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Pawnee County, Oklahoma

52 topographic sheets and 27 fire insurance atlases across 5 places.

Research this county

From the record

13 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Oklahoma within the United States
Pawnee County within Oklahoma

What the record shows

  • 5 places in this county were surveyed for fire insurance: Pawnee, Cleveland, Ralston, Hallett, Jennings, between 1895 and 1940.
  • 27 fire insurance atlases survive for the county. Topographic coverage is national; fire insurance survey reached only incorporated places with something worth insuring.
  • 466 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 13 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 9 buildings, 3 districts and 1 structure.
  • 4 of the 13 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 36 populated places in this county; 36 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Photographs

26 photographs, 2020

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

A stone structure from which one gets a good view of the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
A stone structure from which one gets a good view of the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
The exit side of the gateway to Pawnee Bill's Ranch in Pawnee, a small city in north-central Oklahoma named for the Pawnee people, was one of the American Indian tribes forcefully removed and marched, mostly on foot, from eastern states to what was called "Indian Territory" on the windy midwest plains in the 1870s
The exit side of the gateway to Pawnee Bill's Ranch in Pawnee, a small city in north-central Oklahoma named for the Pawnee people, was one of the American Indian tribes forcefully removed and marched, mostly on foot, from eastern states to what was called "Indian Territory" on the windy midwest plains in the 1870s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
The Pawnee Grade School in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
The Pawnee Grade School in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
One of the remaining buildings of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands to what was called the "Indian Nation"
One of the remaining buildings of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands to what was called the "Indian Nation"
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
Two of the remaining buildings of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands to what was called the "Indian Nation"
Two of the remaining buildings of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands to what was called the "Indian Nation"
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
A focus on four historical friezes on the facade of the 1932 Art Deco-style courthouse in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
A focus on four historical friezes on the facade of the 1932 Art Deco-style courthouse in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
The colorful Masonic Building was constructed in 1902 as the Arkansas (River) National Bank in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, which also overlaps the Pawnee Nation, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
The colorful Masonic Building was constructed in 1902 as the Arkansas (River) National Bank in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, which also overlaps the Pawnee Nation, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
An abandoned building from the days of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands of what was called the "Indian Nation"
An abandoned building from the days of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands of what was called the "Indian Nation"
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
The Rusty Armadillo antiques store in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma
The Rusty Armadillo antiques store in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
Entrance arch at Christmastime at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
Entrance arch at Christmastime at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
One of the remaining buildings of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands to what was called the "Indian Nation"
One of the remaining buildings of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands to what was called the "Indian Nation"
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
Fall scene in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
Fall scene in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
The Buffalo Theatre, which opened in 1921 as a movie theater and remained in the same family for 39 years in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, which also overlaps the Pawnee Nation, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
The Buffalo Theatre, which opened in 1921 as a movie theater and remained in the same family for 39 years in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, which also overlaps the Pawnee Nation, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
The 1932 Art Deco-style courthouse in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
The 1932 Art Deco-style courthouse in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
A classic Dick Tracy cartoon on a mural in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, advertises a smaller museum around Courthouse Square that's devoted to the long-running comic strip and its creator, Chester Gould
A classic Dick Tracy cartoon on a mural in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, advertises a smaller museum around Courthouse Square that's devoted to the long-running comic strip and its creator, Chester Gould
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
Stairwell at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
Stairwell at the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
Two of the remaining buildings of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands to what was called the "Indian Nation"
Two of the remaining buildings of the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands to what was called the "Indian Nation"
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
Modest Christmas decorations accent the Pawnee Bank building in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma
Modest Christmas decorations accent the Pawnee Bank building in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
A Pawnee Nation welcome sign near the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands of what was called the "Indian Nation"
A Pawnee Nation welcome sign near the Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School, established after the Pawnee tribe came to what is now Oklahoma in 1875 as part of the forcible movement of tribes from eastern lands of what was called the "Indian Nation"
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
A vine-covered original gateway to the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
A vine-covered original gateway to the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
The modern-day trading post named Where the Buffalo Roam in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma
The modern-day trading post named Where the Buffalo Roam in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
It takes some intense squinting (or perhaps scrubbing) to discern the name of this long-closed hotel in Pawnee, a small city in north-central Oklahoma
It takes some intense squinting (or perhaps scrubbing) to discern the name of this long-closed hotel in Pawnee, a small city in north-central Oklahoma
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
A seasonal greeting at Pawnee Bill's Ranch in Pawnee, a small city in north-central Oklahoma named for the Pawnee people, was one of the American Indian tribes forcefully removed and marched, mostly on foot, from eastern states to what was called "Indian Territory" on the windy midwest plains in the 1870s
A seasonal greeting at Pawnee Bill's Ranch in Pawnee, a small city in north-central Oklahoma named for the Pawnee people, was one of the American Indian tribes forcefully removed and marched, mostly on foot, from eastern states to what was called "Indian Territory" on the windy midwest plains in the 1870s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
A stone structure from which one gets a good view of the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
A stone structure from which one gets a good view of the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, much of which is also part of the overlapping Pawnee Nation of American Indians
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
The colorful Masonic Building was constructed in 1902 as the Arkansas (River) National Bank in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, which also overlaps the Pawnee Nation, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
The colorful Masonic Building was constructed in 1902 as the Arkansas (River) National Bank in Pawnee, the seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, which also overlaps the Pawnee Nation, whose people were among thousands of American Indians forcibly removed from eastern lands and relocated to what was called the "Indian Nation" in the 1800s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress
Hollywood-style facades along the corral at Pawnee Bill's Ranch a museum and attraction in Pawnee, a small city in north-central Oklahoma named for the Pawnee people, was one of the American Indian tribes removed and force-marched, mostly on foot, from eastern states to "Indian Territory" on the windy midwest plains in the 1870s
Hollywood-style facades along the corral at Pawnee Bill's Ranch a museum and attraction in Pawnee, a small city in north-central Oklahoma named for the Pawnee people, was one of the American Indian tribes removed and force-marched, mostly on foot, from eastern states to "Indian Territory" on the windy midwest plains in the 1870s
Highsmith, Carol M, 2020. Library of Congress

