BlockFrom the record
16 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Union County, South Dakota
54 topographic sheets cover 16 settlements here, and 16 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 275 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 16 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 12 buildings, 2 districts, 1 object and 1 structure.
- 1 of the 16 listings was added during the 1970s.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 16 populated places in this county; 16 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
16Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Baker House | building | 1979 | 79002409 |
 | Governor William J. Bulow House | building | 1986 | 86001024 |
 | Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Depot | building | 1985 | 85000262 |
| Hultgren Farm | district | 2004 | 03001536 | |
 | Hyden House | building | 1996 | 96000742 |
| Junction City Rest Stop Tipi | object | 2015 | 14001191 | |
 | John August Larson Home | building | 1985 | 85003451 |
 | Charles Murtha House and Brick Yard | building | 1982 | 82003945 |
 | Nora Store | building | 2007 | 07001215 |
| J. W. Reedy House | building | 1984 | 84000605 | |
| South Dakota Dept. of Transportation Bridge No. 64-061-199 | structure | 1993 | 93001322 | |
 | St. Paul Lutheran Church and Cemetery | building | 2018 | 100002103 |
 | St. Peter's Catholic Church | district | 1989 | 89000833 |
 | Star School District 61 | building | 2008 | 08000056 |
 | Swanson House | building | 2006 | 06000461 |
 | United Brethren Church | building | 2001 | 01000091 |
Wildfire, 1998 to 2020
228 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 228 of them, burning about 1,388 acres. None started naturally and none was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 158 |
| Debris and open burning | 45 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 9 |
| Fireworks | 5 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 4 |
| Smoking | 3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 November 2020 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 250 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | KIESER DAM |
| 5 May 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 140 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | 477 |
| 1 November 1999 | Debris and open burning | 60 acres | Alcester Volunteer Fire Department | NORA 2 |
| 30 October 1999 | Smoking | 60 acres | Alcester Volunteer Fire Department | NORA |
| 5 April 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 40 acres | Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department | A. BERTRAND |
| 25 March 2003 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | BOB V |
| 27 October 1999 | Debris and open burning | 40 acres | Alcester Volunteer Fire Department | RICH K |
| 3 December 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 40 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | 300TH |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1954 to 2025
60 of 491 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 491 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 4 injuries and about $68,847,810 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 158 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 151 |
| Flood | 135 |
| Tornado | 24 |
| Flash Flood | 19 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 |
| Lightning | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beresford | 2 hurt, $50,000 | Thunderstorm Winds overturned a trailer and damaged trees. |
| July 1994 | Tornado (F0) | Big Springs | 1 hurt, $50,000 | The tornado destroyed a mobile home and damaged some trees and vehicles. |
| April 2004 | Lightning | Elk Pt | 1 hurt, $2,000 | Lightning struck and destroyed two pine trees. Windows on one side of an adjoining house were broken, and a woman in the house was cut by flying glass. |
| June 2024 | Flood | Elk Pt | $54,520,000 | Rainfall amounts across Union County from June 20-22 ranged from around a third of an inch across southern areas to 1 to 2 inches across northern areas. Farther north and upstream, 6 to 10 inches of rain fell across portions of southeast South Dakota and northwest Iowa, with locally higher amounts in excess of 12 inches. ||This rainfall resulted in record flooding along the Big Sioux River and extensive overland flooding along the adjoining flood plain. County-wide, 44 residences were destroyed and another 182 received minor to major flood damage. Estimated losses exceed 52 million dollars. At the peak of the flooding, there were an estimated 20 to 30 water rescues. ||Residents along Northshore and Penrose Drives on the north side of McCook Lake were evacuated on the evening of June 23 as flood waters rose rapidly. Catastrophic damage ensued, with at least 26 homes declared a total loss and nearby infrastructure destroyed. Interstate 29 was inundated with water north of North Sioux City and closed June 23. The road reopened two days later on June 25. The railroad bridge crossing the Big Sioux River at North Sioux City also collapsed due to flooding. ||Preliminary damage assessments estimate loss to public infrastructure across the county to be 2.16 million.||For additional information on river flooding, please see other flood entries for Union County. |
