Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
“Van Zandt County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Canton, Texas. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”
Wikipedia article Van Zandt County Courthouse, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 2 National Register listings published here for Van Zandt County · listed in 2017 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 216 fires within 5 miles of Van Zandt County Courthouse between 1996 and 2020, burning about 855 acres in total. 3 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 |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 107 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 96 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 6 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | 2211 VZCR 3501 |
| 8 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | FM 2909 |
| 8 September 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | FM 2909 |
| 6 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | CR 2301 |
| 4 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | HWY 64 |
| 4 September 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | OAK ST |
| 30 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | 2310 |
| 30 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | 2142 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Canton, the town this property stands in, in 91 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 40 thunderstorm wind, 33 hail, 11 flash flood, 4 tornado. The reports record 8 injuries. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Canton | 8 hurt, $300,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth found that a tornado touched down at a park near Highway 64 and Old Kaufman Road. Several trees were damaged, a power pole was broken, and fencing was blown down. East of the park, two power poles were broken along Highway 64. A mobile home to the northeast suffered minor roof damage and a shed was damaged. The tornado then moved through the First Monday trade site, heavily damaging several trees and pushing over a trailer in the western portion of the grounds. Several vehicles were damaged by falling trees and limbs. Additional tree damage was noted as the tornado approached Highway 19. The damage swath ended about 200 yards east of Highway 19. This tornado was rated a low EF-1 with maximum sustained winds of 85-90 MPH. Two people were trapped in a van under a fallen tree in the First Monday parking lot. A truck travelling north on Highway 19 was thrown 38 yards. The driver was not injured. |
| April 1995 | Hail | Canton | $3,000,000 | Large hail damaged automobiles, businesses, and homes. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $1,000,000 | Significant structural damage to several buildings near the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway 243. A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth indicated that this damage was due to a downburst. More than forty homes and 15 businesses were damaged. |
| May 2019 | Tornado (EF1) | Canton | $250,000 | A tornado developed near Canton High School then moved to the northeast toward downtown Canton. Abundant tree damage occurred in southwest Canton, then the tornado strengthened as it approached downtown Canton. Structural damage to several businesses was found as well as tree trunks snapped closer to Interstate 20. This tornado lifted as it approached Interstate 20. Maximum winds with the tornado were estimated at 100 mph. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $200,000 | Seventeen buildings were damaged or destroyed by high winds. |
| July 2007 | Flash Flood | Canton | $150,000 | FM 1256, FM 1861, and several other roads were flooded and impassable. Numerous roads were closed due to culverts and bridges being washed out, including Highways 19 and 243 south of Canton, and Highway 110 east of Van. |
| April 2017 | Tornado (EF0) | Canton | $60,000 | This brief tornado occurred in nearly the same area of the larger tornado that came through later. This tornado caused damage to trees and barns just southeast of the city center of Canton. The survey crew found evidence of a separate track than the larger tornado, which moved through the area about one hour later. |
| June 2001 | Lightning | Canton | $60,000 | Houses burned to the ground after being struck by lightning. The houses were located between Canton and Phalba, on Highway 198. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $50,000 | Damaging downburst winds affected parts of southern Van Zandt County near the community of Ben Wheeler. Three structures were destroyed or badly damaged. Numerous trees were also blown down near Highway 64. No injuries were reported. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $50,000 | A mobile home was rolled, scattered roof damage occurred to nearby houses, and trees were blown down by high winds. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $45,000 | Social media pictures showed damaged wooden/metal buildings (side of one collapsed, the other partially collapsed and lifted off of its foundation), a bent metal tower, and a wooden structure housing tractors destroyed. |
| June 2007 | Flood | Canton | $40,000 | A flooded creek washed out a bridge on CR 2721. A truck was driven into the water and had to be retrieved. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $30,000 | Downed trees fell onto houses in Canton. Numerous other downed trees were reported across the county. |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $25,000 | Some structural damage occurred from high winds. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $20,000 | Strong winds blew the windows out of homes. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $15,000 | Video on X showed several trees blown down in Canton. News reports indicated several homes and businesses suffered roof damage and booths at Canton Trade Days were also damaged. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $15,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down all over town. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $15,000 | Utility poles and numerous large trees were blown down by high winds. Some roads were closed due to downed trees. |
