Custer, Wisconsin Custer, Wisconsin Custer is an unincorporated community located in the town of Stockton, in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The origin of the communities name is not confirmed but general consensus is it was named after Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, who was defeated during the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. The Custer post office was established in December, 1876 just six months after the battle of Little Big Horn. The community was originally called "Dawson". The only evidence to where this name came from was an August 8, 1854 land deed marking the sale of a
Battle of the Little Bighorn Sitting Bull's ranks for the summer buffalo hunt. The agents did not take into account the many thousands of these "reservation Indians" who had unofficially left the reservation to join their "uncooperative non-reservation cousins led by Sitting Bull". Thus, Custer unknowingly faced thousands of Indians, including the 800 non-reservation "hostiles". All Army plans were based on the incorrect numbers. Although Custer was severely criticized after the battle for not having accepted reinforcements and for dividing his forces, it must be understood that he had accepted the same official government estimates of hostiles in the area which Terry and Gibbon had