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Fall River County, South Dakota

52 topographic sheets cover 19 settlements here, and 12 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

12 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

South Dakota within the United States
Fall River County within South Dakota

What the record shows

  • 282 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 12 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 8 buildings, 3 districts and 1 structure.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 19 populated places in this county; 19 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

12

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
Bartlett-Myers Buildingbuilding200606000457
Battle Mountain Sanitarium, National Home For Disabled Volunteer Soldiersdistrict201111000561
Chilson Bridgestructure199393001287
Arthur and Ellen Colgan Housebuilding2017100001398
Hot Springs High Schoolbuilding198080003721
Hot Springs Historic Districtdistrict201874001890
Governor Leslie Jensen Housebuilding198787001731
Log Cabin Tourist Campdistrict200403001525
Petty Housebuilding199999000202
St. Martin's Catholic Church and Grottobuilding200503000764
State Soldiers Home Barnbuilding200909000446
Phillip Wesch Housebuilding198484003287

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

837 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 837 of them, burning about 102,218 acres. 506 started naturally and 4 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Natural506
Missing data/not specified/undetermined103
Equipment and vehicle use82
Debris and open burning57
Railroad operations and maintenance31
Power generation/transmission/distribution24
Misuse of fire by a minor10
Fireworks6
Recreation and ceremony6
Other causes5
Arson/incendiarism4
Smoking3

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
16 July 2016Natural14,318 acresNew Castle Field OfficeINDIAN CANYON
26 September 2001Power generation/transmission/distribution10,547 acresBlack Hills National ForestWEST HELL CANYON
7 July 2007Natural10,324 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionALABAUGH
24 April 2012Natural9,882 acresNebraska National ForestHAY CANYON
29 June 2012Equipment and vehicle use9,000 acresBlack Hills National ForestWHITE DRAW
11 August 2000Natural7,386 acresBlack Hills National ForestFLAGPOLE MOUNTAIN
11 August 2011Natural5,214 acresBlack Hills National ForestCOAL CANYON
21 July 2012Natural4,300 acresNebraska National ForestMOSS AGATE