Places on the National Register

13

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
Arkansas Valley National Bankbuilding197878002256
Blackburn Methodist Churchbuilding198484003398
Blue Hawk Peak Ranchbuilding197575001571
Blue Hawk Peak Ranch (Boundary Increase)district201414000428
Corliss Steam Enginestructure197979002016
First State Bank of Maramecbuilding200707000514
Mullendore Mansionbuilding198484003402
Pawnee Agency and Boarding School Historic Districtdistrict200000001577
Pawnee Armorybuilding199494000486
Pawnee County Courthousebuilding198484003406
Pawnee Indian Agencybuilding197373001567
Pawnee Municipal Swimming Pool and Bathhousedistrict200303000873
Ralston Opera Housebuilding198787001257

Bird's-eye views and land ownership maps

1

Drawn when these were printed as single large sheets: the town seen from the air, and the county divided into its farms with every owner named. Each opens the original at the Library of Congress.

Land ownership map, 1893 - Map of Pawnee Reservation showing allotments
Land ownership map (1893) - Map of Pawnee Reservation showing allotments. Library of Congress.

The county from the air

31 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 1,021 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 31 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-03-25, scale 1:64600
1954-03-25, scale 1:64600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-03-25, scale 1:64600
1954-03-25, scale 1:64600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-03-25, scale 1:64600
1954-03-25, scale 1:64600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1954-03-25, scale 1:64600
1954-03-25, scale 1:64600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-03-08, scale 1:17000
1957-03-08, scale 1:17000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-03-08, scale 1:17000
1957-03-08, scale 1:17000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-03-08, scale 1:17000
1957-03-08, scale 1:17000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1957-03-08, scale 1:17000
1957-03-08, scale 1:17000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1965-01-27, scale 1:20000
1965-01-27, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1965-01-27, scale 1:20000
1965-01-27, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1965-01-27, scale 1:20000
1965-01-27, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1965-01-27, scale 1:20000
1965-01-27, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-09-10, scale 1:24000
1967-09-10, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-09-10, scale 1:24000
1967-09-10, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-09-10, scale 1:24000
1967-09-10, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1967-09-10, scale 1:24000
1967-09-10, scale 1:24000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-01-30, scale 1:20000
1970-01-30, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-01-30, scale 1:20000
1970-01-30, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-01-30, scale 1:20000
1970-01-30, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1970-01-30, scale 1:20000
1970-01-30, scale 1:20000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-01-26, scale 1:21000
1971-01-26, scale 1:21000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-01-26, scale 1:21000
1971-01-26, scale 1:21000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-01-26, scale 1:21000
1971-01-26, scale 1:21000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1971-01-26, scale 1:21000
1971-01-26, scale 1:21000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-02-10, scale 1:21000
1974-02-10, scale 1:21000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-02-10, scale 1:21000
1974-02-10, scale 1:21000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-02-10, scale 1:21000
