Custer, Michigan
Custer, Michigan | |
|---|---|
U.S. Route 10 in Custer Village hall Post office | |
Location within Mason County | |
Custer Custer | |
| Coordinates: 43°57′01″N 86°13′10″W / 43.95028°N 86.21944°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Mason |
| Township | Custer |
| Platted | 1878 |
| Incorporated | 1895 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.07 sq mi (2.76 km2) |
| • Land | 1.07 sq mi (2.76 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 676 ft (206 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 272 |
| • Density | 255.7/sq mi (98.72/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 49405 |
| Area code | 231 |
| FIPS code | 26-19420[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1619649[4] |
| Website | www |
Custer is a village in Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 272 at the 2020 census.[2] The village is located within Custer Township.
History
Prior to European settlers arriving in the area, Native Americans lived near what is now Custer, with a location just south of the city being the site of a battle between the Mascouten and Odawa on the Pere Marquette River.[5][6][7] At the site, known as the Not-A-Pe-Ka-Gon Site, thousands of Mascouten were killed by the Odawa and their heads were placed on sticks, giving the river its original name, "Notipekago" or "Notipekagon", meaning "heads on sticks" in English.[5][6][7][8]
The United States created an Indian reservation where Custer is located in 1855.[9] Custer was platted in 1878 and incorporated as a village in 1895.[10] The village was named for George Armstrong Custer.[11]
A community of Lithuanians began to settle in the village around 1912 and following World War I, the community grew further.[12][13]
In 1925, Joseph T. Sanders founded Sanders Meats in Custer, delivering meat products to customers in his Ford Model T.[14] Sanders Meats passed through four generations of the Sanders family, eventually expanding to provide products to businesses and restaurants ranging up to 100 miles (160 km) away.[14][15]
St. Mary's Catholic Church was established in 1933.[16] In 1966, St. Mary's opened its new church, which was designed by architect Jonas Mulokas and shared architectural elements with the award-winning design of the Transfiguration Catholic Church in Queens, New York.[12][17]
Geography
Custer is in central Mason County, 3 miles (5 km) east of Scottville and 11 miles (18 km) east of Ludington, the county seat. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.06 square miles (2.75 km2), all land.[1]
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 269 | — | |
| 1910 | 277 | 3.0% | |
| 1920 | 269 | −2.9% | |
| 1930 | 281 | 4.5% | |
| 1940 | 237 | −15.7% | |
| 1950 | 260 | 9.7% | |
| 1960 | 365 | 40.4% | |
| 1970 | 320 | −12.3% | |
| 1980 | 341 | 6.6% | |
| 1990 | 312 | −8.5% | |
| 2000 | 318 | 1.9% | |
| 2010 | 284 | −10.7% | |
| 2020 | 272 | −4.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] | |||
2010 census
As of the census[19] of 2010, there were 285 people, 110 households, and 72 families residing in the village. The population density was 286.9 inhabitants per square mile (110.8/km2). There were 137 housing units at an average density of 138.4 per square mile (53.4/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.2% White, 0.7% African American, 0.4% Native American, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population.
There were 110 households, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.5% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.06.
The median age in the village was 39 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.7% were from 25 to 44; 28.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 51.4% male and 48.6% female.
2000 census
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 318 people, 117 households, and 91 families residing in the village. The population density was 320.7 inhabitants per square mile (123.8/km2). There were 132 housing units at an average density of 133.1 per square mile (51.4/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 90.88% White, 2.20% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 3.46% from other races, and 3.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.46% of the population.
There were 117 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,444, and the median income for a family was $35,625. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $20,536 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,436. About 11.1% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
Climate
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Custer has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[20]
References
- ^ a b "2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Michigan". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "P1. Race – Custer village, Michigan: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Custer". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ a b "Historic Indian war site gets state marker". The Grand Rapids Press. April 7, 1994. pp. B5.
- ^ a b Sculley, Bob (March 10, 2023). "150: Before white men: Mascoutens, Potawatomis, Ottawas, Chippewas". Shoreline Media Group. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
- ^ a b "MC History Spotlight: Notipekagon, when the PM ran red with blood". Mason County Press. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
- ^ MI Department of Natural Resources (July 1978), Pere Marquette River Natural River Plan (PDF), pp. 19–21
- ^ Alway, Rob (February 11, 2023). "History: The beginning of Mason County and Ludington". Mason County Press. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ Walter Romig, Michigan Place Names, p. 144
- ^ Surrarrer, G. Pearl (June 16, 1949). "Place names of county make interesting story". Ludington Daily News. p. 7. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
- ^ a b "Švč. Mergelės Marijos bažnyčia Kasteryje". Lithuanian National Commission for Cultural Heritage (in Lithuanian). Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Cadzow, John (January 31, 2020). "Mass Immigration". LITHUANIAN AMERICANS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES OF CLEVELAND.
- ^ a b "Historical society celebrates the centennial of Sanders Meats". Mason County Press. August 9, 2025. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ "Sanders Meats". Ludington Daily News. August 30, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ "Saint Mary - Saint Jerome Parish, Custer - Diocese of Grand Rapids". Diocese of Grand Rapids. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ^ Petrulis, Vaidas; Tranavičiūtė, Brigita; Laurinaitis, Paulius Tautvydas (September 26, 2024). Jonas Mulokas: architektūrinio identiteto paieškos globaliame pasaulyje (1 ed.). KTU Leidykla Technologija. doi:10.5755/e01.9786090218747. ISBN 978-609-02-1874-7.
In 1956, construction began on the Lithuanian parish church of the Transfiguration of Christ in New York, which was completed and consecrated in 1962. This is Mulokas' most significant and widely recognised work. The project was awarded a prize at the American Society of Registered Architects. Later that year, the Queens Chamber of Commerce awarded a letter of commendation for the church, and a photograph of the Lithuanian Church appeared on the front page of the New York Times on 2 December 1962. The architecture of the A-frame church is much more restrained than his earlier churches in Chicago and East Saint Louis. It marks the evolution of the architect's ideas. Influenced by the international stylistic trends prominent in Chicago's architectural milieu, the architect immersed himself in the search for a combination of modernity and contemporaneity. Later, in 1966, Mulokas designed the lesser-known St. Mary's Church in Custer, Michigan, in a similar style.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
- ^ Climate Summary for Custer, Michigan