From the record
3 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
59 topographic sheets cover 25 settlements here, and 3 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
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 | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Karnes County Courthouse | building | 2010 | 10000499 |
![]() | Panna Maria Historic District | district | 1976 | 76002043 |
| John Ruckman House | building | 1979 | 79002987 |
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.
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 438 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 28 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.




























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.
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.
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 539 of them, burning about 4,685 acres. 8 started naturally and 6 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Equipment and vehicle use | 191 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 164 |
| Debris and open burning | 126 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 21 |
| Smoking | 13 |
| Natural | 8 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 6 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 6 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Two of them were set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June 2018 | Arson/incendiarism | 541 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | FM 99 |
| 27 February 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 400 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | GILLETT FIRE |
| 20 August 2018 | Arson/incendiarism | 392 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | GRAHAM RANCH |
| 8 February 2017 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 120 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | TRACY SCHENDEL |
| 17 April 2008 | Equipment and vehicle use | 100 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
| 11 July 2007 | Debris and open burning | 100 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
| 30 April 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 100 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
| 4 April 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | 80 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 179 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 123 injuries and about $1,824,530 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Flash Flood | 75 |
| Hail | 43 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 30 |
| Tornado | 22 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 |
| Flood | 4 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1998 | Flash Flood | Countywide | 70 hurt, $200,000 | no account filed |
| October 1998 | Flash Flood | Countywide | 50 hurt, $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 1966 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 3 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Helena | $200,000 | The area of heaviest rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Erin in South Central Texas began in Karnes County. General rainfall over the county ranged from 3 to 5 inches with up to 7 inches near Helena. Most of the roads in Karnes County were closed Thursday afternoon, including FM887, SH119, and US80. |
| November 2001 | Tornado (F1) | Karnes City | $120,000 | A second and more intense Karnes County tornado touched down west of Karnes City near the Wilson County line. Rated F1, it destroyed a trailer, a metal barn, and literally hundreds of trees as it moved northeast for just over two miles. |
| August 2001 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $100,000 | no account filed |
| September 2001 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karnes City | $80,000 | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bainville | $50,000 | Several power poles were blown down by thunderstorm winds near El Oso. |
| July 2003 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $50,000 | Heavy rainfall associated with Claudette produced general 1 to 2 inch amounts with isolated totals between 5 and 6 inches over Karnes County. Flash flooding developed over the county during the evening and ended near midnight. |
| October 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | not stated | $50,000 | Karnes County Power reported some outages and some lines down in the County. |
| June 1999 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 1997 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Flash Flood | South Portion | $40,000 | no account filed |
| April 2000 | Hail | Panna Maria | $30,000 | Large hail, driven by strong winds, caused widespread damage to windows of homes and vehicles in and around Panna Maria. Damage was also reported to gardens and crops in the area. |
| April 1997 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $30,000 | Roads were cosed across the county due to as much as 4 inches of rain in less than 2 hours. |
| September 1988 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 1981 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 1980 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| October 1960 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| September 2002 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $20,000 | General 2 inch rainfall with isolated totals to 5 inches. Minor damage was reported to bridges and county roads. |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karnes City | $20,000 | Severe winds blew over a shed and knocked over trees between Karnes City and Panna Maria. |
| August 2001 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $20,000 | no account filed |
| August 1998 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $20,000 | no account filed |
| April 1997 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Gillett | $10,000 | A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 60 mph that knocked down a fence and tore some metal roofing off a house in Gillett. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Coy City | $10,000 | A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 90 mph that uprooted trees along FM 99 southwest of Karnes City. |
| July 2003 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $10,000 | Late morning and early afternoon rainfall across Karnes County averaged near 2 inches with isolated totals in the county to 3 inches . Due to the previous day's heavy rainfall, soils were quickly saturated again. Brief flash flooding developed in the mid afternoon over low water crossings. |
| May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Karnes City | $10,000 | Severe winds damaged a mobile home near Karnes City. |
| May 1999 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $10,000 | no account filed |
| September 1996 | Flash Flood | Northeastern Portion | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | North Portion | $5,000 | Brief flash flooding resulted from rain accumulations of up to 4 inches over the northern half of Karnes County. Road closures were reported between Helena and Panna Maria. |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Runge | $5,000 | Widespread damage was reported to trees in the Runge area, with many trees blown over by the damaging winds. |
| September 2001 | Flash Flood | North Portion | $5,000 | no account filed |
| November 2000 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 1995 | Hail | Karnes City | $3,000 | Hail up to the size of quarters covered the ground around Karnes City, causing extensive damage to corn crops in the area. A few homes had windows broken due to the hail. |
| November 2001 | Flash Flood | Southeast Portion | $3,000 | no account filed |
| September 1998 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $3,000 | no account filed |
| May 1975 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| May 1967 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| September 1967 | Tornado | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| July 1959 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Burnell | $2,000 | A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 60 mph that damaged a playscape on Hwy 181 south of Kenedy. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kenedy | $2,000 | A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 50 mph which knocked down large tree limbs in Panna Maria and Kenedy. |
