[4] Barnsdall experienced a tornado in April 1911, a major fire in March 1913 and a flood in September 1915.

Petrolite Corporation (later part of Baker Hughes) bought Bareco and continued to operate the plant.

[7] NuCera continued as operator until July 2024, when tornado damage lead to announcement of the plant's phased shutdown.

[8] The Midland Valley Railroad trackage both north and south of Barnsdall has been abandoned, the southern portion in 2000.

[11] On the evening of April 1, 2024, an EF1 tornado struck Barnsdall, damaging 35 homes, but no injuries were reported.

[13][14] Two fatalities occurred in Barnsdall as a result of the tornado, and several structures were completely destroyed.

Several buildings, including schools, were opened to those who had homes damaged or destroyed and needed shelter.

[4] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), all land.

People of German descent made up 16.0% of the population of the town, followed by Irish at 14.7%, American at 9.2%, English at 4.9%, Dutch at 2.5%, Caribbean (excluding Hispanics) at 1.4%, Scotch-Irish at 0.8%, and Arab at 0.7%.

[20] NuCera Solutions was located in Barnsdall, a manufacturer of specialty waxes and polymers and the town's largest employer.

[8] Barnsdall has two properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Osage County, Oklahoma: In addition, the Woolaroc Ranch Historic District, 8 miles east of the junction of State Highway 11 and State Highway 123, is near Barnsdall.