178 topographic sheets cover 125 settlements here, and 238 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
238 National Register listings published here, 11 of them National Historic Landmarks · the county-history sources tell 1 story and name 12 people · people the book names include Capt. Bryant To Gov. Randall (Oregon Village, 1880) · By Hon, John T. Clark (Madison City, 1877) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Among them: Chapter. These passages come from the identified county-history source books. Each inset names its own source and opens the exact section it comes from.
Village and Town Elections 1846-49 - Water Power - Celebra¬ tion, July 4, 1846 - Public Cemetery - Dr. C. B. Chapman's and J. T. Clark's Reminiscences - Hope Lodge I. O. O. F. - Knapp's Account of Capitol Grounds - L. J. Farwell's Arrival - First Bell in Madison - Organization of Baptist Church 1847 - Trial of Gross for Murder - Growth of Village, 1848 - State Historical Society, 1849 - State University.
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 551 of them, burning about 1,893 acres. 5 started naturally and 42 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 227 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 147 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 52 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 42 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 31 |
| Smoking | 18 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 11 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 11 |
| Natural | 5 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 4 |
| Other causes | 3 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Two of them were set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 April 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 500 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | DEANSVILLE |
| 14 April 2004 | Debris and open burning | 88 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 27 April 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 82 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 February 2006 | Smoking | 81 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 November 2008 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 75 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 19 April 2001 | Arson/incendiarism | 53 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 19 March 1992 | Debris and open burning | 53 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 November 1999 | Debris and open burning | 52 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 1,306 reports for this county, causing 6 deaths, 78 injuries and about $264,506,030 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 555 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 480 |
| Tornado | 75 |
| Lightning | 54 |
| Flash Flood | 47 |
| Flood | 33 |
| Heavy Rain | 30 |
| Funnel Cloud | 29 |
| Dust Devil | 2 |
| Strong Wind | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1967 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 2 killed, 5 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Tornado (F3) | Fitchburg | 1 killed, 23 hurt, $34,310,000 | A strong and destructive tornado spun up at 1715CST about 2.8 miles southeast of the geographic center of Fitchburg (or 2.0 miles north of center of Oregon), about 400 yards southwest of the intersection of CTH MM and Schnieder Rd. It continued east-southeast to the southern edge of Lake Kegonsa and tore through residential neighborhoods about 1/3 to 1/2 mile north of CTH B (Civil Towns of Dunn and Pleasant Springs, and far-northern Stoughton). It moved over the crossing of CTH A with Interstate 90/39, and stayed close to CTH A to its exit point at 1905CST where CTH A crosses into Jefferson County, about 2.8 miles south-southwest of Rockdale. One person was crushed to death in their basement from fireplace and chimney bricks that crashed through the floor. Twenty-three (23) other people were directly injured. In addition, Emergency Management officials received reports of 2 other indirectly-related deaths associated with this strong tornado. In these two cases, the people were already very ill or suffering from a life-ending disease. Injuries they received during the tornado contributed (secondary) to their death, but were not the primary cause of death, based on medical examiner reports. Consequently, these additional two deaths do not appear in the official death tally in the header strip of this event. Numerous homes, businesses, farm buildings, vehicles, power-lines, trees, and other personal effects were either damaged or destroyed along its path that grew to a maximum width of about 600 yards north of Stoughton. As for residential structures, 220 sustained minor damage, 84 had major damage, and 69 were destroyed. As for business structures, 6 sustained minor damage, 1 had major damage, and 1 was destroyed. As for agricultural structures, 5 sustained minor damage, 5 had major damage, and 40 were destroyed. Total estimated damage amounts (directly-related) for private and public sectors combined was $35.06 M, broken down to $34.31 M in property damage and $750 K in crop losses, for the tornado segment in Dane County. This tornado was probably the 3rd most costly tornado in Wisconsin's recorded history (1996 Oakfield tornado and 1984 Barneveld tornadoes were more costly). The $34.31 M in property damage was broken down to private losses (total of 32.29 M) and public losses (total of $2.02 M), per Emergency