| May 1993 | Hail | Beresford | $5,000,000 | A hailstorm pelted the Beresford area with hail up to three inches in diameter. Around 300 cars and at least 200 roofs sustained hail damage. |
| August 2020 | Lightning | Mc Cook Lake | $2,500,000 | Lightning struck a single-story apartment building and initiated a fire which burned through the entire attic of the building. Crews from North Sioux City and three nearby cities attacked the fire for around two hours. All twenty apartments were severely damaged, displacing all residents. Property damage costs are rough estimates. |
| June 1990 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| March 2019 | Flood | Elk Pt | $1,210,000 | Flooding resulted in extensive damage to public infrastructure including numerous county and township roads, culverts, and some bridges. |
| June 2014 | Flood | Alcester | $1,000,000 | Repeated heavy rains caused record flooding of the Big Sioux River. Farmland and other lowlands including numerous roads were flooded. Some roads were damaged, and some secondary roads were washed out. A few farm homes, other farm buildings, and some fences were damaged by floodwaters. The river crested at a record 12.92 feet above flood stage at Hawarden, Iowa on June 17th. Interstate 29 was temporarily closed along a 22 mile stretch to facilitate levee building to divert some Big Sioux River water to McCook Lake, but the Interstate was re-opened when the river crested at a lower level than was feared. A levee breach across the river from Akron, Iowa, briefly aggravated lowland flooding before it was repaired. |
| June 1999 | Hail | Jefferson | $300,000 | no account filed |
| October 2013 | Tornado (EF1) | Mc Cook Lake | $250,000 | A tornado crossed the Missouri River from Dakota County in Nebraska and entered Union County. The tornado severely damaged the roof of a house, and collapsed a chimney, carport and porch roof, and the walls of a garage in the same house. The tornado also caused tree damage, including trunks snapped, overturned an irrigation system, and damaged the roof, siding, and/or gutters of at least four other houses. |
| October 2013 | Tornado (EF1) | Jefferson | $200,000 | A tornado severely damaged the roof and gutters of a house, and the walls and roof of at least two storage equipment buildings. The tornado caused tree damage, including trunks snapped and large branches blown down, damaged a road sign, blew down or crushed several grain bins, blew down power poles and lines, and flattened corn crops. One of the destroyed grain bins was wrapped around a house, causing damage to the roof, siding, and gutters of the house. The tornado then crossed the Big Sioux River into Plymouth County Iowa. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Sioux City | $200,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused widespread damage to trees, power poles, and lines, resulting in power outages affecting most of North Sioux City. Some large trees were sheared from their trunks. Tree debris damaged vehicles, homes, garages, and sheds. |
| April 2011 | Flood | Alsen | $100,000 | Minor to moderate flooding of the Big Sioux River, as well as flooding of some lowlands in the county, continued through April, though flooding generally abated. Some farmland remained flooded, both near to and away from the Big Sioux River. The big Sioux River crested at about 3 feet above flood stage near Hawarden and Akron, iowa, on April 22nd. A few roads remained covered by water, and there was some road damage. High water and groundwater levels from record precipitation in the year 2010, a main reason the flooding onset was so fast in March, was also a main reason that the flooding subsided so slowly during April. |
| September 2010 | Flood | Alcester | $100,000 | Widespread heavy rain, combined with saturated ground, caused a fairly rapid rise of the Big Sioux River to moderate to major flooding levels. Roads and numerous agricultural land near the river were flooded, as well as a few homes. A dike break just south of Big Springs caused additional farmland to be flooded. The river crested at 6.9 feet above flood stage near Akron, Iowa on September 27th. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alcester | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree damage and blew down power lines. Several homes and other buildings in Alcester were damaged, mostly by falling trees or tree debris. The downed and damaged power lines caused power outages. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Sioux City | $100,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree and power line damage, resulting in power outages in parts of the county. The winds also destroyed a silo, blew out the wall of a barn, the roof of a shed, windows on the south side of a house, and damaged road signs and outbuildings. |
