The Custer Chronicle

Read the latest happenings in

Custer City

 

 

2006-2007 Community Profile

County Seat: Custer City (established 1875) Oldest City in the Black Hills

Elevation: 5,318 Feet

Climate: High Low

Average Temp: 57.8 F 28.9 F

Average summer temperature: 63.1 degrees

Average winter temperature: 29.0 degrees

Average Coldest Month: 36.2 F 9.9 F (January)

Average Warmest Month: 81.6 F 50.6 F (July)

Average Precipitation: 20.27"

Average Growing Season: May - September

Custer County opened its Beacon website for access by the public. This website was developed to create parcel maps and describe information about a parcel of land. Information includes ownerships, legal descriptions, roads, addresses, etc.

http://beacon.schneidercorp.com

 

 

 

Population

Year       Community       County       State

     1980         1,830                6,000          690,768

     1990         1,741               6,179          696,004

     2000         1,860                7,275          754,844

     2006         1,872                8,676          760,592

 

Labor Force

Custer County  

Labor Force:  4,110
Employed: 3,910
Unemployed: 200
Rate: 4.8%

 

Wages for select occupations

Assemblers & Fabricators, Hand:     $10.74
Bookkeeping & Accounting:    $11.37
Insurance Claims:    $19.95
Shipping & Receiving:    $11.50
Computer Support Specialists:    $15.58
Laborers:    $9.03
Painters:    $11.38
Packaging & Filling:    $11.24
Machinists:    $13.81
Welders & Cutters:    $13.51

 

Major Employers

Black Hills National Forest:  (US Forest Service)  350
Custer School District: (Education)   165
South Dakota Star Academy: (Center for Adjudicated Youth)   136
Custer County:   (Government Service) 90
Crazy Horse Memorial:  (Attraction) 84
Custer Regional Hospital:  (Health Care, Clinic)  80
Custer Regional Senior Care:  (Elderly Care)  80
Lynn's Dakotamart:  (Grocery)  33
Custer State Park:  (Park)  31

South Dakota Department of Labor - www.sdjobs.org
Custer County Chronicle - www.custercountynews.com
Career Learning Center - www.careerlearningcenter-blackhills.org 
 

Tax Structure

City Mill Levy Tax:  Owner occupied 20.395 per 1,000
% of Full Value Assessed: 85%
Effective Tax Rate: 2.6%

Education

Custer School District - (605) 673-4473
Pupil: Teacher Ratio 12:1
www.csd.k12.sd.us

Custer County Library - (605) 673-4803
www.custercountysd.com

 

Elementary: 1 school, enrollment 305
Middle School: 1 school, enrollment 163
Sr. High School: 1 school, enrollment 279
Hermosa: 1 school, enrollment 143

Local or nearest Technical Institute
Name: Western Dakota Technical Institute  (605) 394-4034
Location: Rapid City, SD
Enrollment: 821

Local or nearest Colleges/Universities
Name: South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (605) 394-2511
Location: Rapid City, SD
Enrollment: 2,218

Name: National American University (605) 394-4827
Location: Rapid City, SD
Enrollment: 952

Name: Black Hills State University  (605) 923-5893
Location: Spearfish, SD
Enrollment: 2,866
 

Utilities

Black Hills Power & Light - (605) 673-4455
Black Hills Electric Co-op - (605) 673-4461

Telecommunications

Golden West Telecommunications (605) 745-3103

Water

Supplier: City of Custer (605) 673-4824
Source: Well
System Capacity: 0.55 mgd
Present Usage: 0.15 winter; 0.4 summer

Wastewater

Local Supplier: City of Custer (605)673-4824
Type of treatment: Lagoon-primary
System Capacity: 0.5 mgd
Present Usage: 278,000 gpd

Transportation

Major Highways: US 16A, 16, 3

85 & SD 89 & 87
Motor Carriers: 61
Distance to nearest rail service: 41 miles
Air Service:
Commercial Airport - Custer City
Commercial Airport - Rapid City

 

Commercial/Industrial Services

Machine Shops: 3
Distance to nearest tool and die service: Custer City
Nearest Motor Repair Shop: Custer City
Newspaper: 1 weekly -  www.custercountynews.com
Motels/Hotels/Cabins/Resorts: 50
Cable TV: 19 channels