| October 1994 | Tornado (F0) | Karnes City | $2,000 | Damage to a fence and some trees due to a tornado were reported by Sheriffs Department. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bainville | $1,000 | A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 45 mph that knocked down several tree limbs southwest and west of Kenedy. This storm also produced half inch hail. This storm also knocked down tree limbs 15 miles west of Kenedy. |
| September 1967 | Tornado | not stated | $250 | no account filed |
| May 1965 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $250 | no account filed |
| March 1957 | Tornado (F0) | not stated | $30 | no account filed |
| April 2024 | Hail | Runge | - | A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail near Runge. |
| December 2024 | Hail | Falls City | - | A thunderstorm produced 2.5 inch diameter hail in Falls City. |
| May 2023 | Flash Flood | Karnes City | - | Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that led to flash flooding. TXDoT reported FM 1353 was flooded south of Karnes City. |
| May 2023 | Flash Flood | Gillett | - | Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that led to flash flooding. TXDoT reported water over the road on FM 887 west of Gillett. |
| May 2023 | Flash Flood | Ecleto | - | Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that led to flash flooding. TXDoT reported water over the road on FM 627 south of Gillett. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kenedy | - | A thunderstorm produced wind gust measured at 50 kts by the AWOS at Kenedy Regional Airport. |
| March 2023 | Hail | Coy City | - | A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail southwest of Coy City. |
| May 2023 | Flood | Kenedy Karnes Co Arp | - | Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that led to flooding. Drive Texas reported that FM 1353 was closed in both directions between Hwy 181 and FM 2102 southwest of Karnes City due to flooding. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 88 workings inside this county. 38 still produce and 50 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Uranium | 84 |
| Molybdenum | 4 |
| Selenium | 3 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 2 |
| Sulfur | 2 |
| Molybdenum, Tungsten | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoffman Prospect | Uranium, Molybdenum, Tungsten | Occurrence | Stratabound | |
| Brayil Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Fashing Sulfur Plant | Sulfur | Producer | ||
| Laskowki Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Person Sulfur Plant | Sulfur | Producer | ||
| Galen Mine | Uranium, Molybdenum, Selenium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Panna Maria East Mine | Uranium, Molybdenum, Selenium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Panna Maria West Mine | Uranium, Molybdenum, Selenium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Hackney Mine | Uranium, Molybdenum | Past Producer | 1954 | |
| Banduch-Cochran Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Bargmann-Hackney Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Bozo Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Brown Uranium Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Brysch Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Brysch Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Brysch Prospect | Uranium | Occurrence | Stratabound | |
| Butler Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Butler Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Carriger Prospect | Uranium | Occurrence | Stratabound | |
| Climax Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Cochran Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Cochran Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Conquista Uranium Mill | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Dickson-Brown Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Duziuk Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Duziuk-Lyssy Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| E. Labus Mine | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Falls City Plant | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Finch-Hartman Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Fort Worth National Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Franklin Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Franklin-Swierc Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Ft Worth Natl Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Galen Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Garcia Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Garcia-Turner Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Hobson In Situ Uranium Proj | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Jaskinia Prospect | Uranium | Occurrence | Stratabound | |
| Karnes County Pits | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Kellner Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Kellner Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Kopecki Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Korth-Hartman-Finch Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Korzekwa Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Kotzur Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Kotzur Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Kunschik Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Labus-Hoffman Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Labus-Moczygemba | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Lauw Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Lauw Prospect | Uranium | Occurrence | Stratabound | |
| Luckett Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | 1961 | |
| Luckett Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| M. Labus Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Manka Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Manka Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Mccrady Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Mcgrady-Wright Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Moczygemba Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Muczygemba Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Niechwietz Pits | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Nieschwietz Prospect | Uranium | Occurrence | Stratabound | |
| Nuhn Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | 1954 | |
| Panna Maria Mine | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Pawelek Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Pawelek-Lyssy-Turner Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Rosenbrock Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Searcy Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Searcy-Niestroy Deposit | Uranium | Occurrence | Stratabound | |
| Sickenius Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Sickenius Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Steinman Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Steinmann Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Stoeltje Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Stoeltje-Bodden Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Stueletje Uranium Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Superior Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Susquehana Mill | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Thomas Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Trial Pit | Uranium | Past Producer | ||
| Weddington North | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Weddington South | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Weddington Uranium Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Weddington-Conoco Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Weddington-Susquehanna Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Weddington-Tenneco Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound | |
| Winerich Pit | Uranium | Producer | ||
| Wright Mine | Uranium | Past Producer | Stratabound |
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.
Falls City census division · 78113 · On Casiano Creek · Kosciusko quadrangle
10 sheets, 1920 to 1985
Falls City census division · 78113 · On Conquista Creek · Falls City quadrangle
12 sheets, 1925 to 1985
Falls City census division · 78113 · On Marcelinas Creek · Falls City quadrangle
12 sheets, 1925 to 1985
Gillett census division · 78116 · Near Tom White Hollow · Gillett quadrangle
11 sheets, 1920 to 1985
Gillett census division · 78118 · On Pridgeon Creek · Ecleto quadrangle
10 sheets, 1920 to 1985
Falls City census division · 78113 · On Scared Dog Creek · Falls City quadrangle
12 sheets, 1925 to 1985
Gillett census division · 78144 · On Lake Slough · Karnes City quadrangle
9 sheets, 1953 to 1985
Gillett census division · 78113 · On Biala Creek · Kosciusko quadrangle
10 sheets, 1920 to 1985