| July 1996 | Heavy Rain | Elk Pt | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Flood | Hillside | $50,000 | Persistent moderate to heavy rain caused flooding of fields and other lowlands, including several roads, homes, and businesses. This flooding lasted for almost two days, and was aggravated locally by additional storms during that time. Some roads were damaged or washed out. |
| March 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elk Pt | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds tore the side off a large storage building and damaged farm equipment inside. The winds also tore trim off the side of a house, and the flying debris from the trim damaged the garage door on the house. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Richland | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down trees and power lines. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alcester | $50,000 | no account filed |
| September 2019 | Flood | Elk Pt | $25,000 | Runoff from heavy rainfall (4.59 inches at Hurley, 4.24 inches at Menno, and 8.14 inches at Clayton) brought the Missouri River at Ponca (gage site MRPN1) to a crest 3.06 feet above flood stage on September 15. The river remained in minor flood stage at the end of the month. |
| September 2019 | Flood | Alcester | $25,000 | After excessive two-day rainfall during September 10-12 (7.81 inches at Dell Rapids, generally 3 to 4 inches around Sioux Falls, 4.72 inches at Canton), the Big Sioux River above Hawarden (gage site HWDI4) reached the third highest stage on record of 12.33 feet above flood stage on September 15. Significant amounts of the agricultural flood plain were inundated, and numerous roads were closed including South Dakota Highway 46, Iowa Highway 10 and South Dakota county road 13. |
| May 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Spink | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a garage and damaged three vehicles in the garage. The winds blew the roof off the garage and partially collapsed the three walls that were not part of the house. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alsen | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree and power line damage, including trees up to 16 inches in diameter blown down. |
| May 2014 | Tornado (EF0) | Spink | $20,000 | A tornado uprooted several trees, caused other tree damage, blew part of the wall off a two story garage, damaged a hog barn, and took the roof off a small grain bin. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mc Cook Lake | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a mobile home, blew a small building over a road, and caused tree damage, including one tree blown into a house. |
| July 1996 | Hail | Jefferson | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Junction City | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew over a semi truck on Interstate 29. |
| September 2019 | Flood | Elk Pt | $10,000 | After excessive two-day rainfall during September 10-12 (generally 3 to 4 inches around Sioux Falls, 4.72 inches at Canton, 2.51 inches at Hawarden), the Big Sioux River near Jefferson (gage site BSJS2) reached the 3rd highest stage on record of 5.83 feet above flood stage on September 18. Significant amounts of the agricultural flood plain were inundated, and numerous county roads were closed including the bridge over the Big Sioux River on County Road 7. |
| September 2019 | Flood | Richland | $10,000 | After excessive two-day rainfall during September 10-12 (generally 3 to 4 inches around Sioux Falls, 4.72 inches at Canton, 2.51 inches at Hawarden), the Big Sioux River near Richland (gage site BSRS2) reached the 3rd highest stage on record of 6.51 feet above flood stage on September 17. Significant amounts of the agricultural flood plain were inundated, and numerous roads were closed including South Dakota Highway 50 and Iowa Highway 3. |
| September 2019 | Flood | Big Spgs | $10,000 | After excessive two-day rainfall during September 10-12 (7.81 inches at Dell Rapids, generally 3 to 4 inches around Sioux Falls, 4.72 inches at Canton), the Big Sioux River at Akron (gage site AKRI4) reached the 9th highest stage on record of 6.28 feet above flood stage on September 16. Significant amounts of the agricultural flood plain were inundated, and numerous roads were closed including South Dakota Highway 48, and Iowa Highways 12 and 3. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Spink | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a metal pole machine shed. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Midway | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds overturned a pickup and trailer on Interstate 29. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Jefferson | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several trees blown down. The winds also blew off shingles off a business roof, and blew down power lines, causing a power outage. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Spink | $10,000 | Large wind driven hail broke windows, dented vehicles, and caused extensive damage to thousands of acres of corn and soybean crops. In the hardest hit areas, corn was stripped of leaves, leaving only stalks, and soybean crops were destroyed. The amount of crop damage was not known, as it was expected that some of the damaged crops would recover or be replanted. |
