BlockFrom the record
20 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Fillmore County, Nebraska
29 topographic sheets cover 14 settlements here, and 20 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 180 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 20 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 17 buildings, 2 districts and 1 structure.
- 1 of the 20 listings was added during the 1970s.
- 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
20Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Wildfire, 1996 to 2020
113 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 113 of them, burning about 5,219 acres. 2 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 | 62 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 23 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 16 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 4 |
| Smoking | 4 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 October 2012 | Debris and open burning | 3,500 acres | Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District | FILLMORE COUNTY |
| 19 April 1996 | Debris and open burning | 350 acres | Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District | COUNTYLINE |
| 15 January 2014 | Debris and open burning | 250 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 3 April 1996 | Debris and open burning | 160 acres | Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District | WILKINS |
| 28 March 2005 | Debris and open burning | 119 acres | Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District | REAL |
| 12 April 2010 | Equipment and vehicle use | 102 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 18 January 2000 | Smoking | 95 acres | Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District | WILKINS |
| 22 April 2017 | Debris and open burning | 91 acres | Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District | MALLARD HAVEN DECLARED ESCAPED PRESCRIBED FIRE |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1953 to 2025
60 of 451 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 451 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 7 injuries and about $72,331,000 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 218 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 160 |
| Tornado | 37 |
| Heavy Rain | 16 |
| Flash Flood | 9 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 |
| Flood | 4 |
| Lightning | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1956 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 3 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairmont | 3 hurt, $30,000 | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Geneva | 1 hurt, $100,000 | Baseball size hail pounded the vehicle of the Fillmore County Emergency Manager. The windshield was shattered and glass flew into the eyes of the Emergency Manager. He was able to drive to the local hospital to receive treatment and was released. |
| March 1990 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Tornado (EF3) | Exeter | $7,500,000 | This tornado was the second to be rated an EF3 that affected south central Nebraska, starting in far northern Fillmore County before traversing a portion of York County and passing north of Cordova in Seward County. Damage along the track in Fillmore County was widespread, including one home which was totally destroyed. All 6 occupants took shelter in the basement. Another home suffered less significant damage, but outbuildings on the same property were destroyed. Also along the path of this tornado, and to the south of the path where rear flank downdraft winds occurred, numerous irrigation pivots were overturned, power poles were broken as well as trees and grain bins either damaged or destroyed. The strongest and widest time of this tornado occurred in Seward County, with a peak wind estimated to be 140 MPH and a maximum width of 2,640 yards, or 1.5 miles. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shickley | $6,000,000 | Wind gusts were estimated to be near 90 MPH, with damage generally confined to southern portions of Fillmore County. Along this path, multiple irrigation pivots were overturned, power poles were broken and trees were damaged. A number of grain bins were damaged or destroyed, outbuildings were damaged and one home suffered damage, mainly broken glass. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | $5,000,000 | Straight-line winds from the rear flank downdraft of a supercell thunderstorm in Clay county rushed across Fillmore county. Damage was widespread across the county with over 50 center irrigation pivots damaged or destroyed. Minor structure damage and major tree damage was common. |
| May 2014 | Tornado (EF2) | Grafton | $3,500,000 | This tornado traveled rural areas of northern Fillmore County, bumping the York County line along the way. It touched down a few miles north-northwest of Grafton and lifted a few miles north-northeast of Fairmont. One home suffered damage when part of the roof was torn away, while another older home was pushed approximately 30 feet off of its foundation. There was widespread power pole and tree damage, with some trees containing debris from grain bins, and a number of irrigation pivots were overturned. The peak wind with this tornado was estimated to be 120 MPH. South of the main tornado track, strong rear flank downdraft winds resulted in additional power pole and irrigation pivot damage, and an outbuilding suffered damage near Highway 81 north of Fairmont. |
