Custer

Formed January 8, 1881 (13^th county)

Custer County (4,274), Challis (893)

The Modern and Federalist style brown brick building was constructed in 1945.  The courthouse is on Main Avenue at 8^th Street.  United States Highway 93 is three blocks east of the courthouse.  There was a 1922 previous courthouse also located in Challis, the only county seat.  J. F. Novachek was the architect.  The county was created on January 8, 1881 as the 13^th county and named for the General Custer mine.  The county was taken from Lemhi County and Alturas County (which no longer exits.)  The county seat is named for surveyor A. P. Challis. 

Custer County government consists of a sheriff, a prosecuter, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Five Circuit Court Judges and a Magistrate Court Judge serve Custer, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison, and Teton counties (judicial.)  The county is in south central Idaho.  The geographical center of Idaho is southwest of Challis in the county.  Boise, Idaho is southwest and Idaho Falls, Idaho is southeast of the county.  Various forks of the Salmon River flow through the county.  The county center is 32.1 miles South-Southeast of Challis nearer Clayton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Lemhi, Butte, Blaine, Elmore, Boise, and Valley counties. 

The area of the county is 4926 square miles.  It is 3 out of 44 in the state.  It ranks 40 out of 44 in population in the state.  It has a density of 0.9 persons per square mile making it 43 out of 44 in the state.  Custer County has 34.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 93 enters from the north, Lemhi County, and exits to the southeast, Butte County.  The highest point in Idaho, Borah Peak, is in the county.  The county could be described to look like a witch lying on her back.  Challis is in the northern quarter of the county.  Challis is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 20.9% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced SHAL-LEE.