Place:Custer, Colorado, United States

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NameCuster
Alt namesCustersource: Getty Vocabulary Program
TypeCounty
Coordinates38.117°N 105.367°W
Located inColorado, United States     (1877 - )
See alsoFremont, Colorado, United StatesParent county (source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990)
Contained Places
Cemetery
Rosita Cemetery
Inhabited place
Cold Spring
Fairview
Greenwood
Mc Kenzie Junction
Querida
Rosita
San Isabel
Silver Cliff
Tanglewood Acres
Westcliffe
Wetmore
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
source: Family History Library Catalog


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Custer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,704. The county seat is Westcliffe.

Contents

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History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Custer County was created by the Colorado legislature on March 9, 1877, out of the southern half of Fremont County. It was named in honor of Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer, who had died the previous year. Originally set in Ula, the county seat moved to Rosita in 1878, and to Silver Cliff in 1886 before settling in Westcliffe in 1928.

The county was the site of a silver rush during the 1870s. Thousands of men poured into the county during this time in the hunt for silver. Some of the notable mines include the Geyser Mine (on the north edge of the town of Silver Cliff), the Bassick Mine (near the ghost town of Querida) and the Bull Domingo (north of Silver Cliff).

During the late 19th century a railroad line was connected through the Grape Creek Canyon but was permanently closed after a few disastrous floods. The old railhouse has been turned into a historical landmark in the town of Westcliffe.

After the mines were exhausted, the population dropped considerably and was replaced by cattle ranchers. An extensive system of irrigation ditches was built throughout the valley. Ranching in the Wet Mountain Valley continues to this day.

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Timeline

Date Event Source
1877 County formed Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1877 Court records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1877 Land records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1877 Marriage records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1880 First census Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
1880 No significant boundary changes after this year Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
1905 Birth records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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Population History

source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
Census Year Population
1880 8,080
1890 2,970
1900 2,937
1910 1,947
1920 2,172
1930 2,124
1940 2,270
1950 1,573
1960 1,305
1970 1,120
1980 1,528
1990 1,926
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Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Custer County, Colorado, United States

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Research Tips

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