| March 1990 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| June 1978 | Tornado | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| April 1957 | Tornado (F4) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1953 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Tornado (EF3) | Grafton | $1,500,000 | This is the continuation of the EF3 tornado that started in Clay County northwest of Fairfield.||This tornado was reported initially as a multi-vortex tornado for several miles before taking on a more traditional look south of Saronville, where it was described as a wedge tornado. Based upon reports and video, it appears the entire mesocyclone of the storm was near ground level southwest of Sutton. It was one of the strongest tornado of the day in south central Nebraska, rated an EF3 with the peak wind estimated to be 150 MPH. Rear flank downdraft winds resulted in damage on the south side of the tornado track and in addition to the damage to Sutton itself, areas east of Clay Center, southwest of Sutton through northwest of Grafton were affected. Power poles and trees were damaged or snapped, irrigation pivots were overturned, and a few homes and outbuildings suffered damage.||Damage from this tornado was first noted north of Fairfield, where large tree limbs were knocked down and power poles broken. The tornado shifted mainly east across Highway 14 south of Clay Center, with additional tree damage as well as irrigation pivots overturned. It then started to move to the northeast, crossing Highway 41 east of Clay Center and Highway 6 a few miles west of Sutton, but powerful rear flank downdraft winds of 100 mph hammered Sutton and areas south-southwest of town, causing widespread property damage. Moving in between Saronville and Sutton, the tornado then started a more east-northeast path, crossing Road 6 north of Sutton before dissipating approximately 5 miles northeast of town.||As the tornado approached and crossed Highway 6 it intensified to it strongest point. Damage peaked a few miles north of Sutton, where the EF-3 rating was assigned, resulting from the destruction of a home. Elsewhere along the path, a few other homes sustained less significant damage than the one north of Sutton, and a number of other outbuildings and grain bins were also damaged or destroyed. Many trees were damaged, destroyed or contained debris (mainly from destroyed grain bins), irrigation pivots were overturned and power poles broken. |
| April 2005 | Hail | Geneva | $1,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grafton | $1,000,000 | The highest measured wind gusts near and along this path included the following: 91 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located three miles south-southeast of Fairmont; 86 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located two miles northeast of Exeter; 75 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located four miles southeast of Sutton; 74 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located two miles south of Exeter. There were several reports of tree damage along this path, including the Grafton and Fairmont areas. Power outages and line damage was also reported. In the Fairmont area, at least one grain bin was destroyed, and a semi was tipped over. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Ohiowa | $750,000 | Minor damage also occurred to crops. |
| May 1998 | Tornado (F2) | Fairmont | $750,000 | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Flash Flood | Shickley | $500,000 | A swath of 5 to 9 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts, was reported primarily across the far southeastern corner of the county. County roads and bridges were likely damaged by the flooding. |
| June 2019 | Hail | Grafton | $250,000 | Quarter to golf ball size hail was accompanied by 50 to 60 MPH wind gusts. |
| June 2015 | Flood | Grafton | $250,000 | Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall totaled generally 4-7 across much of Fillmore County between the 3rd-6th, with the majority of this rain falling on the 4th-5th. The cumulative effects of multiple heavy rains resulted in significant flooding along the West Fork Big Blue River and its smaller stream tributaries in the northern part of the county, mainly on the 6th-7th. Reports indicated that this may have been some the worst flooding observed along the river in 50-80 years. A few days of warm and dry weather settled in from June 7-9, allowing flood waters to largely recede. However, another focused area of 1.50-3.00 of heavy rain targeted the York and northern Fillmore counties area on the night of the 10th into the morning of the 11th. This again pushed the West Fork Big Blue River out of its banks in the McCool Junction area from the 11th into the 12th, before this multiple-day flooding event finally came to a close. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fairmont | $250,000 | Widespread damage to trees and some structures throughout town. |
| April 2005 | Hail | Ohiowa | $250,000 | no account filed |
| September 2003 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1978 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1963 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Geneva | $200,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 65 MPH resulted in minor tree damage across town, with one larger limb blocking a street. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Geneva | $200,000 | no account filed |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Grafton | $180,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH knocked three irrigation pivots over near Road H between Roads 5 and 6. |
| May 2016 | Flash Flood | Strang | $150,000 | Rainfall of 3 to 5 inches fell over a short period of time, resulting in flash flooding over portions of Fillmore and Thayer Counties. In Bruning, a storm total amount of 4.35 inches was reported. Local law enforcement reported water running over portions of Highway 14 approximately 4 miles west of Milligan. |
| May 2014 | Tornado (EF1) | Fairmont | $150,000 | This tornado traveled rural areas and was witnessed by several storm chasers and experienced meteorologists. Video evidence, eyewitness accounts, radar imagey and even some of the damage confirm this tornado rotated anti-cyclonically. Damage along the path of the tornado included a grain bin and an old outbuilding being pushed off of their foundations, along with a roof partially blown off of another outbuilding. Numerous irrigation pivots were overturned, and there was plenty of tree damage. There was a home with minor roof damage. The peak wind with this tornado was estimated to be 90 MPH. |
| June 2014 | Hail | Exeter | $150,000 | This golf ball size hail report was received. This hail damaged the siding to a house. |