1974-02-10, scale 1:21000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1974-02-10, scale 1:21000
1974-02-10, scale 1:21000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 2007-03-04, scale 1:21600
2007-03-04, scale 1:21600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 2007-03-04, scale 1:21600
2007-03-04, scale 1:21600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 2007-03-04, scale 1:21600
2007-03-04, scale 1:21600. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

15 stations, 4 gages

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

32 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 59-1Banner township
  • 59-2Blackburn township - Outside Blackburn town
  • 59-3Blackburn township - Outside Blackburn town
  • 59-4Burnham township - Outside Pawnee city
  • 59-5Cimarron township - Outside Keystone town
  • 59-6Cleveland city: Cleveland city - That part comprising Ward 1 Bounded by City limits; City limits; Delaware; Broadway, N. Broadway
  • 59-7Cleveland city - That part comprising Ward 2 Bounded by Delaware, City limits; City limits; City limits; Broadway
  • 59-8Cleveland city - That part comprising Ward 3 Bounded by Delaware Broadway City limits City limits
  • 59-9Cleveland city - That part comprising Ward 4 Bounded by City limits; N. Broadway, Broadway; Delaware; City limits
  • 59-10Coal Creek township - Outside Ralston town
  • 59-11Eagle township
  • 59-12Hallett town
  • 59-13House Creek township - Outside Terlton town
  • 59-14Jennings town
  • 59-15Jordan Valley township - Outside Cleveland city
  • 59-16Keystone town
  • 59-17Lagoon township - Outside Maramec and Quay towns
  • 59-18Liberty township
  • 59-19McElroy township - Outside Hallett and Jennings towns
  • 59-20Maramec town
  • 59-21Otoe township
  • 59-22Pawnee city: Pawnee city - That part Bounded by City limits; City limits; City limits, Black Bear Creek, Forest; 4th, Kansas, State Highway 18
  • 59-23Pawnee city - That part Bounded by City limits; State Highway 18, Kansas, 4th; Forest; City limits
  • 59-24Pawnee city - That part Bounded by Forest; 4th, Denver, 4th; City limits; City limits
  • 59-25Pawnee city - That part Bounded by Forest; Black Bear Creek, City limits; City limits; City limits, 4th, Denver, 4th
  • 59-26Pawnee township - Outside Pawnee city
  • 59-27Quay town - That part in Pawnee County (Remainder of Quay town is in Payne County)
  • 59-28Ralston town
  • 59-29Skedee town
  • 59-30Skedee township - Outside Pawnee city and Skedee town
  • 59-31Terlton town
  • 59-32Valley township

Wildfire, 1996 to 2020

121 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 121 of them, burning about 22,146 acres. 11 started naturally and 8 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined66
Debris and open burning22
Natural11
Equipment and vehicle use11
Arson/incendiarism8
Smoking1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Other causes1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
6 August 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined3,500 acresPawnee AgencyLAGOON CREEK
18 February 2016Missing data/not specified/undetermined3,500 acresOklahoma Division of ForestryPAWNEE COVE
2 September 2000Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,800 acresOklahoma Division of ForestryHALLETTT
30 March 2014Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,602 acresOklahoma Division of ForestryBATTLE RIDGE
7 March 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,600 acresPawnee AgencySOONER LAKE
11 March 2014Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,580 acresOklahoma Division of ForestryQUAY
12 March 2014Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,520 acresPawnee AgencyRUNNING COW
7 September 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined1,100 acresPawnee AgencyMASHAM

