Custer, Montana
census designated place in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States
Custer is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States. The population was 119 at the 2020 census.
Description
This community bears the name of U.S. Army General George Armstrong Custer who was defeated and killed at the Battle of Little Big Horn, which took place nearby in 1876. Originally a Northern Pacific Railroad station established in 1882, the post office began in 1905.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), all land.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Custer has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 145 people, 68 households, and 39 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 563.7 inhabitants per square mile (217.6/km2). There were 79 housing units at an average density of 307.1 units per square mile (118.6 units/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.86% White, 1.38% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.38% of the population.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Custer, Montana” is census designated place in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Custer, Montana and census, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “census designated place in Yellowstone County, Montana, United States” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q968414. VIAF identifies the subject as 159596963. The Library of Congress control number is n93116891. Authority coordinates are 46.129, -107.556. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020, 1876, 1882 and 1905.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Custer, Montana”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Custer, Montana primary sources, Custer, Montana archive and Custer research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Custer, Montana”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Custer, Montana” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.