Manager reports and NWS estimates. The private losses included a total of $25.45 M for residential structures, $1.29 M for businesses, $4.25 M for agricultural structures, $1.00 M for damage to vehicles, boats, and other personal effects, $200 K to agricultural machinery and tools, and $96 K in public road system damage. The public losses making up part of the $34.31 M consisted of $2.02 M in damage to public utility systems. The $750 K in damage attributed to crop losses occurred on an estimated 1,550 acres of land. Additional monetary costs incurred in the public sector (totaling $1.84 M) which are considered indirectly-related damage expenses, and not included in the "direct" totals listed in the header-strip of this event, include: $1.38 M in debris clearance, $308 K in protective measures, and miscellaneous damage/expenses of $144 K. Therefore, the grand total of direct and indirect damage amounts and expenses attributed to this tornado segment in Dane county totaled about $36.89 M.Just south of the tornado, extending out another mile or so, tree and power-line damage resulted from rear-flank downdraft damage - in some cases south to STH 51. This damage is separate from tornado damage, and isn't included in the numbers in previous sentences. Debris from this tornado was lofted by the parent's updraft and carried downstream to scattered locations in the counties of Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha. This tornado was extensively photographed and video-taped by storm spotters (amateur radio operators, etc.), storm chasers, and private citizens. On occasions, this tornado displayed multiple-vortex characteristics. Due to partial back-building (to the west-southwest) of the supercell's updraft tower, this tornado moved slowly, and was described by some eyewitnesses and spotters as being nearly stationary at times north of Stoughton. The overall slow movement (supercell moved at 12-17 knots, or 10-15 mph), coupled with structures that were not thoroughly reinforced (based on NWS damage survey), allowed the tornado's cyclonic winds to more severely damage buildings in its path. Consequently, although some of the worst damage resembled what would be left by a F4 tornado for well-built homes, this tornado was rated at the top of the F3 category with estimated winds near 174 knots (200 mph). The F3 category has estimated wind speeds of 137-179 knots (158-206 mph). A sampling of newspaper headlines and personal quotes included: "The Sky Just Exploded," "Hard to Believe There Weren't More Deaths," "New Technology Lowers Tornado Deaths," "Counting Losses, Blessings," "It Was Probably The Most Intense Storm In The Country This Year," "It's a Mess Out Here," and "I've Never Experienced Anything Like This." The tornado cut electrical power for 1700 customers in the Stoughton area. The estimated average path length was about 175 yards. |
| March 1991 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 killed, 5 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Flash Flood | Springfield Corners | 1 killed, $1,000,000 | The widespread flash flooding of creeks and streets in Middleton, Verona, and the west side of Madison resulted in dozens of flooded or stranded vehicles, over 50 water rescues, and hundreds of citizens stranded in place. One drowning death occurred when a man attempted to escape the flood waters by exiting his vehicle. Many city streets were closed including major thoroughfares. 70 residences in the village of Shorewood Hills suffered water damage with 15 families displaced from their homes. Basement flooding was common in Madison and suburbs to the west and south. Water rescues were also executed just west of Verona on County Highway PD due to flash flooding of the Sugar River. Some rural roads south of Madison and Verona were closed due to flooding from the Sugar River or other creeks, including portions of highway 69. Flood waters at Morey Airport in Middleton tipped over a 500 gallon tank of gasoline and a 1,000 gallon tank of jet fuel. The gas tank leaked and was contained by a containment berm. |
| August 2007 | Lightning | Downtown Madison | 1 killed | Lightning struck the golf bag and then a 75-year-old male golfer who was standing under a tree during a thunderstorm. He was instantly killed. He was playing at the Odana Golf Course on the southwest side of Madison. |
| June 1992 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 30 hurt, $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Lightning | Madison | 6 hurt | An off-shoot branch of lightning struck 6 people, knocking them off their feet and causing headaches & numb fingers. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | 2 hurt, $3,130,000 | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Lightning | Cross Plains | 2 hurt | Two firefighters responding to a structure fire were indirectly struck by lightning near Cross Plains. Minor injuries occurred. |
| July 1997 | Tornado (F1) | Waunakee | 1 hurt, $388,500 | no account filed |