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

Storms, 1954 to 2026

60 of 592 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 592 reports for this county, causing 5 deaths, 68 injuries and about $63,767,560 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail277
Thunderstorm Wind240
Flash Flood35
Tornado34
Flood5
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
April 1984Tornado (F4)not stated3 killed, 37 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
April 1991Tornado (F4)not stated1 killed, 5 hurt, $2,500,000no account filed
September 2024Thunderstorm WindPawnee Arpt1 killed, 2 hurt, $100,000Strong thunderstorm wind overturned multiple recreational vehicles (RV) at a campground on the east shore of Pawnee Lake. Two people were injured and a man was killed when the RV they were in overturned.
April 1984Tornado (F4)not stated15 hurt, $25,000,000no account filed
April 1984Tornado (F4)not stated5 hurt, $25,000,000no account filed
July 1995Thunderstorm WindWestport1 hurt, $2,000,000An isolated severe thunderstorm moved south from Kansas into Osage County during the evening of July 8th. The storm produced 60 mph winds at Burbank, where a few large tree limbs were blown down. The storm then weakened as it moved south into Pawnee County, but a dry microburst occurred at Westport. Winds estimated at greater than 100 mph resulted in severe damage at the Westport Marina. A large boat dock, with 43 people on the dock, was lifted over 50 feet in the air. There was one minor injury to a person on the dock, and 20 boats that were tied to the dock were damaged. Damage at the Westport Marina was estimated at around $2 million. Another dry microburst occurred to the east of the main storm in Washington County. Winds gusted to 62 mph in Dewey, where a mobile home was blown off its foundation and windows were blown out of a few homes and businesses. Windows were also blown out of a van on U.S. Highway 75 just south of Dewey.
April 1956Tornado (F2)not stated1 hurt, $25,000no account filed
March 1959Tornado (F1)not stated1 hurt, $250no account filed
May 1988Hailnot stated1 hurtno account filed
April 1984Tornado (F4)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
October 1998Thunderstorm WindPawnee$1,050,000Strong winds (known as a rear flank downdraft) associated with a nearby F1 tornado blew the roof off of the high school auditorium, causing over $1 million in damage to the high school. Debris was scattered throughout the high school campus. An adjacent metal-style bus garage was also damaged. Many trees and power lines were downed or snapped by the winds throughout Pawnee. Specifically, several big oak trees were blown down at the Pawnee Agency, including one blown onto the pre-school. Near the Pawnee Municipal Hospital, large trees along Boulder Street were blown down, one falling onto a mobile unit. Tree damage was also reported in the Lusk Addition. A trailer home just northwest of Pawnee was scattered about by the storm, and a nearby cattle trailer was overturned. Damage from the wind and the tornado combined are nearly $2 million. For more information on the nearby tornado, see the separate preceding Tornado entry.
October 1998Tornado (F1)Pawnee$800,000A tornado briefly touched down in the southwest part of the city of Pawnee at 738 PM CDT near 6th Street and Ash. The tornado travelled northeast for 0.4 miles and had a width of 125 yards. Many trees were downed or snapped along the path with about fifty homes receiving minor roof, window, and porch damage. One mobile home was destroyed. Widespread wind damage also occurred in Pawnee due to strong winds in the vicinity of the tornado known as a "rear flank downdraft". The roof at the high school auditorium was blown off by the nearby winds. Damage from the tornado and the winds combined were nearly $2 million. (The official damage estimate in this entry does not include damages caused by the nearby winds.)Most of the tornado damage was F0. However, the tornado was rated F1 based on an estimate of the most intense winds reaching speeds near 85 mph. The tornado lifted before reaching US Hwy 64. However, an isolated home downstream of the tornado path and 2 miles from downtown Pawnee received F1 damage. The Pawnee mesonet site, located 3 miles ENE of Pawnee and 0.4 miles north of the house, measured wind gusts as high as 80 mph. (See the separate Thunderstorm Wind entry for more information on the mesonet observations.) The open prairie, the associated lack of tracers (wind-blown objects) near the mesonet site, and the isolated nature of the home make it impossible to determine if tornadic damage occurred at/near these locations. However, the tornado damage in Pawnee, the F1 damaged home, and the mesonet site are all aligned along the storm's motion.
May 2007Flash FloodRalston$350,000The City of Pawnee received 3.25 inches of rain during the 24 hours ending 7 am CDT. This excessive rainfall caused substantial flooding of county roads, which resulted in major damage to several of them. Three bridges were also washed out.
March 2015Thunderstorm WindCleveld Keystone Arp$300,000Strong thunderstorm wind destroyed the marina and sunk several boats at the marina.
June 1970Tornado (F3)not stated$250,000no account filed
April 2008Flash FloodPawnee$100,000Heavy rains flooded and damaged numerous secondary roads across Pawnee county.
