Searching a hillside across the Yankee Fork in August of 1876, James Baxter, Eldon Dodge and Morgan McKim stumbled upon a rich vein of ore, exposed by a snow slide, that became the most famous mine on the Yankee Fork. Named after the popular military general, George Armstrong Custer, the General Custer Mine discovery transformed a small mining camp into a lively community and the site of the region's most significant mining activity.
Founded in 1879, townsites were laid out by Nordoff & Blick and given to anyone who would erect a building on them. The first cabin was built by Samuel Holman and "Doc" Adair. Custer flourished and what began as a tent community rapidly became a town of over 100 buildings lining both sides of its long, narrow main street. For 30 years, Custer experienced frenzied activity and growth as well as periods of uncertainty and decline until its final bust in 1911.
Today, visitors may explore the historic buildings of Custer and take a self-guided tour of the townsite. The Toll Road, known as the Custer Motorway Adventure Road, offers a fascinating historic trip through the backcountry between Custer and Challis.
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