Custer is an unincorporated

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 community in Portage County

Portage County, Wisconsin

Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 67,182. Its county seat is Stevens Point. The United States Census Bureau's Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Portage County.-Geography:...

, Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

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History

The origin of the communities name is not confirmed but a genereal consensus is it was named after Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, who was defeated during the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. The Custer post office was established in December, 1876 just six months after the battle of Little Big Horn. The community was originally called "Dawson". The only evidence to where this name came from was an Aug. 8, 1854 land deed marking the sale of a large chunk of land in the area near the St. Mary's Church to a Michael Dawson. There is no biographical information about him in St. Mary’s documents, though there was a Michael Dawson that was elected to the town of Hull Board in 1859 and to the town of Sharon Board in 1860.

Geography

Custer is located in central Wisconsin approximately half way between Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. Located in the central part of the state, it is the largest city in the county, with a population of 24,551 at the 2000 census...

, and Amherst

Amherst, Wisconsin

Amherst is a village in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. As of 2009 the population was 1052 people. Amherst creates the core of the Tomorrow valley area.-History:...

 (Lat: 44.51056, Lon: -89.42611). Custer is located in the town of Stockton

Stockton, Wisconsin

Stockton is a town in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,896 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Arnott, Custer, Fancher, Esker, and Stockton are located in Stockton.-Geography:...

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Economy

Custer is the host site of the annual Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair sponsored by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. Custer has a post office designated by the zip code 54423. Custer has several bars, including the Pit Stop, Clancy's Stone Lion, and No Problem. Custer is home to County Material's Custer Gravel Pit.

Notable people

Custer was the childhood home of Janel McCarville

Janel McCarville

Janel McCarville is an American professional basketball player. She currently is suspended from the WNBA's New York Liberty for failure to report to Training Camp on time.-High school years:...

 of WNBA's New York Liberty

New York Liberty

The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...

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