| May 1988 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1970 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 1 hurt, $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Cottage Grove | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Madison | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Flood | Waunakee | $32,800,000 | Black Earth Creek crested at 9.73 feet at Black Earth around 2:00 AM on 8/21/18, and at 16.6 feet at Mazomanie around 7:00 AM. The Sugar River and many other creeks and low lying areas continued to flood. The historic flooding resulted in hundreds of citizens rescued, evacuated, or stranded, especially along the highway 14 corridor which parallels Black Earth Creek and then continues into Middleton and Madison. Homes and businesses in Cross Plains, Black Earth, Mazomanie, Middleton, and the west side of Madison were most impacted. Overall, Dane County had 380 homes with affected damage, 857 homes with minor damage, 302 homes with major damage, and 5 homes destroyed. 27 businesses had minor damage and 17 suffered major damage. |A bridge was partially washed out on highway 14 near Black Earth, with highway 14 being closed from Middleton to the Iowa County line due to many washouts and high water. Many other roads in western Dane County were closed due to washouts and high water, including southbound 151 near Mount Horeb and large portions of highway 78. 5000 feet of railroad tracks on the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad were washed out between Mazomanie and Madison. |
| June 2014 | Tornado (EF3) | Verona | $14,000,000 | A Tornado severely damaged the Country View Elementary school, which will have to be rebuilt. At least 30 homes sustained major damage, 19 of which were rendered uninhabitable. Many trees down. Estimated winds up to 140 mph. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Camp Randall Stadium | $13,540,000 | Heavy rains resulted in flash flooding as water reached depths of 3 feet or more and several cars stalled. This was the last of 6 flash floods in Dane County on 3 different days. The first one occurred on June 7th, the next two on June 8th, and the last three on June 12th. In all six cases, damage to homes, businesses, and crops was noted. It was nearly impossible to break down the damages by flash flood event. Therefore, the collective breakdown is provided in this last June 12th flash flood StormData entry for Dane County.||Some farm fields remained flooded into early July. The breakdown for residential home losses were: 2020 minimally affected, 248 with minor damage, 109 with major damage, and 3 destroyed (total of $6.797 million). The breakdown for business losses were: 152 with minor damage, and 3 with major damage (total of $677 thousand). Crop losses were estimated at $64.6 million. Public sector damage was about $6.067 million. Several roads and bridges sustained damage. |
| July 2006 | Flash Flood | Madison | $10,000,000 | A 1-in-a-100-year flash flood occurred from the west side of Madison to around the Capitol Square after 3 to 5 inches of rain fell within a 90 minute timeframe. There were no reports of injuries or deaths. The heavy rain resulted from slow-moving and back-building thunderstorms that essentially remained nearly stationary over the city of Madison. The hilly terrain and a typical urban setting of a lot of concrete and asphalt enable the runoff water to quickly overwhelm the storm sewers and concentrate water in low-lying areas of the city. Water depths reach to the top of small vehicles - 4 to 5 feet deep in spots. Many roads became impassable due to the flood waters, and many residential homes and businesses on or near the UW-Madison campus had flooded basement and first-floor flooding. Some basement apartment units had water depths of 6 to 8 feet. Nearly all campus buildings had flooding of varying degrees of intensity, and the Camp Randall football field sustained damage. Some campus buildings had flat roofs that quickly flooded as storm drains became plugged - which allowed water to run thru the walls and ceilings of buildings. The buildings that sustained the most damage were the Memorial Union, Computer Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine. Numerous vehicles on or near the campus were damaged or totaled by the flood waters, and some were reported to be floating away. Unofficial rain gages measured 4.5 to 5 inches from just west of West High School up to the Capitol Square. WSR-88D Doppler rainfall estimates were in the 3 to 5 inch rain, therefore it appears the unofficial rain gages were very accurate. Rainfall amounts quickly fell off to 1 to 1.5 inches near the south Beltline (STH14/18/151). It is nearly impossible to assess the monetary value of the flash flood damage, therefore, the amount posted in the header strip of this event is only a ballpark estimate. |
| September 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Stoughton | $7,000,000 | Large tree uprooted and many smaller trees snapped. |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Mazomanie | $6,800,000 | Although general flooding affected all of Dane County, significant flash flooding affected the community areas of Mt. Horeb, Oregon, Sun Prairie, and Dane. At least 798 homes in Dane County sustained water damage to basement contents and/or basement walls, with damage totals of about $3.96 million. Thirteen homes had major water damage and two were destroyed, while 783 had minor damage. At least 10 businesses reported minor water damage totaling about $380,000. Crop losses were an estimated $5 million. Livestock losses were about $200,000, and farm building losses were about $500,000. Additionally, road damages were about $538,000, water control facility damage was about $320,000, public building damage was about $288,000, public utility damage was about $124,000, and other public property damage was about $37,000. Not included in property or crop losses were debris clearance costs of $197,000 and protective measures of $258,000. A bridge on CTH Y just north of Mazomanie was