Mercer is a town in southern
Iron County,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, United States. The population was 1,732 at the 2000 census. The census-designated place of
Mercer
Mercer may refer to:
Business
* Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925)
* Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City
* Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader, ...
and the unincorporated communities of
Carter
Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to:
Geography United States
* Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community
* Carter, Montana, a census-designated place
* Carter, ...
and
Manitowish are located within the town.
Mercer identifies itself as the "
Loon
Loons (North American English) or divers (British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family Gaviidae and order Gavi ...
Capital of the World" to promote
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
. A wildlife study found Mercer had the highest concentration of common loons in the world. In front of the Mercer Chamber of Commerce's information center, there is a , statue named "Claire de Loon". Mercer also hosts an annual "Loon Day" festival, which features an arts and crafts fair, live music and a loon calling contest.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of 184.8 square miles (478.5 km
2), of which 168.0 square miles (435.2 km
2) is land and 16.7 square miles (43.3 km
2) (9.05%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,732 people, 820 households, and 519 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 10.3 people per square mile (4.0/km
2). There were 1,926 housing units at an average density of 11.5 per square mile (4.4/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.96%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.12%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.18%
Native American, 0.17%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.17% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.40% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.69% of the population.
There were 820 households, out of which 17.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.63.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.7% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 31.5% from 45 to 64, and 25.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,413, and the median income for a family was $39,402. Males had a median income of $29,911 versus $22,042 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $19,087. About 8.7% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Mercer is served by the Mercer School District, with about 140 K–12 students in a single school.
Transportation
US Highway 51 runs through Mercer generally on a north–south trajectory, but through downtown Mercer it runs east-west.
State Highway 47 and
State Highway 182 also pass through the town.
Tourism
Mercer's main industry is tourism. Year-round activities include fishing, hunting, camping, canoeing, kayaking, biking, skiing, bird watching, snowmobiling, and ATV/UTVing. A large portion of the
Turtle-Flambeau Flowage
The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage is a lake in Iron County, Wisconsin. It has a maximum depth of 15 meters and is the seventh largest lake in the state of Wisconsin by surface area. The flowage is home to unique wetland patterns and plant species as ...
is located in Mercer, and there are 214 other inland lakes in the surround area.
The Mercer Area Historical Society is housed in the former train station. It contains a small museum of local history. Other buildings include a jail, schoolhouse, barbershop, and a reconstructed caboose.
Each year on the first Wednesday in August the town hosts Loon Day. The town hosts vendors from the area to sell their arts and products. They also have food from local restaurants and live music. The annual event brings a lot of visitors to the town each year.
Notable people
*
Ralph Capone
Ralph James Capone (; born Raffaele James Capone, ; January 12, 1894 – November 22, 1974) was an Italian-American Chicago mobster and an older brother of Al Capone and Frank Capone. He got the nickname "Bottles" not from involvement in the C ...
, brother of Al Capone
*
Charles L. Lacy, resort owner and Wisconsin State Representative, lived in the town
['Wisconsin Blue Book 1929,' Biographical Sketch of Charles L, Lacy, pg. 552]
Images
Image:Mercer Main Street.JPG, Mercer's central district. The tourist store Wampum Shop is on the left, with the Historical Society in the background
Image:Mercer Historical Society.JPG, The Historical Society, housed in the former train depot in the CDP
Image:Rasey cabin.JPG, A typical Northwoods cabin in the Mercer area
Image:Lake of the Falls, Mercer.JPG, The Lake of the Falls park contains a beach and campgrounds
Image:Fisherman's Landing.JPG, Fishermen departing from a public boat access point on the Flowage
References
External links
Town of Mercer, WisconsinMercer Chamber of CommerceMercer, Wisconsin
{{Coord, 46, 09, 56, N, 90, 03, 46, W, type:city_region:US-WI, display=title
Towns in Iron County, Wisconsin
Towns in Wisconsin