Municipal Services

Type of Local Government: Mayor & City Council
Police Force: 14
Fire Department Personnel: 33 Volunteers
Fire Insurance Rating: Class 6
City Zoning Ordinance: Yes
County Zoning Ordinance: No
Percentage of Paved Streets: 85%
Ambulance Service: 18 volunteers

Housing

Average monthly rent for 2 bedroom house: $450-$600
Average monthly rent for 2 bedroom apartment: $450
Average cost of homes (purchase price): $110,000.00
 

Health Facilities

Hospitals: 1  www.sdnafvsa.com
Clinics: 1 www.regionalmedicalclinic.com
 

Custer Senior Center
http://www.custersencntr.org/
 

Culture & Recreation

Golf course
Tennis/ball court
Fishing/boating
Gold panning
Mountain biking
Parks/picnic sites
Hiking trails
Horseshoe courts
Rock climbing
Spelunking
Paddle Boating
Swimming
Balloon rides
Helicopter rides
Hunting/fishing
Volleyball courts
YMCA
Lost Sock - Video Rentals
 

Emergency Numbers

South Dakota Highway Patrol - (605) 673-5677 www.hp.state.sd.us/back/082303.htm
Sheriff - (605) 673-8146  www.custercountysd.com/Sheriff
Emergency Management (605) 673-8128  www.custercountysd.com/Sheriff
Road Report - 511 www.sddot.com
Poison Control Center - (800) 222-1222 www.aapcc.org/states/sd.htm 
Family Violence Hotline - (800) 430-SAFE www.sdnafvsa.com
South Dakota Relay Service - (800) 877-1113  www.relaysouthdakota.com

 

 

History of Custer city

In 1874, Custer followed by a thousand regulars of the 7th Cavalry entered the Black Hills. The General wrote busily on a flowery report - "this valley presents a most wonderful and beautiful aspect, the like of which has never been seen." Just then a prospector entered the tent and spilled yellow dust under the commander's eyes. GOLD! Custer wrote more busily than ever. A few weeks later the paper blazed with headlines about the new El Dorado. Custer ordered the camp struck, pleased with the success of his adventure. He did not dream that pinch of of yellow sand had started a train of events which would leave him dead by the Little Big Horn River in Montana.

In 1875 Custer supported a population of approximately 10 thousand people. The people decided to incorporated to give the town a name. They had a vote to decide the name and two names that were chosen were Stonewall (a famous Confederate General) or Custer for the famous Union general. Because more Union vets inhabited to Custer than Confederate the name Custer was chosen.

Lieutenant colonel
George A. Custer

1839-1876

Custer died June 25th, 1876 at the Battle of the Little Bighorn near Hardin Montana.
Custer is buried at West Point Military Academy in New York

 

Community Services

Custer School District -   Home of the Wildcats 
 www.csd.k12.sd.us
Administration: 605-673-3154
Custer High School: 605-673-4473
Custer Middle School: 605-673-4540
Custer Elementary School: 605-673-4483
Custer Preschool: 605-673-3515
4 public elementary schools, 1 public middle school, 1 public senior high school, and 1 alternative classroom
average classroom size; elementary 20-24, secondary 22-24

Community Education of the Black Hills   605-394-5120  Fax 605-394-6083
Adult Education Class Program
www.clccommed.org
Community Education of the Black Hills is an Adult Education Program promoting lifelong learning, featuring classes in language, arts, computers, finances, cooking, history and more.

Custer City Hall
622 Crook Street, Custer SD 57730  605-673-4824
www.custer.govoffice.com  

Custer County Government
420 Mt. Rushmore Road, Custer SD 57730    605-673-8100   or  877-624-4090   Fax 605-673-8150
www.custercountysd.com       lnelson@custercountysd.com
 

Custer County Library  
447 Crook St, Suite # 4, Custer SD 57730       605-673-4803     Fax 605-673-2385
www.custercountysd.com    cuslib@custercountysd.com     cuslib@gwtc.net 
6 DSL Patron Computers with printers. High-speed wireless capability. On-going book sale. Hours: Mon, Tue, Thur & Fri - 11:00 am - 5:30 pm,
Wed - 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm, Saturday -10:00 am - 3:00 pm.
 

Custer YMCA
644 Crook St, Custer, SD 57730    605-673-5134
ymca@gwtc.net

Custer YMCA Child Development Center
1213 Blue Bell Lane, Custer SD 57730     605-673-2222
ymcachildcare@gwtc.net
Serving our community's child care needs for children ages 6 months thru the 8th grade.

