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Adams County, Washington

67 topographic sheets cover 48 settlements here, and 13 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

13 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Washington within the United States
Adams County within Washington

What the record shows

  • 407 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 13 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 7 buildings, 4 structures, 1 object and 1 district.
  • 3 of the 13 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 48 populated places in this county; 48 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

13

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
Adams County Courthousebuilding2018100003256
Bassett Hardware Co. Storebuilding2022100007729
Dr. Frank R. Burroughs Housebuilding197575001838
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Business Car No. 101object198888000740
Nelson H. Greene Housebuilding198080003996
Ritzville Carnegie Librarybuilding198282004192
Ritzville High Schoolbuilding199494000476
Ritzville Historic Districtdistrict199090000676
Seivers Brothers Ranchhouse and Barnbuilding197979002524
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway Company Bridge 291.4-O.W.R.&N. Crossing-Washtucnastructure2018100003279
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway Company-Cow Creek Viaductstructure2018100003278
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway Company-Cow Creek Viaductstructure2018100003278
Strap Iron Corralstructure197575001837

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

74 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 74 of them, burning about 34,678 acres. 15 started naturally and 4 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined19
Debris and open burning15
Natural15
Equipment and vehicle use11
Recreation and ceremony5
Arson/incendiarism4
Railroad operations and maintenance1
Smoking1
Fireworks1
Other causes1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
12 August 2017Natural17,465 acresHanford Reach National MonumentEAST SADDLE
21 July 1997Natural5,000 acresColumbia National Wildlife RefugeCORFU
6 September 2017Missing data/not specified/undetermined3,000 acresWashington State Fire Marshal's OfficeO'BRIEN ROAD
9 July 2016Power generation/transmission/distribution1,952 acresSpokane DistrictROCKY FORD
13 July 2007Natural1,454 acresColumbia National Wildlife RefugeHIGHWAY 26
17 June 2005Arson/incendiarism1,200 acresHanford Reach National MonumentHAMMER
6 July 2000Fireworks991 acresColumbia National Wildlife RefugeLYLE LK
29 June 2008Missing data/not specified/undetermined700 acresColumbia National Wildlife RefugeLINDA LAKE

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

Storms, 1975 to 2024

38 of 38 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 38 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 1 injury and about $356,530 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind16
Hail10
Flood4
Tornado3
Funnel Cloud2
Wildfire1
Heavy Rain1
Flash Flood1

