Built in 1919 (American Craftsman). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
“The Ripple House is a historic house in Lesterville, South Dakota. It was built in 1919, with a gable roof and a dormer.”
Wikipedia article Ripple House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 78 National Register listings published here for Yankton County · listed in 1980 · category: Building · built in 1919, American Craftsman.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 42 fires within 5 miles of Ripple House between 2000 and 2019, burning about 547 acres in total. 1 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 |
| Debris and open burning | 11 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 August 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | KLOUCEK |
| 3 August 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | KUBAL FIRE |
| 21 August 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 35 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | GOEKEN FIRE |
| 18 August 2019 | Natural | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | 2 MILE BALE FIRE |
| 9 July 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | FISCHER FIRE 1 |
| 6 July 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 84 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | KEEPEN FIRE |
| 5 July 2008 | Fireworks | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 3 July 2016 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | RING OF FIRE |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 9 workings within 5 miles of Ripple House: 8 past producers, 1 unknown. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adolph Sestak Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| George Vyborny Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Leonard Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Tillie Novak Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Lesterville, the town this property stands in, in 70 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 38 hail, 17 flood, 11 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2009 | Hail | Lesterville | $5,000,000 | Large hail, accompanied in places by damaging winds, destroyed or severely damaged crops in an area up to 10 miles wide from northwestern to southeastern Yankton County. Estimates from the Farm Service Agency were at least 48 thousand acres of corn, soybean, and alfalfa crops that were affected, some of which were totally destroyed. The hail also broke windows in buildings and vehicles, severely dented and even punched holes in numerous vehicles, and damaged siding and roofs of buildings. Property damage was especially great in and near the cities of Yankton and Gayville. Most of about 200 skylights in a Wal-Mart store in Yankton were broken beyond repair. Some of the windows in vehicles were completely broken and removed by the hail. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lesterville | $200,000 | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Tornado (EF2) | Lesterville | $100,000 | A tornado destroyed 3 concrete silos, destroyed numerous outbuildings, heavily damaged a large shed, damaged a barn, caused tree damage, and caused other damage on a farm. |
| July 1998 | Flash Flood | Lesterville | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lesterville | $25,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged grain bins, caused damage to several roofs, and caused tree damage, including several trees uprooted. |
| June 2006 | Hail | Lesterville | $10,000 | Large hail broke windows and severely damaged siding on at least two homes. The hail also severely damaged corn and soybean crops. The amount of crop damage could not be determined because the extent of crop recovery could not be known for a long time. However, some crops were severely enough damaged to require replanting. |
| June 2025 | Hail | Lesterville | - | Quarter-size hail damaged crops. |
| August 2023 | Hail | Lesterville | - | Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lesterville | - | A building at the fertilizer plant in Lesterville was damaged. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lesterville | - | Multiple single-family homes in Lesterville lost shingles. Large tree branches were also downed. |
| September 2016 | Flash Flood | Lesterville | - | Heavy rain caused widespread street flooding in and near Lesterville. |
| May 2011 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Moderate to major flooding of the James River, ongoing since the snowmelt season in March, continued through May but slowly subsided. Farmland and other lowlands near the river remained flooded. With the river subsiding slowly, no new flooding was reported, although some additional road damage became apparent as water slowly receded. The highest stage near the city of Yankton was 7.3 feet above flood stage at the start of the month. |
| August 2011 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Moderate to major flooding of the James River, ongoing since the snowmelt season in March, continued into early August, with the flooding slowly abating through the month, and ending by the end of the month. Flooding of farmland and other lowlands near the river slowly abated. The highest stage near Yankton was 4.1 feet above flood stage on August 4th. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Lesterville | - | Golf ball size hail caused an unknown amount of property and crop damage. The property damage consisted mainly of several dented vehicles. |
| July 2011 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Moderate to major flooding of the James River, ongoing since the snowmelt season in March, continued through July. Farmland and other lowlands near the river remained flooded, with the water level varying slightly up and down due to sporadic heavy rainfall. The highest stage near Yankton was 4.6 feet above flood stage on July 7th, almost a foot higher than the peak stage of June, but still 2.7 feet below the peak level earlier in the Spring. |
| June 2011 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Moderate to major flooding of the James River, ongoing since the snowmelt season in March, continued through June. Farmland and other lowlands near the river remained flooded, with the water level first falling slowly, then rising due to runoff from heavy rain. The highest stage near Yankton was 3.7 feet above flood stage at the end of the month, though this was still 3.6 feet below the peak stage in May. |