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

Storms, 1959 to 2025

60 of 677 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 677 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 3 injuries and about $6,757,340 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail376
Thunderstorm Wind235
Tornado30
Flash Flood16
Flood11
Wildfire3
Heavy Rain3
Funnel Cloud2
Lightning1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 1982Tornado (F2)not stated1 hurt, $250,000no account filed
June 1998Tornado (F1)Hot Spgs1 hurt, $166,000A roof was blown off a house, and two campers and a boat trailer were damaged. A mobile home was also destroyed with a young man on the porch of the house thrown.
July 1998Tornado (F1)Hot Spgs1 hurt, $150,000HOUSE DESTROYED ON PROPERTY OF EMERGENCY MANAGER; NEARBY HOUSES AND OTHER STRUCTURES HAD ROOF DAMAGE.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindHot Springs$1,500,000Strong winds damaged fences, signs, and buildings in Hot Springs and blew down trees and power poles. Buildings and automobiles were damaged by fallen trees. A mobile home was lifted off the ground and destroyed. A large portion of Hot Springs lost power for several hours.
June 2010HailHot Springs$1,000,000Two inch diameter hail caused extensive damage to automobiles and some buildings in Hot Springs.
June 2014HailHot Springs$500,000Golf ball size hail was accompanied by 50 mph wind gusts and heavy rain.
June 2012Tornado (EF2)Provo$500,000A tornado touched down just west of the Edgemont Road. It moved eastward and caused damage at a ranch just east of Highway 71 north of Ardmore. A large wooden barn was completely destroyed; its walls and roof were blown more than 100 yards away. Two large sheds lost roofs and walls and smaller sheds were blown apart. The modular house sustained minor damage.
June 2013HailHot Springs$300,000Hail damaged vehicles in town.
August 2013HailHot Springs$250,000no account filed
May 1991Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
May 2019FloodHot Springs$200,000Runoff from heavy rain caused overland flooding east of Hot Springs and south of Buffalo Gap, with flooding along Hat Creek around Ardmore and Horsehead Creek around Oelrichs. Several county roads west of Oelrichs and a road along Beaver Creek south of Buffalo Gap had to be closed.
June 2012HailEdgemont$100,000Hail from golfball to softball size fell.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindArdmore$100,000Rear flank downdraft winds damaged ranch outbuildings south of the tornado track.
June 2015HailHot Springs$100,000no account filed
June 2008Flash FloodEdgemont$100,000no account filed
August 2005HailHot Spgs$100,000no account filed
June 2003Thunderstorm WindHot Spgs$100,000no account filed
May 2010FloodHot Springs$75,000Heavy rain caused flooding along the Fall River, Horsehead Creek, Hat Creek, Beaver Creek, and other smaller creeks and streams in Fall River County. The low water crossings in Hot Springs at South Sixth Street and at Joplin Avenue were flooded as well as several county roads. The creeks and streams were so high that Angostura Reservoir filled up and over 5900 cfs was being released. This was the first time in 10 years that Angostura Reservoir was full. The saturated soil and gusty winds also helped to bring down several large trees in Hot Springs.
June 2010HailHot Springs$75,000Hail damaged automobiles in Hot Springs.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindArdmore$75,000Large hail and strong winds broke windows, damaged automobiles, and downed tree branches.
June 2015FloodProvo$65,000Widespread flooding was reported along Hat Creek from the South Dakota-Nebraska border to Angostura Reservoir, with the river gauge on Highway 71 measuring a record flow. Several other streams in Fall River County flooded. Indian Creek west of Ardmore was a quarter mile wide with water over the approach on the County Road 5 bridge. Washouts were reported on Hay Canyon Road, North Butte Road, Edgemont Road, and Maitland Road. Horsehead Creek was 200 yards wide north of Oelrichs and covered the northbound lane of US Highway 385 with a foot of water for several hours. Due to the high inflows into Angostura Reservoir, the Bureau of Reclamation increased releases to 18,000 cubic feet per second.
July 2019FloodProvo$50,000Runoff from heavy rainfall caused flooding along Hat Creek and its smaller tributaries, Duck Creek, and Plains Creek. The flooding compromised a culvert on Highway 71 about 4 miles north of Ardmore and a county road bridge just east of Ardmore was washed away.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindEdgemont$50,000Thunderstorm winds blew down a cement granary, a 20 foot high barn, and several power poles.
June 2005Tornado (F1)Oral$50,000A non-supercell tornado quickly developed and moved across a field, where it destroyed 3 177-foot sections of a new center pivot irrigation system and the roof of a game bird barn. The tornado was followed by wind gusts of 70 mph and golf ball to almost softball sized hail.
June 2015FloodOral$40,000Flooding in Oral occurred after runoff backed up at a plugged culvert along Sand Creek. East Oral Road was underwater, with several homes and businesses in Oral and north of East Oral Road inundated.
