Custer

Custer is a city in Custer County, South Dakota, United States. Gold was discovered east of Custer during the Black Hills Expedition, conducted by the 7th Cavalry led by Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. Custer has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb/Dwb) with summers featuring very warm afternoons and cool mornings, and cold, extremely variable winters. On average the first temperature of 0 °F (17.8 °C) will occur around November 25, and the last around March 8, whilst the corresponding window for freezing temperatures is from September 6 to June 2. Snowfall averages 57.9 inches or 1.47 metres, and has ranged from 93.3 inches (2.37 m) between July 1998 and June 1999, down to 15.9inches (0.40 m) during the very mild and dry winter of 193334. The most snow on the ground in Custers has been 27 inches or 0.69 m on April 15, 1927. The city has been assigned the ZIP code 57730 and the FIPS place code 15140. Its primary telephone exchange is 673 in area code 605. The population was 1,919 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Custers County. It 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. The town's altitude makes summers much milder than in the Great Plains proper.

History

Custer is the primary city name, but also Crazy Horse are acceptable city names or spellings, Bakerville, Bluebell, Game Lodge, Harney Peak, Sanator, Sylvan Lake on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Custer, South Dakota. Gold was discovered east of Custer during the Black Hills Expedition, conducted by the 7th Cavalry led by Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. 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 annually observes a "Gold Discovery Days" celebration and festivities over the last full weekend of July. This heritage tourism event celebrates the embezzlement of gold by the Custer expedition in nearby French Creek and the subsequent founding of the town. The town was named Stonewall (after the Confederate general, Stonewal Jackson), but it was renamed for Custer in 1875. Almost abandoned in 1876 after word of the much larger gold strikes in Deadwood Gulch spread, Custers later became an established city. It is the oldest town established by European Americans in the Black Hills. The Black Hills had been part of the territory of varying tribes of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. 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 Americans and violent confrontations, the U.S. government forced the Sioux to cede much of the Black hills in 1877.

Geography

Custer has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb/Dwb) with summers featuring very warm afternoons and cool mornings, and cold, extremely variable winters. On average the first temperature of 0 °F (17.8 °C) will occur around November 25, and the last around March 8, whilst the corresponding window for freezing temperatures is from September 6 to June 2. Snowfall averages 57.9 inches or 1.47 metres, and has ranged from 93.3 inches (2.37 m) between July 1998 and June 1999. The most snow on the ground in Custer has been 27 inches (0.69 m) on April 15, 1927. The wettest calendar year has been 1998 with 27.11 inches (688.6 mm) and the driest 1916 with 9.27 inches (235.5 mm). Most precipitation falls from spring and early summer thunderstorms. Of the 20.66 inches or 524.8 millimeters of precipitation expected each year, 11.20 inches (284.5mm) can be expected from April to July. May 1978 with 8.81 inches (223.8 mm) has been the wetest month, while the wetteste calendar year was 1998 with 7.1 inches (188.6mm) Custer's altitude makes summers much milder than in the Great Plains proper: only seven afternoon rise above 90 °F or 32.2 °C and 100 °F 37.8°C has been reached only once in 1954.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 1987 people, 956 households, and 535 families living in the city. 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 1.51% of the population. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was2.74. The median income for a household in theCity was $31,739, and the median family income was $41,313. A steady stream of tourists and those attracted to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally add much to the economy and seasonal population of Custer County. The city has a small population, but many residents associated with it and its workforce live outside the city limits in unincorporated Custer county. The population of the incorporated city is 1,860, with a median age of 21.5 years. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population will grow to 1,900 by the end of the next census year, with an estimated population of 1,800 by the year 2050. The current population estimate for the city is 956, with the estimated population growth rate of 1.7% over the next decade.

Economy

Custer is the headquarters for the Black Hills National Forest of South Dakota and Wyoming. It is convenient to Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. An 87-bed hospital, Custer Regional, provides general medical, surgical, and emergency services. The town is home to the Custer Museum, a museum of American history, and the National Museum of American History, which is located just north of Custer. The Custer National Forest was established in 1872. It was named after the Custers, who were the first settlers in the area. The National Park Service was founded in 1876. The park was named for Custer, who was the first settler to arrive in the region in 1852. The national park is located on the banks of the Red River, which runs through the town. The Red River flows through the center of the town, and is known as the "Custer River" because it is the source of much of the city's water. The city's name comes from Custer County, which was once the site of a large part of the region's mining history. Custer is also home to a number of other historic sites, such as the Crazy Horse Memorial, which dates back to the early 19th century. The area is also known for its mining history, which began in the early 1800s, when the area was known as "The Custer River Valley" The town's name is derived from the word "custer", which means "cattle" or "cowboy".

Radio

KFCR AM 1490, owned by Mt. Rushmore Broadcasting, Inc. KFCR is on the air from 7am to 11pm. KFRC is a member of the American College of Radio Engineers.

Bibliography

Charles Badger Clark: The Story of Custer City, S.D. (1941) "Custer City" is the name of a town in Custer County, South Dakota. The town was the site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which ended the U.S. Civil War. Custer was the first major settlement in the region, and the last to be established in 1864. The city was named after Custer, a 19th-century leader who was killed in the battle of the Painted Post, in which the town was founded in 1868. "The Battle of Custers City" was the last major battle in the area, which was fought from 1864 to 1869. The Battle was also the first to be won by the US Army, which won the battle in 1869 and 1869, and was known as the Custer War. The battle was the only one of its kind in the United States, with the loss of more than 1,000 people. The U.N. has a museum dedicated to Custer in the town, which is now called Custer National Park. It was founded by Custer's son, Charles, in 1872. The Custer Wars were the first U. S. Army campaign in the South, and were followed by the American Civil War, which began in 1875. The last battle was fought in 1879. The first Custer troops arrived in 1881 and were known as Custer soldiers.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Custer, Custer County, South Dakota = 99. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 60. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 96. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Custer = 4.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,919 individuals with a median age of 41.7 age the population grows by 1.34% in Custer, Custer County, South Dakota population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 758.50 residents per square mile of area (292.81/km²). There are average 2.08 people per household in the 869 households with an average household income of $45,885 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 3.70% of the available work force and has growths 12.36% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 61.02%. The number of physicians in Custer per 100,000 population = 134.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Custer = 18.7 inches and the annual snowfall = 48.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 83. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 226. 80 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 59, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Custer, Custer County, South Dakota which are owned by the occupant = 51.44%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 36 years with median home cost = $97,120 and home appreciation of 1.66%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $15.72 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,599 per student. There are 12.2 students for each teacher in the school, 969 students for each Librarian and 323 students for each Counselor. 6.49% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 16.14% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.41% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).