Siren

Siren is a village in Burnett County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 806 at the 2010 census. The Ojibwe and the French fur traders were the principal inhabitants of the region in the early 1800s. The first post office was built in 1895 about a mile west of its present location. In 1912, the town center was moved nearer to the Soo Line Railroad tracks, which had been extended north through the area to Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota. On June 18, 2001, an F3 tornado passed through Siren, inflicting severe damage. Three people died; 175 buildings were destroyed and many more damaged. Since then much of the town has been rebuilt with its architecture reflecting Siren's history. The village is surrounded by several lakes including Big Doctor Lake, Clam Lake, Crooked Lake, Fish Lake, and Long Lake. The town is located at 45°471N 92°2248W (45.783633, -92.380161).According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has an area of 1.28 square miles (3.32 km²), of which 1.24 square miles of land and 0.04 square mile (0.10 km²) is water. The racial makeup of Siren was 725 (90.0%) white, 33 (4.1%) American Indian or Alaska native, 3 (0.4%) Asian, 0 (0%) native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 4 (0) from another race. 19 people (2.5%) were from two or more races.

History

Swedish immigrants began settling in the area around what is now Siren in the 1880s. The Ojibwe and the French fur traders were the principal inhabitants of the region in the early 1800s. In 1912, the town center was moved nearer to the Soo Line Railroad tracks, which had been extended north through the area to Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota. On June 18, 2001, an F3 tornado passed through Siren, inflicting severe damage. Three people died; 175 buildings were destroyed and many more damaged. Since then much of the town has been rebuilt with its architecture reflecting Siren's history. It is now known as the Gandy Dancer State Trail and is a popular route for hikers, bicyclists, and snowmobilers. The town's name is Swedish for "lilac," which is the name of a type of lilac that is abundant in the region. It was named after Charles F. Segerstrom, who had the post office in his home, which was surrounded by lilacs. He applied for a name for the place, choosing "Syren", Swedish for 'lilacs' The postal department thought this was a misspelling, for on the granted application they put down the spelling as "Siren," so the town was named for the town's first postmaster, who was named Charles Segerstom. The post office was built in 1895 about a mile west of its present location. The tracks were later removed but the trail was left behind for recreational purposes.

Geography

Siren is located at 45°471N 92°2248W (45.783633, -92.380161).According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the village has an area of 1.28 square miles (3.32 km²) The village is surrounded by several lakes including Big Doctor Lake, Clam Lake, Crooked Lake, Fish Lake, and Long Lake. The village has a population of 1,071. It is located on the shores of the Big Doctor River, which is a tributary of the Red River. The Red River flows into the Little Red River which flows through the village of Siren. The town's name is derived from the name of the town's first postmaster, who was born in the village in 1881. The city's population was 1,061 in 1891. It has a current population of 2,074. It was the site of the first U.N. World War II encampment, which was founded in 1945. The current mayor of the village is a former mayor of Siren, who served from 1966 to 1973. The U.K. Census Department has a total population of 3,077. It had a population loss of 2.1 million in the 2010 Census, which made it the largest city in the state to lose ground in the last decade. The population of Siren has declined by 1.7% since the 1990s. It lost 1.2% of its population in the 1990 Census.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, Siren had a population of 806 people. The racial makeup of Siren was 725 (90.0%) white, 2 (0.2%) African-American, 33 (4.1%) American Indian or Alaska native, 3 (0.4%) Asian, and 0 (0%) native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. The median income for a household in the village was $24,342, and the median for a family was $31,797. There were 490 housing units, of which 376 were occupied; there were 383.7 housing units per square mile of land (148.1/km²). 223 (59.3%) of the housing units were owner-occupied, while 153 (40.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.7%, and the rental vacancy rate is 10.9%. In 2000, there were 988 people, 413 households, and 230 families residing in Siren. The population density was 895.1 people per squaremile (346.8/ km²). There were 499 housing units at an average density of 452.1 per square Mile (175.1 /km²) in 2000. In 2010, the village's population was 806, with the average household size at 2.12 people. In 2000 there were 798 people lived in households, 0 were institutionalized, and 8 lived in noninstitutional group quarters. In the village, the population spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, and 24.6% from 25 to 44.

Government

Siren is the county seat of Burnett County. It is governed by a village board, consisting of a president and 6 trustees. The village has a population of 2,000. The county seat is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. The town of Siren is located in Burnett County, north of the city of Burnett, and south of the town of Swainsboro, which is in the county of Swansboro, and is on the Ohio River and the Ohio Turnpike. The city's population is 2,200, with the village population of 1,200 at the time of the 2010 census, and the town's population was 2,100 at the year's end of the 2011 census. It has a mayor and a council of six people, and a village president and six trustees, with a village council of seven people, including the president of the village, who serve as the village's governing body.

Transportation

Wisconsin Highway 35 and 70 are major highways in the village. Burnett County Airport (KRZN) serves the village and surrounding communities. The village is located on Wisconsin Highway 70 and Wisconsin Highway 35. The town has a population of about 1,000 people.

Bibliography

Thomas, Chad. Seasons without Shade: Remembering the Siren Tornado. St. Paul, MN: Lilac Press, 2002. ISBN 0-929636-16-3.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Siren, Burnett County, Wisconsin = 97. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 72. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Siren = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 3,961 individuals with a median age of 44.2 age the population dropped by -10.22% in Siren, Burnett County, Wisconsin population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 646.08 residents per square mile of area (249.36/km²). There are average 2.08 people per household in the 376 households with an average household income of $28,609 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.30% of the available work force and has dropped -4.29% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.12%. The number of physicians in Siren per 100,000 population = 36.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Siren = 31.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 49.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 110. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 184. 81 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and -2.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 61, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Siren, Burnett County, Wisconsin which are owned by the occupant = 49.56%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 41 years with median home cost = $86,230 and home appreciation of -4.42%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $14.15 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,101 per student. There are 12.9 students for each teacher in the school, 311 students for each Librarian and 353 students for each Counselor. 5.81% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.63% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 1.99% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).