Government Offices

South Dakota Department of Labor
447 Crook St, Custer, SD 57730     605-673-4488
2500 Minnekahta Ave, Hot Springs, SD 57747      605-745-5101
bruce.holmes@state.sd.us   

USDA Forest Service - Black Hills National Forest
1019 N 5th St, Custer, SD 57730      605-673-9200       Fax 605-673-9350
www.fs.fed.us/r2./blackhills/   r2_blackhills_webinfo@fs.fed.us
National Forest

Custer City Community Churches
 

Baha'is of Custer      605-673-2380
Devotions, 19-day feasts and Holy Day celebrations, children's classes and adult classes. Everyone welcome.
 

Berean Bible Church,  6th & Harney, Custer, SD 57730  605-673-4074
Worship 9:15 am, Evening Worship 6:30 pm
 

Bible Believers Baptist Church,  Aviation Way (3rd bldg on right), Custer SD 57730 605-673-2498
Sunday Services 10:45 am & 6:00 pm
 

Crossroads Church
PO Box 549, Custer SD 57730   605-673-3961
www.crossroadsefreechurch.com                 ndhughes@goldenwest.net
Pastor Neal Hughes. Please join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am at the Custer Elementary School, 371 Crook St, use the NW door. Sundays evenings - In Home Fellowships.

 

Custer Community Church/United Church of Christ, 6th & Harney, Custer SD 57730  605-673-4350
Sunday Worship 9:30 am
www.custercommunitychurch.org

 

Custer Lutheran Fellowship ELCA, 3 miles east on Hwy 16A, Custer SD 57730  605-673-4691
Sunday Worship 8:30 am & 11:00 am
 

Custer Wesleyan Church, 10th & Harney, Custer SD 57730  605-673-5168 or  Fax 605-673-6003
The Custer Wesleyan Church is a part of the Wesleyan denomination worldwide, an evangelical holiness church. We
meet every Sunday morning at 10 am for worship.
cuswes@gwtc.net
 

First Baptist Church, 9th & Gordon, Custer SD 57730  605-673-2431
Sunday Morning Service 9:00 am, 10:30 am - Evening Service 6:00 pm
 

Liberty Baptist Church-conservative, 25129 Harbach Lane, Custer SD 57730  605-673-2863
Sunday Worship 10:00 am
 

Living Outreach Church - non-denominational, 34 North 8th, Custer SD 57730  605-673-3926
www.livingoutreachchurch.org
Sunday Worship 9:30 am

Mountainview Baptist Church
12230 Aviation Way, Box 266, Custer, SD 57730      605-673-2498
mvbc@goldenwest.net        mountainviewbaptistcuster.com
Pastor Matt Furse. Mountainview Baptist Church is a local church in Custer, dedicated to meeting the spiritual needs of the community by obeying the words of Christ in Matthew 28:18-20.
 

Our Redeemer Lutheran LCMS, 8th & Harney, Custer SD 57730  605-673-4361
Worship Service 9:00 am

Seventh Day Adventist, 641 Montgomery, Custer SD 57730  605-673-5669  605-673-3940 (message)
 

Shepherd of the Hills Wisconsin ELS,. North on Hwy 385, Custer SD 57730  605-673-3733  605-673-5070
www.shepherdofthehillscuster.org
Worship Services 10:30 am

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, WELS
www.shepherdofthehillscuster.org  
25024 US Hwy 16/385, Custer, SD 57730        605-673-6311
Guests are always welcome. We are a Bible-Caring, Christ-Caring, People-Caring Church sharing God's grace. We invite you to join us in worship
 

Southern Hills Church of Christ, Hwy 385 at Church Street, Custer SD 57730  605-673-3715
 

St. John's Catholic Church, 449 Harney, Custer SD 57730  605-673-4426
Mass schedule: Sundays 8:00 am  - Saturday 5:30 pm
 

United Methodist Church, Pringle, SD 57773  605-672-7716
Sunday Worship Service  9:00 am
 

Vineyard Black Hills
25574 Veterans Trail, Custer SD 57730    605-673-4090
arpstock@ameritech.net
My wife Rose and I desire to serve Custer and the area of hospitality, music, ministry, healing, spiritual brokenness, community unity and provide a place of worship and spiritual growth in Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Custer City Clubs and Organizations

Civil Air Patrol, Custer, SD 57730  605-673-2025
vmarking@goldenwest.net
We administer a co-ed youth program that focuses on leadership development and an ethic of community service.
 

