Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Somerset Club

From The Journal Times.com:

"City's exclusive Somerset Club rich in tradition"

"Just steps away from the bus stop bustle of Monument Square is a no-frills doorway that leads to the Somerset Club - Racine's most exclusive fraternity and perhaps the ultimate good old boys network.

"It occupies the top floor of the Janes Building, a five-story structure at Sixth and Main streets. The club faces Lake Michigan, the Downtown post office and a bus stop crowd of students, working people, hustlers and idlers.

"The Somerset Club, however, is literally and figuratively far removed from the petty concerns of the street. It is a men's club that for more than 100 years has culled its members from Racine's wealthiest, most influential and respected families.

"Men do not apply for admission to the Somerset Club. The club decides who will be offered the fewer than 100 memberships."

Read more here: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/city-s-exclusive-somerset-club-rich-in-tradition/article_970b09c2-f1fd-5fdc-aa34-b53d49662650.html


That article is from 1995. Did you know about the Somerset Club?  I didn't.  A friend and I were talking about Dewey's, the new bar downtown.  It's located in the Janes Building.  My friend mentioned the Somerset Club.  When I asked him about it, he said the club was for the wealthy big shots of Racine. He talked of it in the past tense, though. A Google search soon proved that the club is still alive and active in Racine.

Party on, Somerset Club!

6 comments:

OrbsCorbs said...

Do you think they have lying John as a member? I don't know if he's rich enough.

kkdither said...

"It's a small and elite group." Sounds just like the JTI. Aren't we all rich?

OrbsCorbs said...

I'm rich in malarkey.

TSE said...

There used to be a time when the wealthy and rich contributed to Racine.

NOW - the businessmen of Racine line up at City Hall to demand tax dollars, subsidies, bailouts and grants of all types.

Lying John - Looting a City of Ill Repute. Daily.

Toad said...

I alway's knew the place to be for the HISTORIC businessmen of Racine, The Johnson's, Hamilton's, Young's, Batten's, Hammes, Beach, and on and on, when Racine was a hub of industry. I have been thinking about the club recently, because the idiot's that run this town, spend not a dime In It, and don't have a nice secret place to go, thus I thought I should mention Racine's Somerset Club as an example of where the (In our case) city fathers could go instead of sitting near us regular folks. I should add, that most of these business people from Racine's past were GREAT citizens of the city. It was the later generations, and greed that changed everything In most cases.

SER said...

I use to work for a guy who was a member, tha was 30 years ago and yes he was WELL off. He got his money from his dad and he bought a bunch of businesses and did well for himself.

I use to go out of town with him on business; one time he told me he was pissed at his mother because instead of working for the money she gave all the grandkids $100,000 for christmas each year!

I guess if you have it what the hells the difference.....