Somerset is a village in
St. Croix 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 ...
, along the
Apple River. The population was 2,635 at the
2010 census. The village is located within the
Town of Somerset.
History
Somerset was named by General Samuel Harriman after his father's home of
Somerset, England
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
. Somerset has a lengthy and colorful history. Before the turn of the century Somerset was bordered on the south by cranberry bogs. The terrain naturally lent itself to the production of cranberries as a result of the hilliness of the area, which is dotted with ponds, sloughs, swamps and bogs. These wet areas became of greater interest to the local population during Prohibition. These same low spots where water collected became ideal for collecting water for the production of moonshine (homemade alcoholic beverages). Indeed, Somerset already had a history of being a rough logging town, and it was only a natural progression to become the supplier of bootlegged alcohol to the twin cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. After Prohibition ended, the citizens of Somerset returned to the more humble activities of logging and farming.
Geography
Somerset is located at (45.125189, -92.6752).
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 village has a total area of , all of it land.
The Apple River runs through Somerset.
Wisconsin Highways
35 and
64, and County Roads C, I, and VV are main routes in the community.
Demographics
2010 census
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 2010, there were 2,635 people, 990 households, and 654 families living in the village. 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 . There were 1,102 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.1%
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 ...
, 1.0%
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 ...
, 0.6%
Native American, 0.8%
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 ...
, 2.0% 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 2.5% 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 5.1% of the population.
There were 990 households, of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% 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, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.
The median age in the village was 29.6 years. 32.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 36.3% were from 25 to 44; 17.4% were from 45 to 64; and 5.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.
2000 census
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 1,556 people, 635 households, and 391 families living in the village. The population density was . There were 659 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.85%
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 ...
, 0.77%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
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 ...
, 0.45%
Native American, 0.06%
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 ...
, 0.45% 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 1.41% from two or more races. 1.16% of the population were
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.
There were 635 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% 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, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 12.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $45,194, and the median income for a family was $47,426. Males had a median income of $36,827 versus $25,605 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 village was $19,170. About 6.3% of families and 7.3% 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 7.8% of those under age 18 and 29.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Somerset's village president is John Melvin.
Education
Somerset High School serves students in grades nine through twelve. Somerset Middle School is the local middle school for students in grades five through eight. Somerset Elementary School is the local elementary school for students in junior kindergarten through fourth grade. All of these schools are located on the Somerset School district campus.
Recreation
Somerset has several camping establishments along the
Apple River. Outfitters in the area provide rentals and transportation for
tubing on the river. Every summer concerts are held at the
Somerset Amphitheater
Somerset Amphitheater is the largest outdoor amphitheater and camping venue in the Twin Cities (Minnesota) and Western Wisconsin area. Located across the St. Croix River, the venue consists of 200 acres of land.
Located in Somerset, Wisconsin a ...
.
The Avett Brothers
The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett ( banjo, lead vocals, guitar, piano, kick-drum) and Seth Avett (guitar, lead vocals, piano, hi-hat) along with Bob ...
,
Slipknot, and
Pretty Lights
Derek Vincent Smith (born November 25, 1981), known by his stage name Pretty Lights, is an American electronic music producer. Pretty Lights was originally a music project consisting of Smith and Michal Menert, who left after the release of their ...
are previous headliners. Somerset also hosts the
Tough Mudder
Tough Mudder is an endurance event series in which participants attempt obstacle courses. It was co-founded by Will Dean and Guy Livingstone. The obstacles often play on common human fears, such as fire, water, electricity and heights.
The fi ...
and The Border Battle Beer Fest. Every June, Somerset also holds its annual Pea Soup Days. There's a carnival, parade, and late night band playing. It takes place in the Village Park.
Notable people
*
Jenny Hansen, NCAA All-Round Gymnastic Champion
*
Samuel Harriman
Samuel Harriman (October 1826August 25, 1897) was a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War who was nominated and confirmed for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general in 1866.
Biography
Harriman was born in Orland, Ma ...
,
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
general
*
Sam Lofquist, ice hockey player
*
Michael Schachtner, basketball player
Court Side Basketball Agency 2010, August 5, 2010
/ref>
References
External links
Village of Somerset, Wisconsin
{{authority control
Villages in St. Croix County, Wisconsin
Villages in Wisconsin