undermined and damaged by the flood waters and will need to be replaced. Water depths on STH 69 south of Verona reached 3 to 4 feet. Several gravel shoulder washouts occurred and crops across the county were damaged. Soil erosion and crop damage was reported. The water level on Lake Mendota rose to within 1 foot of it's record maximum level. The water level on Lake Monona came within 0.02 feet of it's record maxmium level. Rainfall rates were impressive - a spotter near Oregon measured 2.1 of rain between 2000 and 2100CST on August 18th. In Morrisonville, a spotter measured 7.07 overnight through 1700CST on August 19th. Overnight through 0245CST, 4.40 was measured by a coop observer 3NNE Sun Prairie with water overflowing most roads in that area. Also, water was reported in many basements in the Sun Prairie area. A spotter measured 6.39 overnight in DeForest. At a location 1SE Verona, 5.59 fell overnight through 0122CST. The Stoughton coop observer had 6.03 overnight. In Oregon a spotter measured 5.45 overnight. For comparison, locations in Dane County normally receive about 4 to 4.25 inches of rain in the entire month of August. |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $6,050,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Madison | $5,550,000 | Hail size ranged from 1.25 to 3.00 inches in diameter. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Madison | $5,550,000 | Reported near the UW Campus. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Monona | $5,550,000 | Hail size ranged from 1.50 to 3.00 inches in diameter. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Madison | $5,550,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Madison | $5,550,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Mc Farland | $5,550,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Madison | $5,550,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Monona | $5,550,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Rockdale | $5,550,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Cottage Grove | $5,550,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Mt Horeb | $5,550,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Madison | $5,550,000 | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Tornado (EF2) | Shorewood Hills | $5,000,000 | Tornado damaged at least 23 homes with some homes losing much of their roofs. Widespread uprooted and snapped trees within this heavily wooded neighborhood. Some large trees landing on homes. A few roofs had been pierced by 2-by-4s. Estimated winds up to 120 mph. |
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Madison | $4,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Tornado (EF1) | Marshall | $3,000,000 | An EF-1 rated tornado developed south of Marshall near Highway 73, proceeding northwestward, damaging several farms and large areas of trees, before dissipating on the south side of Waterloo. |
| June 1984 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Hail | Cottage Grove | $2,000,000 | Large hail damage many homes and vehicles, resulting in an estimated 200 claims. Some of the homes that sustained hail damage were just recently repaired due to damage inflicted by the April 13, 2006, hailstorm that dumped hail up to 3 to 4 inches in diameter on a path west to east across Dane County. |
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Monona | $1,600,000 | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Middleton | $1,490,000 | A weak F1 tornado (100-110 mph) spun up just west of the southwest Beltline at a point 2.5 miles SW of Middleton (half-mile north of intersection of CTH S and Pleasant View Rd.). It moved east-southeast across the West Town Mall, through the UW-Madison Research Park, ultimately ending about 1/3 mile east of STH 151/Park St (2.3 miles south of Capitol Square). In the Research Park many windows were blown out of business offices, and damage was inflicted to UW-MSN agricultural buildings. At least 194 residential homes had minor damage (roof/siding), and 11 had major damage (windows/roofs - total of $410K). At least 8 businesses had minor damage, and 1 had major damage (roof partially torn off and 1 wall damaged). Total business damage was about $246K. The UW-Madison Research Park had about $729K in damage. Many vehicles sustained some degree of damage ($100K), and one semi was blown over. At least 1000 large trees were damaged. Estimated total tornado damage is $1.485M. An additional cleanup cost of about $347K was reported. At least 2000 customers lost their electrical power. Average path width was about 150 yards. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Madison Morey Arpt | $1,300,000 | Severe street flooding due to 3.5-5.0 inches of rain over a few hours. About a dozen or more disabled vehicles due to deep flood waters. A business had its roof collapse due to the heavy weight of the water in Fitchburg on Verona Road. |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | Central Portion | $1,270,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Tornado (EF1) | Mt Horeb | $1,100,000 | Tornado began near Springdale where it hit a farm. Two sheds were lofted into a nearby woods where numerous trees were damaged and placed in a crisscross manner. The tornado then crossed Highway 18-151 while tracking to the northeast. It hit an outbuilding on County Rd P which caused it to shift off its foundation. Further north, it uprooted or snapped about 20 mature trees at a farmstead on County Rd P. The tornado then went across Cty P and ended near Valley Spring Rd and County Rd J. |
