Siren is a village in Burnett County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 988 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Siren.

Geography

Siren is located at 45°47′1″N, 92°22′48″W (45.783633, -92.380161)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.9 km²), of which, 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.77%) is water.

Siren is surrounded by several lakes including Big Doctor Lake, Crooked Lake, Fish Lake, and Long Lake.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 988 people, 413 households, and 230 families residing in the village. The population density was 895.1 people per square mile (346.8/km²). There were 499 housing units at an average density of 452.1/sq mi (175.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.85% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 2.02% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. 0.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 413 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the village the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 26.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $24,342, and the median income for a family was $31,797. Males had a median income of $27,250 versus $21,635 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,792. About 12.0% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

History

The Ojibwa and the French fur traders were the principal inhabitants of the region in the early nineteenth century.

Swedish immigrants began settling in the area around what is now Siren in the 1880's. Many of them were members of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The first post office was built in 1895 about a mile west of its present location. The first postmaster was Charles F. Segerstrom, and he had the post office in his home. His home was surrounded by lilacs (which were and still are quite abundant in this area). Segerstrom applied with the postal department for a name for this place, choosing "Syren", the Swedish word for "lilac." Presumably the postal department thought this was a misspelling, for on the granted application they put down the spelling as "Siren." In 1912, the town center was moved nearer the Soo Line Railroad tracks which had been extended through the area to Duluth, Minnesota. The tracks were later removed but the trail was left behind for recreational purposes. It is now known as the Gandy Dancer Trail and is a popular route for hikers, bicyclists, and snowmobilers.

On June 18, 2001, a tornado passed through Siren inflicting severe damage. Three people died as a result of the tornado; 175 buildings were destroyed and many more damaged. Since then much of the town has been rebuilt with its architecture reflecting Siren's history as a popular but somewhat secret destination for fishing, hunting, and general getaways to the Northwoods.^[4]

Bibliography

• "SEASONS WITHOUT SHADE", by Chad Thomas. Lilac Press, 2002. ISBN 0-929636-16-3.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
4. ^ 18-19 June 2001 - Siren, Wisconsin Tornado

External links

• Siren, Wisconsin
• Siren, Wisconsin is at coordinates 45°47′01″N 92°22′49″W / 45.783633, -92.380161 (Siren, Wisconsin)Coordinates: 45°47′01″N 92°22′49″W / 45.783633, -92.380161 (Siren, Wisconsin)

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Burnett County, Wisconsin County seat: Meenon Towns Anderson | Blaine | Daniels | Dewey | Grantsburg | Jackson | La Follette | Lincoln | Meenon | Oakland | Roosevelt | Rusk | Sand Lake | Scott | Siren | Swiss | Trade Lake | Union | Webb Lake | West Marshland | Wood River Villages Grantsburg | Siren | Webster Communities Alpha | Danbury | Falun | Hertel | Trade River