Loading map...

1956 Map of Custer

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Custer
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The town of Custer and its industrial surroundings are captured here in the mid-1950s, a period when the timber and mining economies of the Black Hills were well-established. The map documents a rugged landscape punctuated by the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad, which served remote settlements like Tigerville, Oreville, and Redfern. A significant cultural landmark of the era is the Crazy Horse Carving on Thunderhead Mountain, shown in its early stages of development.

Resource extraction is evident throughout the terrain, with numerous named claims such as the Western Star Mine, Old Mike Mine, and Gold Mountain Mine. Local education is represented by the South Slate Sch and East Park Sch, providing a geographic record for genealogists tracing families in these mountain communities. The survey also highlights the natural landmarks that defined the region's character, from the sharp spires of The Needles and Cathedral Spires to the waters of Sylvan Lake and Bismarck Lake.