snow melt. County and township roads were damaged along with twenty two homes. Flooding continued into April. |
| August 2016 | Hail | San Haven | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belcourt | $50,000 | Part of a porch was torn from a home, and several tepees were blown away. This event was a gustnado based on the wind being ahead of the thunderstorm, likely along the gust front, and video showing the feature was not connected to the cloud base. Per NWS directives, gustnadoes are recorded as thunderstorm wind events, not as tornadoes, in StormData. |
| June 2005 | Flash Flood | Dunseith | $33,000 | Road washed out due to high water flowing over it. Utility lines exposed under road. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nanson | $30,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds blew off a barn roof. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belcourt | $25,000 | One semi-trailer was blown over and a spruce tree was uprooted. Some tin from a pole barn style building also blew off. |
| May 1979 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1967 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belcourt | $20,000 | A couple of properties north of Belcourt suffered wind damage. Roofing materials were partially lost on a home. Outbuildings were damaged, along with lawn decorations. Some tree branches were broken. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rolette | $20,000 | The strong winds uprooted several trees. One tree fell onto a house and caused some damage. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rolette | $20,000 | Thunderstorm wind damage to a golf course shed was reported. Wind speed is estimated based on the damage description. |
| August 2008 | Flash Flood | Rolette | $20,000 | Up to four inches of rain over a two hour period caused water nearly a foot deep to flow through the streets in the city of Rollete and into some yards and basements. The water had receded by around 1 AM CDT. |
| June 2009 | Flash Flood | Dunseith | $10,000 | Rainfall amounts ranging from three to four inches in one hour resulted in flash flooding over western Rolette County. Water was reported over Highway Five west of Dunseith, and was closed for several hours. The flash flooding occurred in a rural area and there were no reports of flooded structures. |
| August 2006 | Lightning | Nanson | $10,000 | Fire officials determined that lightning struck a light outside the building, the former Mylo Town Hall, and traveled through the electrical line to the building where it started a fire. |
| July 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Dunseith | $8,000 | The Belcourt Fire Department reported a home sustained minor roof damage north of Dunseith due to a brief tornado touchdown. The damage was consistent with EF0 damage on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Estimated wind speed based on the EF scale was 80 mph. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | St John | $5,000 | Several large tree branches were blown down. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Belcourt | $5,000 | Numerous tree branches were reported down. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rolla | $5,000 | Brief power outages occurred in Rolla due to the strong winds. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dunseith | $5,000 | Large tree were blown down onto power lines. |
| July 1998 | Hail | St John | $5,000 | At least 2 vehicle were damaged. Numerous trees lost their leaves. Crops also damaged. |
| June 1997 | Hail | Dunseith | $5,000 | reports of windows broken out of houses. damage amount estimated. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rolette | $2,000 | A large tree blew over. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dunseith | $500 | Small tree limbs were broken. |
| June 1958 | Tornado | not stated | $30 | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Funnel Cloud | Rolla | - | Multiple funnel clouds occurred over the Rolla area. At one point, three funnel clouds were noted occurring simultaneously. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rolette | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by emergency management. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rolette | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts to 60 mph were estimated by the Emergency Manager. |
| June 2018 | Tornado (EF0) | Rolla | - | The tornado remained over rural areas and caused no damage. Therefore, the tornado was rated EF0. |
| July 2017 | Tornado (EF0) | Rolette | - | A Rolette County Deputy witnessed a tornado touching down approximately one mile east of the city of Rolette. The tornado lasted about one minute and caused no damage. It was rated EF0. |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mylo | - | A trained spotter estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | St John | - | The public estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | San Haven | - | Up to dime size hail accompanied the strong winds. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dunseith | - | Heavy rain accompanied the strong winds. |
| June 2011 | Heavy Rain | Dunseith | - | A heavy rainfall report of 1.5 inches in 20 minutes was received. |
| August 2010 | Tornado (EF0) | Rolette | - | This tornado occurred in the open country. No structures were impacted, so no damage was done. The Rolla Fire Department was also reporting this tornado to the National Weather Service in real time. |
| August 2008 | Hail | Rolette Arpt | - | Hail up to the size of nickels fell for thirty minutes. |
| August 2008 | Hail | Fonda | - | Torrential rain and estimated winds up to 60 mph accompanied pea to nickel size hail. |
| June 2007 | Hail | Dunseith | - | Occurred at the International Peace Gardens. |
| June 2007 | Hail | Dunseith | - | Occurred at the International Peace Gardens. |
| June 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Rolla | - | Tornado tracked by Rolette County Sheriff. No structures impacted and no damage. Tornado crossed from Rolette County (NWS Bismarck) into Towner County (NWS Grand Forks). See Tornado entry for Towner County 1305 to 1310 06/23/06 from National Weather Service Grand Forks, North Dakota. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Rolette | - | No damage reported. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Dunseith | - | Excessive water from thunderstorms swamped a farm forcing evacuation of those in the farm house. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Nanson | - | Roads washed out due to high water flowing over them. |
| July 2005 | Hail | Rolette | - | USDA reports 8,000 acres of crops completely destroyed. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rolette | - | Numerous trees, greater than 10 inch in diameter, blown down. Several sheds destroyed. |
| June 2003 | Hail | Belcourt | - | Hail covered the ground. |
| June 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Dunseith | - | Tornado formed 7 miles southwest of Dunseith and skipped east across open country lifting back into the parent cloud 5 miles south of Dunseith. No damage was reported. |
| July 2002 | Hail | Rolette | - | Reported by a NWS cooperative observer. |
Mines and quarries
7 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 7 workings inside this county. 2 still produce and 5 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Manganese | 4 |
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunseith Pit and Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Rolette County Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Tribal Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Holy Spring Deposit | Manganese | Occurrence | 1943 | |
| Mineral Spring Deposit | Manganese | Occurrence | 1943 | |
| North Dunseith Spring Deposit | Manganese | Occurrence | 1943 | |
| Unnamed Spring | Manganese | Past Producer |
Every populated place in the county
14Named 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.
-
Dunseith
North Rolette unorganized territory · 58329 · On Indian Creek · Dunseith quadrangle
9 sheets, 1935 to 1980
-
East Dunseith
North Rolette unorganized territory · 58329 · Dunseith quadrangle
9 sheets, 1935 to 1980
-
Kelvin
North Rolette unorganized territory · 58329 · International Peace Garden quadrangle
9 sheets, 1935 to 1980
-
Saint John
North Rolette unorganized territory · 58369 · Saint John quadrangle
7 sheets, 1953 to 1985
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.