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Potter County, South Dakota

23 topographic sheets cover 6 settlements here, and 7 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

7 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

South Dakota within the United States
Potter County within South Dakota

What the record shows

  • 41 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 7 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 7 buildings.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 6 populated places in this county; 6 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

7

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
D. H. and Leah Curran Housebuilding199696000741
DeRouchey-Hageman Barn and Farmyardbuilding2024100009810
George Holland Housebuilding198989001721
North Canton School-District No. 12building198686001025
Potter County Courthousebuilding199696000743
St. Bernard's Catholic Churchbuilding198080003731
G. L. Stocker Blacksmith Shopbuilding199696000744

Wildfire, 1998 to 2020

94 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 94 of them, burning about 17,023 acres. 22 started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Equipment and vehicle use32
Natural22
Missing data/not specified/undetermined20
Debris and open burning16
Power generation/transmission/distribution3
Fireworks1

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

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
2 April 2015Equipment and vehicle use5,100 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionHWY 212
1 April 2015Equipment and vehicle use4,800 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionLEBANON FIRE
26 March 1999Missing data/not specified/undetermined2,000 acresKadoka Volunteer Fire DepartmentYELLOW BEAR
5 October 2011Equipment and vehicle use1,200 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionABLER
24 September 2003Power generation/transmission/distribution750 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionKULA
10 January 2000Debris and open burning640 acresKennebec Volunteer Fire DepartmentBOSCHEE
31 July 2001Natural500 acresGettysburg Volunteer Fire DepartmentDALE ROBINSON
10 July 2002Equipment and vehicle use400 acresGettysburg Volunteer Fire DepartmentROBERT HOUCK

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

Storms, 1955 to 2026

60 of 309 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 309 reports for this county, causing no deaths, no injuries and about $2,915,750 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail134
Thunderstorm Wind133
Tornado20
Flash Flood9
Flood8
Funnel Cloud4
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 1979Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
April 2023FloodGettysburg$150,000no account filed
April 2019FloodGettysburg$109,500no account filed
May 1995Tornado (F0)Gettysburg$25,000Grain bin and a livestock trailer were destroyed by a narrow path tornado.
August 1981Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
August 1981Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 1965Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 1964Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
September 1999Flash FloodGettysburg$14,000no account filed
June 1995HailGettysburg$5,000Large hail destroyed six wquare miles of winter wheat and corn in northwest Potter County. On a farm in northwest Potter County, many house and farm building windows were broken. The windshields on two vehicles were also shattered from the large hail.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindHoven$5,000Thunderstorm Winds downed some trees and power lines.
April 1955Tornado (F2)not stated$2,500no account filed
April 1955Tornado (F2)not stated$2,500no account filed
June 1995HailGettysburg$2,000Hail accumulated to two inches deep in places with some windows broken.
April 1955Tornado (F2)not stated$250no account filed
June 2025Funnel CloudGorman-The Potter county Emergency Manager reports a funnel cloud north of Agar.
August 2025HailHoven-Hail up to three inches in diameter was observed in Hoven. Several other reports of hail between 1.00 and 2.75 inches were received.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindGorman-A peak wind gust of 70 mph was observed at a South Dakota Department of Transportation weather station four miles north of Agar.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindGorman-A South Dakota Department of Transportation weather station recorded a wind gust of 69 mph.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindGorman-A personal weather station recorded a wind gust of 60 mph.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindGorman-A South Dakota Department of Transportation weather station recorded a wind gust of 59 mph.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindGorman-A South Dakota Department of Transportation weather station recorded a wind gust of 64 mph.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindGettysburg Arpt-An Automated Weather Observing System weather station recorded a wind gust of 59 mph.
March 2019FloodGettysburg-Flooding of several township and county roads occurred.
August 2019HailGorman-A severe thunderstorm with large hail and destructive winds left southeast Dewey crossing the Missouri River into western Potter county continuing to destroy crop and grassland in its path. The storm continued to move southeast entering northern Sully county.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindGorman-Eighty mph winds along with tennis ball size hail shredded siding, broke many windows, along with downing many trees. Hail piled up to 7 to 8 inches deep in places.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindGettysburg-Two grain bins were blown off their bases with two other bins receiving extensive damage.
July 2018Flash FloodGorman-Very heavy rains of 3 to 5 inches brought flash flooding to parts of western Potter county where several roads were flooded.
August 2016HailGorman-Quarter size hail caused some crop damage.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindHoven-Sixty mph winds were estimated.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindTolstoy-Winds gusted to nearly eighty mph behind an exiting thunderstorm which did cause structural damage to a few outbuildings.
July 2015Flash FloodTolstoy-Heavy rains of over three inches flooded some area fields along with a few roads.
July 2015Flash FloodHoven-Heavy rains caused the flash flooding of several roads with the gravel being washed away in places.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindLebanon-Sixty mph winds brought some tree limbs down.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindGorman-An estimated 60 mph wind gust was reported by a trained spotter.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindGettysburg-The sheriff on duty estimated 60 mph winds west of Gettysburg.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindGettysburg-Damaging winds brought trees branches down and knocked power out in Gettysburg.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindHoven-Sixty mph winds downed a few branches in Hoven.
July 2011Tornado (EF0)Hoven-A tornado touched down briefly in Hoven heavily damaging the roof of a business along with downing several trees.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindHoven-Sixty mph winds were estimated west of Hoven.
August 2011HailTolstoy-Very large hail up to three inches in diameter caused some vehicle and siding damage in Tolstoy.
July 2011HailHoven-Golfball size hail damaged some corn.
July 2011HailGettysburg-Golfball hail damaged corn and wheat crops along with tearing a window screen.
June 2011FloodGettysburg-Heavy rain flooded most of the roads in Gettysburg with many basements also receiving water.
June 2011Flash FloodGettysburg-Heavy rain created widespread street flooding in the town of Gettysburg.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindGettysburg-Sixty mph winds were estimated near Gettysburg.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindGettysburg-Sixty mph winds were estimated by the public.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindLebanon-Sixty mph winds blew the chicken coop next to the grain bin.
May 2010Thunderstorm WindGettysburg-Sixty mph winds were estimated by the public.
June 2009Tornado (EF0)Lebanon-A tornado touched down northwest of Lebanon with no damage reported.
June 2009Tornado (EF0)Lebanon-A tornado touched down briefly northwest of Lebanon with no damage occurring.
September 2008Thunderstorm WindLebanon-Sixty mph winds blew a large barn door off of its track.
June 2007Funnel CloudHoven-Several reports of funnel clouds were received from the public in northwest Potter county.
June 2007Flash FloodGettysburg-Heavy rains flooded many streets in Gettysburg along with the entire park.
June 2006Tornado (F0)Gettysburg-A weak tornado touched down briefly southwest of Gettysburg in an open area causing no damage.
August 2006Flash FloodGettysburg-Heavy rains of 4 to 5 inches caused flash flooding in and around Gettysburg with many roads flooded.
August 2006Flash FloodGettysburg-Heavy rains caused flash flooding in and around Gettysburg with streets and roads flooded.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindGettysburg-Winds over 90 mph destroyed a hanger at the airport, downed many trees, and damaged many structures in and around Gettysburg.
May 2003Flash FloodHoven-Heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches flooded many county roads in northeast Potter county.
June 2003Tornado (F0)Gettysburg-A tornado touched down briefly southwest of Gettysburg causing no damage.

Mines and quarries

6 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 6 workings inside this county. 4 still produce and 2 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction6

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Bill Kaiser PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Hageman PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Knott Pit No 2Sand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

6

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.