| August 2018 | Flash Flood | Springfield Corners | $1,000,000 | Historic flash flooding of Black Earth Creek and various creeks and low lying areas of western Dane County caused significant flooding impacts. This included hundreds of citizens rescued, evacuated, or stranded, especially along the highway 14 corridor which parallels Black Earth Creek. Homes and businesses in Cross Plains, Black Earth, and Mazomanie were most impacted. Approximately one half the village of Mazomanie was flooded by Black Earth Creek. 160 homes in Mazomanie were affected while 100 of them experienced water on the 1st floor of the home. 6-12 homes will likely need to be demolished. A bridge was partially washed out on highway 14 near Black Earth, with highway 14 being closed from Middleton to the Iowa County line due to many washouts and high water. Many other roads in western Dane County were closed due to washouts and high water, including southbound 151 near Mount Horeb and large portions of highway 78. The Black Earth Creek reached record levels of 9.73 feet and 16.6 feet at Black Earth and Mazomanie respectively. |
| August 2018 | Flood | Belleville | $1,000,000 | The Sugar River rose rapidly in Belleville and flooded Belleville Communitiy Park and some neighborhoods. Nine families were evacuated from the east side of the town. The highway 69 bridge was closed and highway 92 was closed between River St. and County Road PB due to high water from the Sugar River. |
| August 2018 | Flood | Camp Randall Stadium | $1,000,000 | Sections of the isthmus in Madison, including many streets, experienced sustained flooding due to record high water levels on Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Much of the flooding was near the Yahara River which connects Lake Mendota to Lake Monona. Additional flooding occurred in lakeshore areas of Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, and Lake Waubesa. Thousands of sandbags were deployed to prevent flood damages. Streets, bike paths, parks, boat launches and piers were closed in the isthmus and other areas in the Yahara Chain of Lakes. This overall flooding continued through the end of August and into early September. |
| September 2010 | Hail | Cross Plains | $1,000,000 | Trained spotters reported a 1 to 2 mile-wide swath of damage from hail showers that extended from north of Dodgeville, near Cross Plains, to just east northeast of Monona, dissipating near Interstate 90. Hundreds of vehicles were damaged; many homes had siding, window and screen damage; many trees were stripped of their leaves. |
| August 2018 | Lightning | Cross Plains | $500,000 | A home was a complete loss due to a fire from a lightning strike. |
| October 2018 | Lightning | Madison Morey Arpt | $440,000 | A house fire caused by a lightning strike resulted in the total loss of the home. |
| June 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Stoughton | $429,000 | This tornado moved from just west of Hults Road on the far western part of Stoughton northeast to a point northwest of the intersection of CTH B and CTH N. Based on the observed damage, it was probably a multiple-vortex tornado. In the Stoughton area, with respect to residential homes, it resulted in very minor damage to 24 homes, minor damage to 21 homes, and major damage to 3 homes. Additionally, 1 church sustained major damage, and 1 tabacco shed was destroyed. Total estimated property damage (roofs, siding, walls, windows) in the Stoughton area was $409,000. In the Civil town of Pleasant Springs, 12 homes sustained minor damage estimated at about $20,000. The starting and ending locations in Dodge County, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 42.92395/-89.25369 and 42.96431/-89.20166, respectively. DI #2 (FR12), DOD4. Maximum wind speed about 90-95 mph. Average path width about 75 yards. |
| August 2007 | Lightning | Fitchburg | $350,000 | Lightning struck a residential home. The resultant fire severely damaged the home. |
| June 2014 | Tornado (EF1) | Maple Bluff | $300,000 | A tornado snapped and uprooted numerous large trees with some trees landing on homes and cars. Power poles and power lines knocked down. A roof removed from one home and a roof removed from a business. Shingle damage to other homes. Boats and small sailboats sunk or missing. An 80 pound canoe and two kayaks thrown. |
| October 2017 | Tornado (EF0) | Maple Bluff | $250,000 | An EF0 tornado started near the intersection of S. First St. and Winnebago St. in Madison and tracked over 9 miles to Sun Prairie, paralleling Highway 151 for most of the path. In Madison, approximately, 200 trees were damaged or destroyed. Some of the trees landed on homes, garages, and vehicles. At least three households were displaced due to damage to their homes. The rear wall of a car wash collapsed, and the three-season porch of a home collapsed. A roof was partially torn away from a commercial building. Many power lines were downed with some arcing. In total, four commercial buildings and 12-18 homes sustained some damage. In Sun Prairie, near and east of the intersection of W. Main St. and O'Keeffe Ave., several traffic standards, streets signs, and construction barrels were damaged or knocked down. A truck topper was removed from a truck and a small wood shed was damaged. Several trees and branches were down, including a tree on a house. |
| August 2006 | Lightning | Cottage Grove | $250,000 | A home was struck by a lightning bolt, and the resultant fire gutted the home. |
