Custer City Ghost Town, Custer, Idaho

Custer City is a ghost town in Custer County, Idaho, founded in 1879 as a mining town. It was named after General George Armstrong Custer. The town experienced a boom in the early 1880s when gold and silver were discovered, and its population grew to nearly 1,000. However, the mines eventually played out, and by the early 1900s, the town was mostly abandoned. Custer was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Today, it is a popular tourist destination with well-preserved buildings such as an old saloon, a jail, and several residences. Visitors can explore the old mines, the cemetery, the surrounding mountains, and the nearby Yankee Fork Gold Dredge. Custer serves as a reminder of Idaho's mining past and how quickly fortunes can change. It is part of the Land of the Yankee Fork Historic Area.