Somerset was a central stage for the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. Several rebellion leaders, including Harmon Husband, lived in Somerset. The federal militia sent to put down the rebellion worked from its headquarters in the nearby town of Berlin.
A major fire on the afternoon of May 9, 1872, destroyed a significant portion of the town within just a few hours.[4]
In July 2002, nine miners were trapped for 77 hours, 240 feet (73 m) underground, by flooding in the Quecreek coal mine, just outside Somerset. All nine miners were rescued. The Quecreek Mine Rescue was chronicled by journalists from around the world and was televised globally.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2), all land.
Somerset has the ninth-highest elevation of towns in Pennsylvania, at 2,190 feet (670 m) above sea level.[7] Somerset County is in Appalachia.
Climate
Somerset has a humid continental climate that is affected by the high elevation, rendering it colder much of the winter than Altoona, Johnstown, or State College, despite being well south of these locations. Its climate is quite similar to those seen in northern Pennsylvania, although the average winter high temperatures are slightly higher. Somerset holds the June and November record low records for the state of Pennsylvania. Somerset is also the only place in Pennsylvania to receive accumulations of snow in June (other places received a partial dusting at most) when it received three inches of snow from the same polar front that caused it to drop to 20 degrees on 10 June 1913. Because of arctic air, powdery snow fell. It was photographed being swept off porches with brooms. That same cold snap brought snow to many other Pennsylvania communities, especially in the northern counties.
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 6,762 people, 3,035 households, and 1,717 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,466.0 inhabitants per square mile (952.1/km2). There were 3,313 housing units at an average density of 1,208.2 per square mile (466.5/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.80% White, 0.70% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.
There were 3,035 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $29,050, and the median income for a family was $41,831. Males had a median income of $28,339 versus $19,492 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,310. About 7.8% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Somerset is headquarters to Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, which manufactures oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment in a 152,000 square foot facility in Somerset.[12]