May 2010HailAngostura Reservoir$40,000Golfball to softball sized hail fell from Angostura Reservoir to Maverick Junction and damaged vehicles.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindProvo$30,000Combination of large hail and wind damaged siding and broke windows of building.
August 2009Thunderstorm WindEdgemont$30,000Strong wind gusts blew out the doors of an airport hanger and two small planes in the hangar received minor damage.
June 2012HailProvo$30,000no account filed
June 2013HailOelrichs$25,000Baseball size hail damaged property.
June 2010HailSmithwick$25,000Large hail to tennis ball size damaged a home and automobiles.
June 2010HailHot Springs$25,000Hail to golf ball size damaged some automobiles along SD Highway 71 south of Hot Springs.
June 1983Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
August 1983Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 1979Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 1969Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 2012Thunderstorm WindHot Springs$20,000Strong winds blew out windows, uprooted large trees, and snapped power poles.
July 2013HailOelrichs$20,000no account filed
July 2014HailEdgemont$15,000Racquet ball sized hail broke windows on a car and damaged siding.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindAngostura Reservoir$15,000Wind-driven hail broke house and car windows. Other minor damage was reported around the area.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindHot Springs$15,000Two power poles and several trees were blown down by the wind.
July 2013HailOelrichs$15,000no account filed
May 2018Flash FloodEdgemont$10,000Two to four inches of rain in two hours caused minor flooding. Runoff washed gravel off a couple of county roads and water ran over at least one county road when the culvert became plugged with debris. The Cheyenne River at Edgemont quickly rose about 5 feet and peaked around 1700 cfs.
May 2018FloodProvo$10,000Widespread flooding occurred across Fall River County. Flooded roads included Edgemont Road northwest of Ardmore, Hard Scrabble Road, Black Banks Road, and Horsehead Road. Numerous small creeks and streams were out of their banks; including Beef Creek, Beaver Creek, Black Banks Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Hat Creek, Plum Creek, Duck Creek, Alkali Creek, Little Cottonwood Creek, and tributaries into Hat Creek, Horsehead Creek, and the Cheyenne River upstream of Angostura Reservoir. Inflows into Angostura Reservoir went from around 250 cubic feet per second (cfs) to over 4500 cfs in just a couple of days. The high inflows raised the water elevation in the reservoir, so releases were increased to around 4000 cfs for a few days.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindOral$10,000Two large center pivot irrigation systems were mangled by thunderstorm winds. The concrete base of one was pulled from the ground.
July 2013Flash FloodHot Springs$10,000Heavy rain caused flooding along Cold Brook Creek above Cold Brook Reservoir and Cottonwood Springs Creek above Cottonwood Reservoir. Debris flowing down Cold Brook Creek piled up in the channel along Argyle Road, causing water to flow over the road. Along Cottonwood Springs Creek, water created a channel 12 feet wide into Cottonwood Reservoir and washed gravel off rural roads.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindOral$10,000Grain bins and pivot irrigation systems were blown over by the wind.
June 2013HailHot Springs$10,000Baseball size hail damaged property.
August 2013HailHot Springs$10,000Two inch diameter hail damaged property.
June 2010HailHot Springs Municipal Airport$10,000Golf ball sized hail damaged automobiles.
July 2009Thunderstorm WindProvo$10,000A lambing shed was blown apart and tree branches and power lines were broken by strong wind gusts.
July 2003HailOral$10,000Large tree limbs were blown down. Large hail also broke windows and damaged the roof of a house.
June 2013HailOral$10,000no account filed
June 2013HailSmithwick$10,000no account filed
June 2010HailEdgemont$6,000Golf ball sized hail caused minor damage to automobiles.
July 2020HailEdgemont$5,000Hail damaged vehicles.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindEdgemont$5,000Trees and large branches were blown down on every street in town. Shingles were peeled and metal panels were curled off roofs.
August 2013Flash FloodHot Springs$5,000Heavy rain caused flooding in Hot Springs, around Cold Brook Reservoir, and in the Minnekahta Valley area. Six inches of water was flowing down the Highway 18 bypass and water was over street curbs in Hot Springs. Minor flooding occurred in Hot Brook Canyon along Hot Brook Creek. Cold Brook Reservoir reached its second highest pool level at 3585.42 feet.
June 2011Flash FloodOelrichs$5,000At least six inches of water flowed over Chadron Road and washed gravel off it.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindEdgemont$5,000Strong winds downed trees and power poles in Edgemont, with electric service out for as long as 24 hours.

