Somerset (town), Wisconsin

Somerset is a village in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, along the Apple River. The population was 2,635 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Somerset.

Somerset High School is a public school serving grades 9 through 12 in Somerset, St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States.

The Apple River is a 77.5-mile-long (124.7 km) tributary of the St. Croix River in northwestern Wisconsin in the United States. Via the St. Croix, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. It issues from Staples Lake in Barron County and flows generally southwestwardly through Polk and St. Croix counties. In northern Polk County, it gathers the Fox Creek near White Ash Lake and traverses several lakes throughout its course. The river flows through the city of Amery and the villages of Star Prairie and Somerset. It joins the St. Croix River 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Stillwater, Minnesota. In the Ojibwe language, the Apple River is called Waabiziipiniikaan-ziibi, meaning "River Abundant with Swan Potatoes". This name was translated into French, but only pomme (apple) of the French word for "potato" (pomme de terre—"apple from the earth") was translated into English. The Apple River was once an important route of trade for the logging industry; timber was floated downstream from logging camps in the north to a sawmill in Amery, Wisconsin where it was cut, loaded onto trains and transported throughout the region. Today, the river generates tourism revenue through recreation and resorts, attracting 500,000 visitors a year. Its relatively gentle rapids make it very popular for canoeing, tubing, camping, concerts, and is a popular fishing spot through all seasons.

The Soo Line High Bridge, also known as the Arcola High Bridge, is a steel deck arch bridge over the St. Croix River between Stillwater, Minnesota and Somerset, Wisconsin, United States. It was designed by structural engineer C.A.P. Turner and built by the American Bridge Company from 1910 to 1911. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 for its national significance in the themes of engineering and transportation. It was nominated for its exceptional dimensions, beauty, innovative engineering techniques, and importance to transportation between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Arcola Mills is a historic house in the unincorporated community of Arcola, Minnesota, United States. Built in 1847, it is considered the third-oldest and largest all-wood-frame house still standing in Minnesota. It was the home of brothers Martin and John Mower, who established one of the first sawmills on the St. Croix River and the community around it. The house and the remnants of the nearby mill were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as the John and Martin Mower House and Arcola Mill Site for having local significance in the themes of architecture, exploration/settlement, and industry. The property was nominated as an "excellent example" of Greek Revival architecture and for its association with the region's early settlement and lumber industry. The property now operates as a non-profit event and education center.

Croixsyde is a historic house in May Township, Minnesota, United States, near the city of Stillwater. It was built from 1922 to 1927 as one of the first summer homes on the St. Croix River. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Benjamin B. Sheffield House in 1980 for its local significance in the themes of architecture and entertainment/recreation. It was nominated for being an early example of the area's summer homes and for its fine rustic architecture.

Arcola is an unincorporated community in May Township, Washington County, Minnesota, United States. Arcola is located in the southeast part of May Township along State Highway 95 (MN 95). The northeast part of Stillwater Township is also in the immediate area. Nearby places include Stillwater and Marine on St. Croix. Arcola was first settled circa 1847. The John and Martin Mower House and Arcola Mill Site, around which the community was founded, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The O'Brien Observatory (OBO) is an astronomical observatory in the city of Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, United States, about 35 kilometers (22 mi) northeast of Minneapolis. The observatory is owned and operated by the University of Minnesota and opened in 1968. It has one telescope, a 0.76-meter (30 in) Cassegrain reflector capable of observing at both optical and infrared wavelengths. It is used for primarily for instruction and instrument testing, and occasionally for research purposes.

The Marine Mill, established in 1839, was the first commercial sawmill in what became the U.S. state of Minnesota. Now in ruins, it is currently a historic site managed by the city of Marine on St. Croix in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Marine Mill Site in 1970 for having state-level significance in the themes of exploration/settlement, industry, and transportation. It was nominated for being the birthplace of the region's seminal industry—lumbering—and a major landing on its crucial transportation route, the St. Croix River. The site is also a contributing property to the Marine on St. Croix Historic District.

St. Joseph is a town in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,842 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated communities of Burkhardt, and Houlton are located in the town.

William O'Brien State Park is a 1,520-acre (6.2 km2) state park of Minnesota, USA, along the St. Croix River. Its hiking trails traverse rolling glacial moraine, riparian zones, restored oak savanna, wooded areas and bogs. It is a popular place for birdwatching, picnics, camping, cross-country skiing, canoeing, fishing, and other typical outdoor recreational activities. The park is located approximately two miles north of the town of Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota.

The St. Croix Wetland Management District in west-central Wisconsin, United States, encompasses a diversity of habitats lying along the eastern edge of the tallgrass prairie. Within the eight-county district, one can travel north through the high river bluffs of Pepin County, to the prairie potholes of St. Croix County, and then to the pine barrens of Burnett County. The district includes Barron, Burnett, Dunn, Washburn, Pierce, Pepin, Polk and St. Croix counties. The central portion of St. Croix County, the heart of the district, is known as the Star Prairie Pothole Grasslands. These grasslands are ranked sixth out of 26 priority grassland landscapes in Wisconsin. The district manages relatively small tracts of prairie wetland and grassland habitats known as waterfowl production areas (WPAs). WPAs are purchased using Federal Duck Stamp dollars within the historic prairie pothole portion of the district, including southern Polk, St. Croix and Dunn counties. After purchase, prairie wetland and grassland habitats are restored and then managed for breeding waterfowl, other migratory birds and indigenous wildlife. The district's 41 WPAs totaling 7,500 acres (30 km2) are administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System. In addition to managing WPAs, district staff provide assistance to private landowners who wish to manage their land to benefit wildlife. The St. Croix Wetland Management District is adjacent to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Area of two million people. This presents unique opportunities and challenges for prairie wetland habitat preservation, restoration and management.