May 2000Flash FloodEast Portion$100,000Heavy rains during the early morning hours caused low lying areas in Cleveland to be flooded. Other low lying areas in eastern Pawnee county were also likely flooded with some damage to bridges and roads.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindMaramec$70,000Thunderstorm wind resulted in at least $70,000 in debris removal and damage to the utility infrastructure across the county during this severe thunderstorm.
June 2025Flash FloodWatchorn$50,000Portions of the S 34000 Road were washed out due to flooding.
April 2016Tornado (EF1)Appalachia$50,000This is the first segment of a two segment tornado. In Pawnee County, this tornado snapped or uprooted numerous trees and damaged homes. A large tree fell onto two cars, destroying them. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 100 to 110 mph.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindCleveland$50,000Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 miles an hour blew down trees and power lines. Roofs of businesses and homes were also damaged.
May 2008HailPawnee$50,000no account filed
February 2009Thunderstorm WindPawnee$40,000Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 miles an hour overturned a single wide mobile home and did extensive damage to a double wide mobile home.
October 1998Flash FloodEast Portion$38,000A park entrance was flooded. Water covered other roads, especially between Pawnee and Skedee. Several creeks rose out of their banks. Several rural roads were under water and closed near Pawnee.
November 2025HailAppalachia$35,000Golf ball size hail damaged homes, businesses, and vehicles in Westport.
March 2009Tornado (EF0)Pawnee$30,000A tornado damaged a mobile home, destroyed a storage barn, and snapped large limbs off numerous trees. Maximum winds based on this damage were 70 to 80 mph.
February 2009Tornado (EF0)Pawnee$30,000A tornado destroyed a barn, damaged several homes, and blew down power poles.
May 2025HailCleveland$25,000Golf ball size hail damaged homes and vehicles.
October 2017Flash FloodTerlton$25,000A portion of a road was washed out near Terlton.
July 2016Flash FloodPawnee$25,000Several streets in town were flooded, resulting in high water damaging the Pawnee Public Library.
June 2008Flash FloodTerlton$25,000Heavy rain caused flooding of secondary roads across the eastern part of Pawnee county. In addition Highway 412 was damaged at the intersection of Old Keystone Road causing emergency repairs to be made.
March 2004Flash FloodCountywide$25,000Heavy thunderstorm rains caused flooding of numerous county roads. At least one road was heavily damaged. Total rainfall for the day at Ralston was 4.55 inches.
March 2008HailPawnee$25,000no account filed
April 1983Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
April 1971Tornado (F0)not stated$25,000no account filed
May 1971Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
May 1954Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
November 2025HailCleveld Keystone Arp$20,000Half dollar size hail damaged homes and vehicles in Westport.
September 2024HailMaramec$20,000Golf ball size hail damaged homes and vehicles.
May 2021HailPawnee$20,000Ping pong ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes.
May 2008Tornado (EF1)Skedee$20,000A tornado caused structural damage to the roof of a home, resulted in extensive damage to trees, and blew down several power poles. This tornado was observed by several storm chasers.
May 2016HailPawnee$20,000no account filed
March 2015HailJennings$20,000no account filed
April 2011HailPawnee$20,000no account filed
March 1997Thunderstorm WindTerlton$20,000no account filed
May 2025HailCleveland$15,000Ping pong ball size hail damaged homes and vehicles.
September 2024Thunderstorm WindMaramec$15,000Strong thunderstorm wind blew much of the roof off of an outbuilding.
June 2021Flash FloodHallett$15,000Several county roads were reported flooded. Portions of Cimmaron Ranch Road were washed out.
April 2020HailPawnee$15,000Ping pong ball size hail damaged vehicles and the roofs of homes.
April 2019Thunderstorm WindPawnee$15,000Strong thunderstorm wind damaged the roof of a home, uprooted several trees, and blew windows out of two vehicles.
April 2016Thunderstorm WindCleveland$15,000Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs, and damaged the roofs of homes.
April 1999Thunderstorm WindCleveland$15,000Winds estimated as high as 70 mph destroyed a car port, damaged a motel awning, uprooted trees, blew a hole through the middle school's gym roof, and knocked down numerous tree limbs.
June 1999Flash FloodPawnee$15,000The county road which is an extension of 4th Street in Pawnee had a gaping hole after a flash flood washed the road out. The creek that caused this damage flows into Camp Creek.
March 2015HailCleveland$15,000no account filed
April 2014HailCleveld Keystone Arp$15,000no account filed
March 2008HailPawnee$15,000no account filed
April 1999Thunderstorm WindHallett$13,000Winds estimated near 75 mph blew down trees, power lines and highway signs in and near Hallett. A roof was blown off of a home east of Hallett.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindCleveland$10,000Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted and snapped trees, and blew off a portion of the roof of a home.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindCleveland$10,000Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees and power lines.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindCleveland$10,000Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees. One tree damaged the roof of a home.