| August 2006 | Flash Flood | North Portion | $150,000 | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Strang | $125,000 | Wind gusts were estimated at 70 MPH, with damaged reports including 3 empty grain bins blown off their foundation, an unsecured trailer rolled off its foundation, and some irrigation pipe blown from their location. |
| May 2025 | Tornado (EF0) | Shickley | $100,000 | This short path tornado rapidly developed near the Salem Mennonite Church located southeast of Shickley, as seen by minor damage to the church grounds and to nearby center irrigation pivot systems. The tornado traveled north along or just west of Road 9, causing minor tree damage before lifting a mile or so north of Highway 74. The peak wind was estimated to be 70 MPH, based on the combination of the tree and pivot damage. |
| May 2012 | Tornado (EF1) | Shickley | $100,000 | This tornado crossed from Thayer County into Fillmore County, touching down approximately 2.5 miles northeast of Davenport and lifting approximately 3.5 miles northeast of Davenport. Along its path, a farmstead sustained house, garage and vehicle damage and a grain bin was destroyed. Two outbuildings, including a recently built barn, were destroyed and a center irrigation pivot was twisted. The maximum wind speed was estimated at 105 mph. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Geneva | $100,000 | A hole was knocked in a roof by a large limb which fell. There was other wind damage throughout town. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Ohiowa | $100,000 | A tornado that exited Thayer county moved across a part of southeast Fillmore county. The tornado struck one farmstead and dislodged the house from its foundation. It also damaged several outbuildings. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Ohiowa | $100,000 | A pair of tornadoes was reported just northeast of the old Bruning airfield. The first tornado traveled north and struck one farmstead and dislodged the house from its foundation. The owner of property withstood the first tornado only to see the second tornado pass just southeast of his house. The second tornado hit another farmstead just to the east and damaged several outbuildings. |
| June 2003 | Heavy Rain | Strang | $100,000 | Heavy rainfall in the southern part of Fillmore county forced water over the highway in Strang. Low lying fields were inundated with water. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Shickley | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Shickley | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Grafton | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Hail | Geneva | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Hail | Exeter | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Grafton | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Geneva | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Shickley | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Strang | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Grafton | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Milligan | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Tornado (EF1) | Grafton | $75,000 | A QLCS tornado affected portions of eastern Clay County and western Fillmore County. This tornado touched down at approximately Road 315 and Z Road south of Sutton, then moved north-northeast where it impacted a farmstead along Z Road, just north of Road 316. Within this stretch of the tornado, several EF1 damage points were noted, particularly with respect to several large wooden power poles snapped, uprooted trees, and destroyed small grain bins. The grain bins were carried approximately 300 to 400 yards downstream into a nearby corn field that also sustained pivot damage. Small farm implements were also carried downwind, and a small chicken coop and other outbuildings were destroyed. Fortunately, the house received only minor damage to the siding. The tornado lifted shortly thereafter just northeast of the farmstead. In addition, a broad swath of severe crop damage was noted in the vicinity of and to the south of the tornado track, likely due to a combination of large hail and straight-line wind gusts of 60-80 MPH. Here, five foot tall healthy corn plants were reduced to 1-2 foot stalks, and bean fields were nearly unrecognizable. The peak wind gust was estimated to be 110 MPH, and the tornado width was based on power line damage south of the impacted farmstead. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Exeter | $75,000 | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Geneva | $75,000 | no account filed |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Strang | $50,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH resulted in roof damage at the school building in Strang. Public reported damage to outbuildings and large trees downed in the area. A wind gust of 59 MPH was recorded by a mesonet station located one mile north-northwest of Strang. A wind gust of 62 MPH was recorded by a mesonet station located three miles east of Strang. |
| May 2019 | Flood | Grafton | $50,000 | Heavy rainfall resulted in flooding along area creeks and rivers across northern portions of Fillmore County, including School Creek and the West Fork of the Big Blue River. Some rural roads and bridges were covered with water. |
| October 2013 | Hail | Geneva | $50,000 | This report of golf ball size hail was received via Facebook. The observer explicitly stated that the hail fell at 9 pm CDT. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shickley | $50,000 | Wind gusts estimated near 70 mph resulted in an irrigation pivot being overturned and tree limbs of 4 to 5 inches in diameter being knocked down. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ohiowa | $50,000 | Emergency Manager reportes some power poles bent over causing power outages as well as major tree damage in town. Winds caused debris from fields to hit a nearby house. |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Strang | $50,000 | Widspread flooding in southeast Fillmore County. |
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.
-
Fairmont
Exeter-Fairmont Consolidated township · 68354 · Fairmont quadrangle
15 sheets, 1898 to 1985
The vanished settlements of Fillmore 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.