| August 2001 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $250,000 | Two rounds of thunderstorms with very heavy rains pounded south-central Wisconsin, the first one during the evening hours of August 1st, and the second round during the pre-dawn hours of August 2nd, resulting in flooding or flash flooding in Dane, Iowa, and Sauk Counties. The worst flash flooding occurred in the Black Earth Creek drainage basin of northwest Dane County, especially in the cities of Black Earth and Mazomanie, where at least 10,000 sand-bags were used. Flash flooding also occurred in scattered locations between the village of Roxbury and Middleton. Many roads had gravel shoulder washouts were noted, and numerous homes sustained water damage after water levels reached 2 to 4 feet in depth. Many roads were blocked by fast-flowing water up to 2 to 3 feet deep in spots. The heavy rains damaged the ceiling and light fixtures in Madison Middle School. Also in Madison, a building, containing four radio stations, suffered flood damage to it's contents after water reached a depth of 2.5 feet on the lowest floor. Radio broadcasts were interrupted for a couple hours. Several UW-Madison campus buildings and several other Madison school buildings had water reported in their basements. In DeForest, a construction site was damaged due to a mudslide onto an adjacent road. A 3-mile stretch of a trail between Verona and Fitchburg suffered washout damage. Northwest of Mt. Horeb, a man was saved by a farm couple, after he lost control of his vehicle on a water-covered road near Bohn Creek, and flipped over into the creek. Much tree litter was noted on roads and lawns in and around the city of Madison. Twenty-four hour rainfall amounts in Dane County, ending around 0700CST on August 2nd, ranged from around 3 inches in the eastern part to 9 to over 11 inches in Black Earth. It is unknown how much more than 11 inches fell in Black Earth, since that rain gage over-flowed! In the first round of heavy rains, Mazomanie recorded 2 inches within 20 minutes! Other 24-hour totals in Dane County include 8.7 inches in Mazomanie, 7.89 inches near Waunakee, 7.53 inches west of Middleton, 5.47 inches in McFarland, 5.35 inches in Blue Mounds, and 4 to 6 inches across the city of Madison. For the calendar day of August 2nd, Madison's Truax Field set a new daily rainfall record of 3.40 inches, breaking the old record of .71 inches set back in 1963. |
| August 1996 | Lightning | Oregon | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1989 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1989 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1988 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 1986 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 70 workings inside this county. 43 still produce and 27 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 31 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 30 |
| Stone | 7 |
| Lead | 1 |
| Zinc | 1 |
| Limestone, Dimension | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighams Mine | Lead, Zinc | Unknown | Galena | |
| Valley Hites Quarry | Limestone, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Bird Street Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Fess Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Jensen Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| John Hensen Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Mickelson Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Reindahl Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Swenson Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Boehnen Inc. Hollefelder Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Carpenter Quarry No. 2 | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Endres Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Frank H Raemisch and Sons Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Freitag | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Haag Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Halverson Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Hammersley No. 1 Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Henderson Lime Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| John Hensen Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Kampmeier Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Kapel-Marquardt Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Kaupanger-Ramsey Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Kreuger Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| L. Kelly Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Lingard Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Lunde Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Madison Stone Co Inc Ghost Hill Qy | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Middleton-Watson Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Milwaukee Street Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Norman Carpenter and Son | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Northwestern Stone | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Paulson Schwenn Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Reilly Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Reindahl Quarries | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Ringgenberg Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Rucks Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Zander Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Zeigler Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Ziegler Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Anderson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Blooming