Established in 1876, Lt Col George A Custer camped nearby during the Black Hills expedition of 1874. Town is still a thriving community.

The first town in the Black Hills was named Custer. No explanation as to why is needed. Custer is not a ghost town. It has a population of about 1500 and is still a lively mining, lumbering and tourist town. In the early days of 1909, the principal hotel was the American House. Rooms directly above the bar had a sheet of boiler iron to keep stray bullets from coming up through the floor. The bank in Custer was built of Hot Springs sandstone and bears a date of 1881. The town is at the junction of North-South US 385, and East-West US 16 and 16A.

Located about 43 miles southwest of Rapid City, in the Black Hills at the junction of US 385 & US 16. Population is around 1750, very picturesque. Park with bridge over creek is located on east side of town Several old buildings remain