1959 Map of Custer

About this map

Custer and the surrounding townships of Sherman and Sheridan are depicted during a period of steady mid-century development within the Manistee National Forest. The Chesapeake and Ohio railroad corridor serves as the primary east-west axis, connecting the settlements of Walhalla and Tallman to the wider Michigan rail network. This survey reveals a landscape transition from the agricultural clearings near Sugar Ridge to the densely wooded areas surrounding the South Branch Pere Marquette River. Notable for local historians is the high density of rural infrastructure, including numerous one-room schoolhouses like Minega Sch and Comstock Sch, alongside multiple township cemeteries such as Riverside Cem and Lakeside Cem. The presence of the Custer Lookout Tower and Crystal Lookout Tower indicates the active fire management essential to the region's timber and recreational resources at the time.