Grove Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Capitol Sand | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Engelhart Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Essers Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Fosdahl Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Francis Nordness Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| General Silica Division Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Haen Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Hammersly Construction Company | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Hawkinson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Johnson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Kruchten Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Madison Airport Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Madison Sand and Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Marlin Shalitzly Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Marty Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Marvin Beuthin Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Marxville Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Mccarthy Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Norway Grove Gravel Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Norway Grove Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Norway Grove Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Pulvermacher Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Schumacher Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Token Creek Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Weiland Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Westport Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Yahara Materials Company Kipley Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Yanggen Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Ziegler Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
History of Dane County devotes a chapter to each township: its boundaries and streams, who settled it and when, the mills, the schools and the churches. All 9 are reproduced here in full. Each row shows the township's own shape and where it lies in the county, drawn from the Census Bureau's boundary. Which settlements belong to which township is computed from that same boundary, not taken from the book.
| Shape and position in the county | Township | Settlements in it | Length | Sections |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion Town | Albion, Edgerton Beach Park, Hickory Hills, Highwood, Hillside, Indian Heights | 17,674 words | 1 | |
| Black Earth Town | Black Earth | 14,108 words | 8 | |
| Cottage Grove Village | Cottage Grove, Taylors Corners | 7,102 words | 1 | |
| Madison City | Bowens Addition, Darwin, Elmside, Ethelwyn Park, Greenbush Addition, Highland Manor, Madison, Mendota, Mendota Beach, Middleton Junction, Oak Park Terrace, Oakland Heights, Pilgrim Village, Preglers Addition, South Madison, Warrens Addition, Wingra Park | 304,850 words | 131 | |
| Marshall Village | Marshall | 15,330 words | 2 | |
| Mazomanie Village | Mazomanie | 10,669 words | 8 | |
| Oregon Village | Oregon | 13,699 words | 12 | |
| Stoughton City | Stoughton | 205,128 words | 61 | |
| Sun Prairie City | Burgess Corners, Sun Prairie | 11,997 words | 1 |
3 books written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 24 chapters in all. Every chapter is public domain, machine-read from the scan and reproduced complete. A chapter already given under one of the county's towns is not repeated in this list.
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| Chapter 20 | 172,394 words in 11 parts |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 2 of those read) | 68,210 words in 5 parts |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 3 of those read) | 30,522 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 4 of those read) | 59,234 words in 4 parts |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 5 of those read) | 23,095 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 6 of those read) | 26,000 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 13: Madison As an Unincorporated Village | 36,378 words in 3 parts |
| Chapter 14: Madison As. an Incorporated Village | 9,530 words |
| Chapter with an unread heading (no. 9 of those read) | 17,728 words in 2 parts |
| Chapter 17: Towns and Villages | 15,372 words |
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1: Introductory | 3,378 words |
| Chapter 2: The Movement of Settlers to Wisconsin | 2,011 words |
| Chapter 3: The Purchase of Land from the Government | 5,485 words |
| Chapter 4 (1 of 2 so headed) | 4,096 words |
| Chapter 5: Difficulties of Early Farming | 2,747 words |
| Chapter 6: The One-Crop Period | 7,993 words |
| Chapter 1: The Transition from Simple to Complex | 1,100 words |
| Chapter 2: Hops | 2,288 words |
| Chapter 3: Tobacco | 7,793 words |
| Chapter 4 (2 of 2 so headed) | 2,751 words |
| Chapter 5: Size of Farms and Estates | 2,347 words |
| Chapter 6: Land Values | 4,153 words |
| Chapter 7: Density of Population | 786 words |
| Chapter | Length |
|---|---|
| The whole text | 449,277 words in 29 parts |
Everyone History of Dane County stops to write about, with the section that describes them. Among them are the men who founded the place and governed the Territory. Each name opens the passage itself, in the words of 1906.