| April 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Canton | $10,000 | A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth indicated that a short-lived F0 tornado developed on the south and southeast sides of the city of Canton. Significant tree damage was noted on the south side of the city, and a very large tree was uprooted near the intersection of Jack and Elm Streets. The tornado moved northeast across Highway 19 and dissipated west of Highway 64. Numerous trees were downed in a neighborhood east of Highway 19 and north of Highway 243. The damage path suggested that the tornado dissipated in an area roughly 200 yards northeast of the intersection of Goshen and Pecan Streets in Canton. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $10,000 | A porch was blown off of a mobile home in Myrtle Springs. |
| April 2004 | Hail | Canton | $10,000 | Car and mobile home windows were broken. |
| January 1995 | Hail | Canton | $10,000 | Softball-size hail broke windows in Whitton. |
| January 1995 | Hail | Canton | $10,000 | Hail larger than two inches in diameter broke windows. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $8,000 | Broadcast media reported a collapsed metal multi-vehicle shed. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $5,000 | Several trees were blown down. |
| March 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $5,000 | A roof was blown off a carport and part of a house blown into a road. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $5,000 | High thunderstorm winds destroyed a real estate office and blew down some trees. |
| April 1995 | Hail | Canton | $5,000 | Windows were broken by wind driven hail. |
| November 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $5,000 | High winds caused roof damage to a building. |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $2,000 | no account filed |
| November 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $1,000 | Power lines were blown down by high thunderstorm wind. |
| August 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $1,000 | Large trees were blown down by high winds. |
| January 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $500 | A public report indicated a wood utility pole snapped in the south part of Canton, TX. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $500 | A 60 mph wind gust was estimated at the Van Zandt Sheriff's Office in Canton. |
| April 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $100 | Thunderstorm winds blew down trees. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Law enforcement reported a tree down with a 12-inch diameter trunk near the intersection of State Highway 64 and FM 859. |
| April 2024 | Hail | Canton | - | Law Enforcement reported quarter sized hail near SH 64 at FM 859. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | A broad swath of damaging thunderstorm straight-line winds, several miles in width, occurred over Van Zandt County early Friday morning. These winds produced substantial tree damage and some light structural damage in the city of Canton, and particularly in areas to the west, south, and southeast of Canton. A National Weather Service Fort Worth team found damage in some locations southeast of Canton consistent with wind speeds of approximately 80 to 85 mph. |
| April 2020 | Hail | Canton | - | An MPING report indicated quarter sized hail about a mile southwest of the city of Canton, TX. |
| March 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Van Zandt County Sheriff's Department reported that a back porch was removed by thunderstorm winds approximately 14 miles southwest of the city of Canton, TX. |
| March 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Van Zandt County Sheriff's Department reported multiple trees down near the intersection of FM 2909 and FM 4113, approximately 7 miles southeast of the city of Canton, TX. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Canton | - | Reports of slightly larger than quarter sized hail were called into the office. |
| March 2016 | Flood | Canton | - | Van Zandt County Sheriff's Department reported that some low water crossings were closed in the city of Canton, TX. |
| October 2010 | Hail | Canton | - | Penny size hail was reported in Canton. |
| March 2007 | Flash Flood | Canton | - | One to two feet of water over Highways 19 and 198. |
| January 2007 | Flash Flood | Canton | - | Water over numerous roads across the county. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Large limbs broken off trees. |
| June 2004 | Flash Flood | Canton | - | FM 2924 under water and barricaded. Additional flooding was occurring on FM 3080. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Canton | - | Golfball size hail covered the ground. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | A tree was blown down by high winds. |
| May 2000 | Flash Flood | Canton | - | Heavy thunderstorm rain created flooding on Highway 19 and F.M. 858 south of Canton. |
| January 1998 | Flash Flood | Canton | - | Several roads were flooded and subsequently closed due to flooding. |
| January 1998 | Flash Flood | Canton | - | Many roads across the county were flooded and closed. |
| November 1998 | Flash Flood | Canton | - | Thunderstorms produced very heavy rains that flooded County Road 2101. The road had to be closed. |
| April 1997 | Hail | Canton | - | Golfball size hail was covering the road north of town. |
| May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Numerous large trees were blown down throughout the county. |
| April 1995 | Hail | Canton | - | Trees were blown down by high winds. |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Trees were blown down by high winds. |
| January 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Trees were damaged by high winds in Whitton. |
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.
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 100000698 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Van Zandt County | All 2 listed properties in this county. |
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