Mines and quarries

44 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 44 workings inside this county. 8 still produce and 36 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Stone, Crushed/Broken24
Copper11
Silver8
Flagstone4
Sand and Gravel, Construction4
Chromium, Vanadium, Cobalt, Molybdenum, Lead1
Lead, Vanadium, Zirconium, Chromium, Cobalt, Molybdenum, Nickel1
Chromium, Zirconium, Lead, Vanadium, Molybdenum, Cobalt1
Cobalt, Chromium, Molybdenum, Lead, Vanadium, Zirconium1
Chromium, Molybdenum, Lead, Vanadium, Zirconium, Cobalt1
Clay1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Lela North-1Copper, Silver, Chromium, Molybdenum, Lead, Vanadium, Zirconium, CobaltPast Producer1936
Lela North-2Copper, Silver, Chromium, Zirconium, Lead, Vanadium, Molybdenum, CobaltPast Producer1935
Lela North-3Copper, Silver, Lead, Vanadium, Zirconium, Chromium, Cobalt, Molybdenum, NickelPast Producer1935
Lela North-5Copper, Silver, Cobalt, Chromium, Molybdenum, Lead, Vanadium, ZirconiumOccurrence1945
Morrison North-2Copper, Silver, Chromium, Vanadium, Cobalt, Molybdenum, LeadOccurrence1936
Unknown Shale PitClayPast Producer
Davis Dredge & Sand OperationSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Ralston PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Renfro PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Unknown Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unknown Sandstone QuarryFlagstonePast Producer
Unknown Sandstone QuarryFlagstonePast Producer
Unknown Sandstone QuarryFlagstonePast Producer
Unknown Sandstone QuarryFlagstonePast Producer
Morrison North-1Copper, SilverOccurrence1975
Quay NorthCopper, SilverOccurrence1975
Skedee-1Copper, SilverOccurrence1975
Lela North-4CopperOccurrence1956
Lela Northeast-1CopperOccurrence1975
Lela Southeast-1CopperOccurrence1975
Brensing QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
County Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
County Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
County Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Pawnee QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Stewart Rock Co Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Stewart Rock Co Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Stewart Rock Co Limestone Quarry #2Stone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unknown Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

Every populated place in the county

36

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 5 places that were also surveyed for fire insurance come first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.

Recorded here

Pawnee, Oklahoma

11 topographic sheets and 9 fire insurance atlases, 1895 to 1931

Cleveland, Oklahoma

14 topographic sheets and 8 fire insurance atlases, 1898 to 1940

Ralston, Oklahoma

13 topographic sheets and 5 fire insurance atlases, 1903 to 1924

Hallett, Oklahoma

12 topographic sheets and 3 fire insurance atlases, 1911 to 1924

Jennings, Oklahoma

12 topographic sheets and 2 fire insurance atlases, 1929

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.