Mines and quarries

155 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 155 workings inside this county. 11 still produce and 144 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Uranium128
Sand and Gravel, Construction11
Gypsum-Anhydrite5
Stone, Crushed/Broken4
Flagstone4
Molybdenum, Uranium, Rhenium1
Stone, Dimension1
Clay1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Edgemont QuarryStone, DimensionPast ProducerSandstone
Refinite Corp Bentonite PitClayPast Producer
RungeMolybdenum, Uranium, RheniumOccurrence
Burke QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer1905
Burke QuarryFlagstonePast Producer
Edgemont Grindstone CoFlagstonePast Producer
Elm Creek QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer1895
Elm Creek QuarryFlagstonePast Producer
Evans QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer1892, 1942
Evans QuarryFlagstonePast Producer
Hills Material QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Grant Robinson MineGypsum-AnhydritePast Producer1893
Grant Robinson MineGypsum-AnhydritePast Producer
Hot Springs GypsumGypsum-AnhydritePast Producer1911
Hot Springs Gypsum CoGypsum-AnhydriteUnknown
Hot Springs Plaster CoGypsum-AnhydritePast Producer
Bell PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Birdsall Sand & Gravel Co MineSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Fall River County PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Gravel PitsSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Hot Springs City Land FillSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Marietta Gravel DepositSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Oral PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Romey Sand & Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Rosebud Sioux L-40Sand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Accidental No. 1UraniumPast Producer
Accidental No. 10UraniumPast Producer
Accidental No. 3UraniumOccurrence
AcmeUraniumOccurrence
AliceUraniumOccurrence
Amy No. 1UraniumPast Producer
Apple PieUraniumPast Producer
B and H Nos. 1-6UraniumPast Producer
BarberUraniumPast Producer
Barker and HowellUraniumPast Producer
BaxterUraniumPast Producer
Beadle GroupUraniumPast Producer
Bear LodgeUraniumPast Producer
BitsUraniumPast Producer
Blue ChipUraniumOccurrence
Blue NoteUraniumPast Producer
CarabouUraniumPast Producer
Carnotite CaveUraniumOccurrence
Chilson Canyon No. 1UraniumPast Producer
Clarabell Nos. 1-5UraniumPast Producer
Coal Canyon 6deUraniumPast Producer
Coal Canyon LodeUraniumPast Producer
Coal Canyon No. 1UraniumPast Producer
Coal Canyon No. 4UraniumPast Producer
Cram LeaseUraniumPast Producer
Crandal GroupUraniumPast Producer
Cycad No. 1UraniumPast Producer
DagmarUraniumOccurrence
DakotaUraniumPast Producer
Dakota FlatUraniumPast Producer
DamsiteUraniumPast Producer
Darrow #3 PitUraniumProducer
Darrow LeaseUraniumProducer
Darrow LeaseUraniumPast Producer
Diana AUraniumPast Producer
Eagle EyrieUraniumOccurrence
Edgemont 1-6UraniumPast Producer
EuniceUraniumOccurrence
FloraUraniumPast Producer
Freezeout No. 3UraniumPast Producer
GertrudeUraniumPast Producer
Get Me Rich No. 1UraniumPast Producer
Gould LeaseUraniumPast Producer
Green AcreUraniumOccurrence
Green Acre No. 3UraniumPast Producer
GreenslipperUraniumPast Producer
Greenslipper 1UraniumPast Producer
Greenslipper 2UraniumPast Producer
Greenslipper 3UraniumPast Producer
GullUraniumPast Producer
Gull Leases 1 and 3UraniumPast Producer
Heck LeaseUraniumProducer
HelenUraniumPast Producer
Hell's CanyonUraniumPast Producer
Hey and FayUraniumPast Producer
Hi PocketsUraniumOccurrence
Holdup No. 15UraniumPast Producer
Holdup No. 17UraniumPast Producer
Holdup No. 2UraniumPast Producer
Hot PointUraniumOccurrence
ImogeneUraniumPast Producer
JackpineUraniumPast Producer
Jo AnnUraniumPast Producer
Johnson-StarliteUraniumPast Producer
King MineUraniumPast Producer
Kl-15UraniumPast Producer
KollerUraniumPast Producer
LazymanUraniumPast Producer
LionUraniumPast Producer
Lion #2 PitUraniumProducer
Little AnnUraniumPast Producer
Little WindyUraniumOccurrence
Lo Ra No. 1UraniumProducer
Lucky No. 1UraniumPast Producer
Lucky StrikeUraniumPast Producer
Lucky TossUraniumPast Producer
LucyUraniumOccurrence
MartinsonUraniumPast Producer
Marty's Timber ClaimUraniumPast Producer
Mary Jac No.9UraniumPast Producer
Matias PeakUraniumPast Producer
McKnightUraniumPast Producer
Negro GulchUraniumPast Producer
OpheliaUraniumPast Producer
Pabst No. 3UraniumOccurrence
Pat 2UraniumPast Producer
PatsyUraniumPast Producer
PaydayUraniumPast Producer
Pee WeeUraniumPast Producer
PennywittUraniumPast Producer
Peterson LeaseUraniumProducer
PictographUraniumPast Producer
Ram 1UraniumPast Producer
Reutter GroupUraniumPast Producer
Ridge Runner No. 1aUraniumOccurrence
Ridge Runner No. 3UraniumPast Producer
Ridge Runner No. 4UraniumPast Producer
Rip SnorterUraniumPast Producer
Road Hog 1aUraniumPast Producer
Road Hog 3aUraniumPast Producer
RowenaUraniumPast Producer
RungeUraniumPast Producer
Runge EastUraniumPast Producer
Runge WestUraniumPast Producer
Sec. 36-8s-3eUraniumPast Producer
Shamrock GroupUraniumPast Producer
Sheep CanyonUraniumOccurrence
Shelton-WarrenUraniumPast Producer
Skinny SobUraniumPast Producer
Skipper No. 4UraniumPast Producer
South View No. 3UraniumPast Producer
Taylor LeaseUraniumPast Producer
TessUraniumPast Producer
Tin ShackUraniumPast Producer
Too LateUraniumPast Producer
Trail WindUraniumPast Producer
Traill FractionUraniumPast Producer
UnknownUraniumOccurrence
Uranium No.1UraniumPast Producer
Valley ViewUraniumOccurrence
Valley View No. 6UraniumPast Producer
VerdeUraniumPast Producer
Virginia CUraniumPast Producer
WakanUraniumPast Producer
WashboardUraniumPast Producer
Western EdgeUraniumOccurrence
Yellow CatUraniumOccurrence
Yellowcat 1UraniumPast Producer

Every populated place in the county

19

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.