Custer, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Custer
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| Custer, South Dakota | |
The main street in 2003
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Location in Custer County and the state of South Dakota
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Dakota |
| County | Custer |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.54 sq mi (6.58 km2) |
| • Land | 2.53 sq mi (6.55 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,315 ft (1,620 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,919 |
| • Density | 778.26/sq mi (300.44/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Zip Code |
57730
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| Area code(s) | 605 |
| FIPS code | 46-15140 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1265633 |
| Website | City of Custer |
Custer is a city in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,919 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Custer County.
Contents
History
Custer is generally considered to be the oldest town established by European Americans in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. Gold was found there during the 1874 Black Hills Expedition, conducted by the 7th Cavalry led by Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer, a discovery which initiated the Black Hills Gold Rush.
For thousands of years, the Black Hills had been part of the territory of varying tribes of indigenous peoples. They were within historical territory of the Oglala Sioux at the time of United States encounter, and within the Great Sioux Reservation established by the US Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868). Having established dominance in the area by the eighteenth century, the Oglala Sioux had long considered the Black Hills as sacred land.
After increasing encroachment by European Americans and violent confrontations, the U.S. government forced the Sioux to cede much of the Black Hills in 1877, and opened the land for individual purchase and settlement. In 1875 trespassing gold-boomers named their settlement Stonewall (after the Confederate general, Stonewall Jackson), but it was renamed for Custer. Almost abandoned in 1876 after word of the much larger gold strikes in Deadwood Gulch spread, Custer later became an established city.
Custer has had a smaller population and been less wealthy than the Northern Hills cities of Deadwood and Lead. In addition to gold, Custer and other cities based their economies on the extraction of industrial minerals, which are still important to the regional economy. Custer claims to have the widest Main Street in the United States. The city made the street wide enough in the nineteenth century for a team of oxen pulling a wagon to turn completely around.
Custer annually observes a "Gold Discovery Days" celebration and festivities over the last full weekend of July. This heritage tourism event celebrates the discovery of gold by the Custer expedition in nearby French Creek and the subsequent founding of the town.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.54 square miles (6.58 km2), of which, 2.53 square miles (6.55 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.
Custer has been assigned the ZIP code 57730 and the FIPS place code 15140. Its primary telephone prefix is 673 in area code 605.
Climate
| Climate data for Custer, South Dakota (elevation 5480 ft.) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 36.8 (2.7) |
38.1 (3.4) |
45.1 (7.3) |
52.7 (11.5) |
62.2 (16.8) |
71.7 (22.1) |
79.9 (26.6) |
78.8 (26.0) |
70.2 (21.2) |
56.6 (13.7) |
43.9 (6.6) |
35.7 (2.1) |
56.0 (13.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.0 (−3.3) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
33.7 (0.9) |
40.9 (4.9) |
50.4 (10.2) |
59.4 (15.2) |
67.0 (19.4) |
65.7 (18.7) |
56.8 (13.8) |
44.5 (6.9) |
33.3 (0.7) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
44.2 (6.8) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 15.2 (−9.3) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
29.0 (−1.7) |
38.6 (3.7) |
47.2 (8.4) |
54.2 (12.3) |
52.5 (11.4) |
43.3 (6.3) |
32.3 (0.2) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
15.0 (−9.4) |
32.4 (0.2) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.33 (8.4) |
0.67 (17) |
1.03 (26) |
2.04 (52) |
3.58 (91) |
2.83 (72) |
2.75 (70) |
2.33 (59) |
1.67 (42) |
1.47 (37) |
0.58 (15) |
0.37 (9.4) |
19.65 (499) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.4 (16) |
10.3 (26) |
12.0 (30) |
10.6 (27) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
3.6 (9.1) |
6.1 (15) |
5.5 (14) |
55.9 (142) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.4 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 9.0 | 13.4 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.6 | 8.0 | 6.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 92.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 29.4 |
| Source: NOAA (1981-2010 Normals) | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 271 | — | |
| 1890 | 790 | 191.5% | |
| 1900 | 599 | −24.2% | |
| 1910 | 602 | 0.5% | |
| 1920 | 595 | −1.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,203 | 102.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,845 | 53.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,017 | 9.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,105 | 4.4% | |
| 1970 | 1,597 | −24.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,830 | 14.6% | |
| 1990 | 1,741 | −4.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,860 | 6.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,067 | 11.1% | |
| 2020 | 1,919 | −7.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1987 people, 956 households, and 535 families living in the city. The population density was 817.0 inhabitants per square mile (315.4/km2).
There were 1,129 housing units at an average density of 446.2 per square mile (172.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.8% White, 0.5% African American, 2.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
There were 956 households, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.0% were non-families. 40.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.74.
The median age in the city was 47.5 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.2% were from 25 to 44; 29.7% were from 45 to 64; and 22.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.
Economy
In addition to continued mining of precious metals, industrial minerals form the basis of today's local mining industry. Timber harvesting and production, tourism, and government services form the basis for the economy. Custer is the headquarters for the Supervisor of the Black Hills National Forest of South Dakota and Wyoming. It is convenient to major tourist attractions, such as Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The Crazy Horse Memorial is located just north of the city.
An 87-bed hospital, Custer Regional, provides general medical, surgical, and emergency room services.
Notable people
- Tyler Schultz (b. 1994), American shot putter and silver medalist at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics
Notable animals
- Custer Wolf
See also
In Spanish: Custer (Dakota del Sur) para niños