| April 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Nora | $10,000 | A tornado caused tree damage, including several trees blown down. The tornado also blew down power lines, causing local power outages. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elk Pt | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elk Pt | $10,000 | no account filed |
| October 2019 | Flood | Elk Pt | $5,000 | A continuation from September, the Missouri River at Ponca (gage site MRPN1) started the month at 0.55 feet above flood stage on October 1, and fell below flood stage on October 4. Property damage costs are rough estimates. |
| October 2019 | Flood | Richland | $5,000 | Rainfall around October 1, which averaged 1.00 to 1.50 inches around Sioux Falls and 2.00 to 3.50 inches in the Rock River Basin and around Hawarden and Akron, pushed the Big Sioux River near Richland (gage site BSRS2) into minor flood. The river crested 1.40 feet above flood stage on October 8. Significant flooding of agricultural land occurred, with a few county and township roads briefly inundated near the river. Property damage costs are rough estimates. |
| October 2019 | Flood | Big Spgs | $5,000 | Rainfall around October 1 which averaged 1.00 to 1.50 inches around Sioux Falls and 2.00 to 3.00 inches in the Rock River Basin pushed the Big Sioux River at Akron (gage site AKRI4) into minor flood. The river crested 1.38 feet above flood stage on October 7. Significant flooding of agricultural land occurred, with a few county and township roads briefly inundated near the river. Property damage costs are rough estimates. |
| October 2019 | Flood | Alcester | $5,000 | Rainfall which averaged 1.00 to 1.50 inches around Sioux Falls and from 2.00 to 3.00 inches along the Rock River Basin in northwest Iowa at the start of the month pushed the Big Sioux River above Hawarden (gage site HWDI4) into minor flooding. The river crested 1.52 feet above flood stage on October 6. Extensive agricultural flooding occurred. Property damage costs are rough estimates. |
| September 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Richland | $5,000 | Winds snapped a few large trees off a few feet above the ground. Lots of tree limbs down, and numerous shingles removed from house. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Spink | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds lifted the roof off a shed. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alcester | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including two forty foot pine trees blown down. The winds also blew down power lines, causing a local power outage. |
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beresford | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down a construction crane and a few trees. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elk Point | $5,000 | Some power lines and trees were blown down. |
| June 1994 | Hail | Elk Point/Civil Bend | $5,000 | Hail caused widespread crop damage and broke many windows. The crop damage included an estimated 7500 acres of crops. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beresford | $5,000 | A mobile home was overturned with several injuries. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Sioux City | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Nora | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Richland | $3,000 | Several trees were taken down by strong thunderstorm winds. Property damage amounts are rough estimates. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alcester | $3,000 | Shingles were dislodged from a house and tossed into the driveway. Property damage costs are rough estimates. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. |
| August 1985 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| July 1983 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| May 1964 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 1963 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| May 1954 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
Mines and quarries
8 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 8 workings inside this county. All of them still produce. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 8 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Bennett Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Christenson Sand & Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Higman Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Hladky Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Horton Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Seburn Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| South Dakota Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Every populated place in the county
16Named 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.
-
North Sioux City
North Sioux City city · 57049 · Sioux City North quadrangle
12 sheets, 1955 to 1994
-
Richland
Richland unorganized territory · 57025 · On Richland Creek · Richland quadrangle
19 sheets, 1898 to 1994
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.