BlockFrom the record
6 National Register listings published here.
Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service
Lincoln County, Wisconsin
62 topographic sheets cover 22 settlements here, and 6 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 221 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- 6 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 4 buildings, 1 district and 1 structure.
- 3 of the 6 listings were added during the 1970s.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 22 populated places in this county; 22 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Places on the National Register
6Every 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Avenue Historic District | district | 1994 | 94000600 | |
 | First Street Bridge | structure | 1996 | 96001017 |
 | Lincoln County Courthouse | building | 1978 | 78000116 |
 | Merrill City Hall | building | 1978 | 78000117 |
 | Merrill Post Office | building | 2000 | 00001258 |
 | T. B. Scott Free Library | building | 1974 | 74000096 |
Wildfire, 1992 to 2020
705 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 705 of them, burning about 722 acres. 8 started naturally and 47 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 216 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 175 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 124 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 47 |
| Smoking | 31 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 31 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 25 |
| Other causes | 17 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 13 |
| Fireworks | 10 |
| Natural | 8 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 8 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. One of them was set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 April 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 83 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 22 April 2007 | Arson/incendiarism | 49 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 21 April 2007 | Debris and open burning | 35 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 15 April 1995 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 12 April 1998 | Debris and open burning | 17 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 11 April 1994 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 2 April 2010 | Debris and open burning | 15 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | GOUDA ROAD |
| 5 September 2005 | Equipment and vehicle use | 12 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1955 to 2026
60 of 287 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 287 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 10 injuries and about $13,048,100 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 146 |
| Hail | 91 |
| Tornado | 26 |
| Lightning | 7 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 |
| Flood | 4 |
| Dust Devil | 1 |
| Flash Flood | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF3) | Corning | 2 hurt, $10,900,000 | The tornado that formed north of Hamburg (Marathon County) at 6:08 pm CDT (1708 CST) moved into Lincoln County at 6:10 pm CDT (1710 CST). The tornado reached EF3 intensity on the north side of Merrill at approximately 6:22 pm, where 22 homes and seven businesses were destroyed. Several homes lost nearly all exterior and some interior walls (DI 2, DOD 7-8). In addition, 22 homes and one business sustained major damage, and 20 home and four businesses sustained minor damage. A 67 year old male was thrown over 200 feet from his bedroom and suffered broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and a bruised lung. Another person sustained minor injuries. The tornado tore a path over 20 miles long in Lincoln County before dissipating. The maximum width was about six tenths of a mile (1050 yards) wide. The average width was about 400 yards. |
| May 1955 | Tornado | not stated | 2 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bradley | 2 hurt | Widespread large trees uprooted and snapped along the south shore of Lake Nokomis. Some trees fell onto roofs and a tree fell into a cabin causing it to collapse where 2 injuries occurred. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill Muni Arpt | 1 hurt | Thunderstorm winds downed trees at Council Grounds State Park near Merrill. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomahawk | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Tomahawk | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Tomahawk | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Tornado (F2) | Merrill | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 1991 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1979 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1979 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Lightning | Merrill | $150,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Merrill | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Tornado (F1) | Tomahawk | $90,000 | no account filed |
| September 2002 | Tornado (F2) | Tomahawk | $75,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Gleason | $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1962 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bloomville | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a barn southwest of Gleason. |
| March 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Tomahawk | $15,000 | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomahawk | $15,000 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Merrill and several locations in southeast Lincoln County. One of the trees landed on a car on East Main Street in Merrill. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomahawk | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Tomahawk | $7,500 | no account filed |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kings | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed at least a dozen trees and destroyed an outbuilding east of Tomahawk. |
| July 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Merrill | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bloomville | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 1976 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| September 1961 | Tornado | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 1958 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Doering | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds carried a 15 to 20 foot section of barn roof 400 to 500 yards into a field. |
| June 2017 | Flood | Merrill | $2,000 | Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused minor street flooding in Merrill. |
| July 1997 | Lightning | Merrill | $2,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Hail | Merrill | $2,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Harrison | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomahawk | $1,500 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomahawk | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Irma | $1,000 | no account filed |
| September 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $1,000 | no account filed |
| April 2010 | Dust Devil | Wisconsin Dam | $600 | A dust devil formed during the afternoon on a sunny, mild day, and moved through the backyard of a family home. The dust devil picked up a trampoline, threw it 10 feet in the air, and smashed it into the side of a garage. The whirlwind continued through the yard and picked up burning corn stalks and paper from a fire barrel, swirling the debris around. The dust devil crossed a nearby road into a field and dissipated. |
| April 2026 | Tornado (EF1) | Doering | - | The tornado that developed about 3 miles northwest of Glandon in Marathon County around 4:44 PM CDT crossed the Lincoln County line around 4:46 PM CDT. The tornado tracked north-northeast and crossed County Road X and Highway 64, downing trees and producing significant damage to garages and outbuildings by tearing off most of the roof of a garage. The tornado dissipated 5 miles south of Doering at the end of Elm Ridge Road in Lincoln County around 4:55 PM CDT. Total path length is estimated to be 4.33 miles long, with a width of 100 yards. Peak wind estimated to be around 110 mph. |
| March 2025 | Hail | Corning | - | Penny size hail fell near Hamburg. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill Muni Arpt | - | Thunderstorm winds caused roof damage near Merrill. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Merrill Muni Arpt | - | Quarter size hail fell near Merrill. |
| June 2025 | Hail | Tomahawk Rgnl Arpt | - | Quarter size hail fell in Tripoli. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed several trees in Pine River. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| July 2024 | Hail | Harrison | - | Quarter size hail fell near Harrison. |
| July 2024 | Hail | Corning | - | Nickel size hail fell near Merrill. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomahawk | - | Thunderstorm winds downed several trees in Tomahawk. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomahawk | - | Thunderstorm winds uprooted and downed several trees and flipped a shed near Tomahawk. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Harrison | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Harrison. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2024 | Hail | Corning | - | Penny size hail fell near Merrill. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomahawk | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Tomahawk. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Harrison | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Harrison. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Tomahawk Rgnl Arpt | - | Thunderstorms produced a wind gust to 60 mph at the Tomahawk airport. |
| May 2024 | Hail | Irma | - | Golf ball size hail fell near Irma. |
Mines and quarries
19 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 19 workings inside this county. 8 still produce and 11 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 13 |
| Zinc, Copper | 1 |
| Copper, Zinc, Lead | 1 |
| Zinc, Lead, Copper | 1 |
| Granite | 1 |
| Stone | 1 |
| Stone, Crushed/Broken | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel Pit | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Hawk Propsect | Zinc, Copper | Prospect | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Electrum, Magnetite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | |
| Horseshoe Prospect | Copper, Zinc, Lead | Prospect | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Polybasite, Pyrrhotite, Silver, Sphalerite | |
| Merrill Granite Quarry | Granite | Past Producer | ||
| Spirit | Zinc, Lead, Copper | Unknown | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Sphalerite | |
| Tomahawk Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Big Eddy Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Bracks Sand Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| County Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| George Peterson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| George Peterson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Harold Kleinschmidt Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Klade Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Lincoln Cnty. Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Lincoln County Pits | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Lincoln County Pits | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Merrill No. 1 Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Merrill No. 2 Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Tomahawk Sand and Gravel Pits | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Every populated place in the county
22Named 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.
-
Bloomville
Schley town · 54435 · On North Branch Prairie River · Bloomville quadrangle
9 sheets, 1950 to 1990
-
Spirit Falls
Tomahawk town · 54564 · On Spirit Creek · Spirit Falls quadrangle
10 sheets, 1950 to 1990
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.