| April 2010 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Flooding of the James River continued from March through all of April. The river fell slowly during the month, with no new flooding, but farmland and some roads remained flooded. The river fell from 5.7 feet above flood stage near Scotland at the start of April to 2.7 feet above flood stage at the end of the month. |
| March 2010 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Melting of a heavy winter snowpack caused flooding of the James River which became major during the middle and late part of the month. Numerous fields and roads were flooded. The river crested at 6.6 feet above flood stage near Scotland on March 20th. |
| May 2010 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Flooding of the James River continued from March and April through all of May. The river fell very slowly, with some farmland and roads remaining flooded. |
| June 2010 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Moderate to major flooding of the James River was observed for most of the month. The river, which has been slowly falling before June, rose again due to heavy rain, and the number of fields and roads flooded increased again. The river crested at around 6.5 feet above flood stage near Scotland, which was just slightly below the March crest. |
| September 2010 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Heavy rain caused minor flooding along the James River, with mainly unfarmed lowlands affected. The river crested at less than a foot above flood stage near Scotland on September 27th. |
| August 2010 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Moderate to major flooding along the James River continued into the start of August. The river was at its highest levels during the first few days of the month, although it remained below its peak spring levels near Scotland. The river then fell slowly. Flooding of fields and some roads slowly abated. |
| July 2010 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Moderate to major flooding along the James River continued, with numerous fields and some roads remaining covered. The river rose near the end of the month, when some of the heaviest rain fell, but remained below its peak March crest near Scotland. |
| July 2009 | Hail | Lesterville | - | Large hail was accompanied by wind gusts as high as 70 mph. |
| June 2009 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Minor to Moderate flooding along the James River decreased slowly during June. The highest stage near Scotland was 1.6 feet above flood stage at the start of the month, with the river falling below flood stage at that location on June 21st. The lingering flooding affected farmland and pastureland near the river, while flooding of low lying roads decreased. |
| July 2009 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Minor to moderate flooding developed along the James River again as a result of heavy rains, after the river had fallen below flood stage in late June. The river again fellbelow flood stage near the end of the month. The flooding affected farmland and pastureland near the river, with renewed flooding of some low lying roads. The river crested at 1.9 feet above flood stage near Scotland on July 13th. |
| April 2009 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Moderate to major flooding spread downstream along the James River in early April and continued through the end of the month. The river rose during all of April, reaching a level 3 feet above flood stage near Scotland at the end of the month. Increasing numbers of roads were closed, and pastureland and farmland along the river was flooded. |
| May 2009 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Moderate to major flooding continued along the James River. The river crested early in the month at 4.0 feet above flood stage near Scotland. The river then began a very slow fall. Several roads remained closed, and pastureland and farmland along the river remained flooded. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lesterville | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several trees blown down. The winds were accompanied by large hail. |
| June 2008 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Heavy rain caused major flooding of the James River in the northern part of Yankton County, and minor to moderate flooding in the south. Extensive farmland flooding was observed, as well as flooding of some county roads. |
| May 2007 | Flash Flood | Lesterville | - | Heavy rain caused flooding of numerous roads, including some main roads in Yankton. Low areas and basements were also flooded. |
| March 2007 | Flood | Lesterville | - | Warm temperatures caused a rapid snowmelt which caused the James River to rise above flood stage for several days. The flooding was minor to moderate and no significant damage was reported. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lesterville | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including large branches blown down. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lesterville | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including numerous trees, some large, blown down. Minor damage to roofs also occurred. The winds caused damage to corn crops, but the amount of damage was not known. |
| August 2002 | Hail | Lesterville | - | Large hail caused damage to vehicles. The amount of damage was not known. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| August 2016 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| September 2010 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| August 2009 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| September 2008 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| October 2002 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| October 2002 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Hail | Lesterville | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kremer House | 0.7 miles | 1980 | |
| Walloch Farmstead | 1.8 miles | 1980 | |
| Mathias Lasele House | 3.9 miles | 1980 | |
| Mueller Homestead | 4.4 miles | 1980 | |
| Stribral Homestead and Farmstead | 4.8 miles | 1980 | |
 | Mathias Merkwan Rubblestone Barn | 5.8 miles | 1987 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 80003740 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Yankton County | All 78 listed properties in this county. |
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