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
May 2020Thunderstorm WindWashtucna1 killed, $15,000The Washtucna Community reported that a man lost his life during storm clean up. Due to strong winds, numerous trees were uprooted, property damage, and an unoccupied trailer was blown into a power pole.
August 1998WildfireRitzville1 hurt, $60,000A tractor sparked a fire in a wheat field which was fanned by gusty winds. Over 20,000 acres were burned and a rancher was injuried.
February 2017FloodServia$200,000A section of the Lind-Warden Road was washed out producing a gaping 30 foot wide and 15 foot deep canyon across the road. A motorist drove into the gap and dropped 15 feet. The car was destroyed but the driver was unharmed.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindWashtucna Arpt$36,000A member of the public reported that 12 power poles were blown onto Highway 260 near Gill Road in Prescott, Washington. There were no known injuries.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindOthello Arpt$20,000Several trees and power lines were knocked down from strong thunderstorm winds across east and southeastern sections of Othello. Reports from the utility company included: power lines down from a fallen tree two miles southeast of Othello, a downed power pole six miles southeast of Othello, and another power pole downed six miles southeast of Warden. A newspaper also reported at least eight large trees blown down in the town of Lind. The downed trees resulted in damage to fences and power lines.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindOthello$10,000trees down and power lines down along with widespread damage to nearby wheat fields.
February 2017FloodLind$5,000Multiple road closures due to flooding occurred along Highway 21 between Lind and Interstate 90.
February 2014FloodLauer$5,000Areas of flooding were observed across portions of northern and eastern Adams County. State route 21 nine miles south of Odessa was flooded for a period of time.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindRitzville$2,000Several trees at the fairgrounds suffered significant damage. Time estimated. A nearby sensor recorded a max gust of 42 MPH.
August 2008Thunderstorm WindRitzville$1,000Strong outflow winds from a thunderstorm uprooted a large tree in Ritzville.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindHooper Jct$1,000no account filed
July 2006HailWashtucna$1,000no account filed
August 2014Thunderstorm WindWashtucna Arpt$500A large tree was blown down at a golf course in Ritzville.
April 1983Tornado (F0)not stated$30no account filed
August 2022HailHatton-A thunderstorm developed East of Connell and traveled North toward Ritzville. It produced hail 1.5 inch in Lind WA around 0709PST. It also had reports of 0.75 inch and 1 inch.
May 2020Funnel CloudRitzville-A member of the public reported a brief funnel cloud seen in Ritzville, Washington.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindRalston-A trained spotter reported that blowing dust, followed by wind and heavy rainfall, reduced visibility below one mile.
September 2013Thunderstorm WindOthello Tango Arpt-Numerous trees and power lines downed in Othello. Trees toppled onto homes and fences. An estimate of forty power poles snapped off. Schools across the Othello area were closed the following day due to impacts from the storm.
September 2013Thunderstorm WindPaha-Numerous trees and power lines downed in Ritzville. Some trees fell on houses and on outdoor equipment.
September 2013Thunderstorm WindWashtucna-Strong winds from a thunderstorm destroyed a combine shed, uprooted 5 trees and blew off a roof of a barn. Winds also knocked out power to 40 customers.
July 2012HailMoody-Caller reported quarter size hail and very heavy rain which resulted in localized urban flooding.
June 2001FloodRitzville-Water flowed over a county road near Bauer Coulee and Harder Road.
June 2001Heavy RainCountywide-Crop damage for Adams County is incorporated with the severe hail report below.
June 2001HailRitzville-A severe supercell thunderstorm containing large hail and torrential rainfall moved from southwest to northeast across northern Adams County, first entering the county east of Warden and exiting the county north of Schoonover. The only observation from Adams County of hail size with this storm was a report of dime-sized hail at 500 PM PDT at the Franz Ranch Airport (23 WSW Ritzville). The hail caused a widespread swath of crop destruction that was 20 miles long and 2-3 miles wide, laying waste to about 22,000 acres of crops. The severity of crop damage in the storm's path suggests hail likely reached the size of golf balls. Hail piled up to a foot deep in some farm yards. In the center of the storm's path, nearly 100% of the wheat, barley, bean and pea crops were a loss.
April 1998HailOthello-1 inch hail
July 1998HailLind-1.75 inch diameter hail
July 1998Funnel CloudRitzville-Adams county sheriff reported a funnel cloud.
July 1998HailLind-1.75 inch diameter hail
May 1997HailRitzville-3/4 inch hail
April 1993Thunderstorm Windnot stated-Winds 6 miles southwest of Othello went from light and variable to 50+ mph within 30 seconds. The storm also dropped pea- to marble-size hail over the area. The observer also reported "a tight spiral in the cell overhead."
August 2008Thunderstorm WindLind-no account filed
July 2006HailWashtucna-no account filed
May 2005Flash FloodNorth Portion-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindCountywide-no account filed
July 1982Hailnot stated-no account filed
May 1980Tornado (F0)not stated-no account filed
July 1978Tornado (F1)not stated-no account filed
July 1975Thunderstorm Windnot stated-no account filed

Mines and quarries

69 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 69 workings inside this county. 3 still produce and 66 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction39
Stone, Crushed/Broken28
Diatomite2

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Klepharot DepositDiatomitePast Producer
WenzelbergerDiatomitePast Producer
Borrow PitStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Cunningham QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Daughters QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Elmore QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Gravel PitStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Hatton QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Hill QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Lind QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Lind QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Oestreich QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Quarry Site Ad-50Stone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Ritzville QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
State Pit Ps-Ad-142Stone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
State Pit Psad-89Stone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Unnamed QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Wellsandt QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Bauer PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Borrow PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Charrie PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Finnel Lake PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
H. Harder PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Hartman PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Hille PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Kaspar Farms PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Keystone Jct. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Krause PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Lind PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Othello PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Ritzville Pre-MixSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Robbins PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Roxboro PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Schneider PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
School Land PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Schott PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Sorenson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Stolzer PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Taunton PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Tokio PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Washtucna PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Yorgerson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every populated place in the county

48

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.