Custer All -Drug, Inc,  PO Box 422, Custer, SD 57730     605-673-3799    Fax 605-673-3615
We support local activities regarding drug and alcohol abuse. We promote education for Custer youth and adults regarding drug and alcohol awareness.
 

Custer Area Arts Council, PO Box 310, 549 Mt Rushmore Rd, Custer SD 57730   605-673-5955
www.custerstampede.org             pattyressler@custerstampede.com         
Meets first Monday of the month, 5:30 pm at Telco Federal Credit Union

 

Custer City Lodge #66 A.F & A.M
220 N 6th St, PO Box 883, Custer, SD  57730   605-673-4012
http://home.custerlodge66.org     secretary@custerlodg66.org

Custer Community Coalition on Aging, 161 Boot Hill Dr, Custer SD 57730
 

Custer County Housing & Redevelopment, 622 Crook St, Ste #1, Custer SD 57730 605-673-5548    Fax 605-673-3992
custerhousing@goldenwest.net  
Providing Custer County with affordable housing options.
 

Custer County Search and Rescue, Custer SD 57730 605-673-1571
sbaldwin@gwtc.net
Meets second Monday of the month at 6:30 pm at the Search and Rescue Garage south on Hwy 385 next to the County Hwy garage. Anyone interested in becoming involved please call or email.
 

Custer Lions Club, 12123 Silver Star Dr, Custer SD 57730 605-673-4972
Meets second and fourth Thursday of the month at noon at the Custer Senior Center.
 

Custer Senior Citizen's Center, 538 Mt. Rushmore Rd, Custer SD 57730  605-673-2708
 www.custersencntr.org       cussndr@gwtc.net
Provides activities to fulfill physical, nutritional and social needs of people 50 and older.  Health screenings, bus trips, entertainment, classes, meals, etc.  New members and visitors welcome.

Girl Scouts of the Black Hills Council, PO Box 1846, Rapid City SD 57709  605-343-6355
www.girlscouts-blackhills.org   mammann@girlscouts-blackhills.org
Girl Scouts is an all-girl organization for girls ages 5-17 (grades K-12). It began in the United States in 1912, founded by Juliette Gordon Low.  She believed girls could do anything.  Today, there are four goals: become, belong, believe, build.

 

Jackie Hartwick & Bill Baker -  Mile High Cats 4-H Club
25406 Wind Song Valley Rd, Custer, SD 57730    605-673-2428
sdakotajackie@goldenwest.net

Prairie Hills Transit
538 Mt. Rushmore Rd, Custer SD  57730               605-673-3687
The Custer Area Transportation Services provides safe, affordable rides for medical appointments, meals, social and other reasonable activities.
 

Top Pin Archer's Club, 25086 Shamrock Rd, Custer SD 57730  605-673-5880
therustygoldfish@hotmail.com  
The Top Pin Archer's Club of Custer holds regular 3D, paper, Vegas and 300 shoots. The club also has beginner archery classes and archery education/safety classes throughout the year. Come shoot with us.

 

Southern Hills Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (N.W.T.F) 24884 America Center Rd. Rushmore Rd, Custer SD 57730      605-673- 5880 www.nwtf.org       therustygoldfish@hotmail.com The Southern Hills Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (N.W.T.F) is a conservation and educational organization with a mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving hunting traditions. Our annual banquet will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at the Bavarian Inn of Custer, Sd. Join us for a night of fun and conservation

VFW Post 3442, 721 Mt. Rushmore Rd, Custer SD 57730  605-673-4262
www.vfwpost3442.org 
Restaurant and lounge.  VFW and VFW Auxiliary meet third Thursday at 7 pm.
 

YMCA of Custer, 644 Crook St, Custer SD 57730  605-673-5134
www.rcymca.org          ymca@gwtc.net
Putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
 

Zonta Club of the Southern Black Hills, PO Box 28, Custer SD 57730      605-673-2921
Women's based non-profit service organization.  Meeting dates 2nd & 4th Tuesdays.

Custer Area Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 5018
Custer, SD 57730
605-673-2244 or 800-992-9818
email us: info@custersd.com