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.
Roxbury town · 53529 · Black Earth quadrangle
15 sheets, 1907 to 1991
No longer a settlement
Bristol town · 53590 · North Bristol quadrangle
9 sheets, 1955 to 1991
No longer a settlement
Belleville village · 53508 · On West Branch Sugar River · Belleville quadrangle
14 sheets, 1923 to 1981
Black Earth town · 53515 · On Vermont Creek · Black Earth quadrangle
15 sheets, 1907 to 1991
Madison city · 53715 · Near Bascom Hill · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Sun Prairie town · 53590 · Sun Prairie quadrangle
26 sheets, 1890 to 1991
No longer a settlement
Westport town · On Sixmile Creek · Waunakee quadrangle
24 sheets, 1890 to 1991
No longer a settlement
Shorewood Hills village · 53705 · Near Eagle Heights · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Perry town · 53572 · Near Big Hill Savanna · Daleyville quadrangle
12 sheets, 1923 to 1981
Madison city · 53704 · On Starkweather Creek · Madison East quadrangle
23 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Madison city · 53713 · On Wingra Creek · Madison East quadrangle
23 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Madison city · 53715 · Near Bascom Hill · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Dunkirk town · 53589 · Stoughton quadrangle
19 sheets, 1890 to 1981
No longer a settlement
Cottage Grove town · 53531 · Near Liberty Mound · Cottage Grove quadrangle
26 sheets, 1890 to 1991
McFarland village · 53558 · Near Hog Island · Madison East quadrangle
23 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Windsor village · 53532 · On Wheeler Wilcox Creek · De Forest quadrangle
24 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Blue Mounds town · 53517 · On Bohn Creek · Blue Mounds quadrangle
16 sheets, 1920 to 1991
Maple Bluff village · 53704 · By Maple Bluff · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Mazomanie village · 53560 · On Halfway Prairie Creek · Mazomanie quadrangle
16 sheets, 1920 to 1991
Madison city · 53705 · On Pheasant Branch · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Middleton city · 53562 · On Pheasant Branch · Middleton quadrangle
17 sheets, 1907 to 1991
Monona city · 53716 · On Nine Springs Creek · Madison East quadrangle
23 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Montrose town · 53508 · On Milum Creek · Verona quadrangle
15 sheets, 1923 to 1981
No longer a settlement
Cottage Grove town · 53531 · Near Liberty Mound · Cottage Grove quadrangle
26 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Madison city · 53711 · Near Observatory Hill · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Middleton city · 53562 · On Pheasant Branch · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Madison city · 53705 · Near Eagle Heights · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Madison city · 53715 · Near Bascom Hill · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Primrose town · 53508 · Near Mount Pleasant · Mount Vernon quadrangle
14 sheets, 1923 to 1981
No longer a settlement
Shorewood Hills village · 53705 · Near Eagle Heights · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Madison city · 53715 · On Wingra Creek · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Springfield town · 53529 · Springfield Corners quadrangle
15 sheets, 1907 to 1991
Fitchburg city · 53711 · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
No longer a settlement
Monona city · 53716 · On Starkweather Creek · Madison East quadrangle
23 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Madison city · 53715 · Near Bascom Hill · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Windsor village · 53532 · On Wheeler Wilcox Creek · De Forest quadrangle
24 sheets, 1890 to 1991
Madison city · 53711 · Near Observatory Hill · Madison West quadrangle
25 sheets, 1890 to 1991
The vanished settlements of Dane County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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