Somerset: The Colorado Town That Doesn’t Dial 911

There is a small Colorado town that apparently is not going to dial 911 in case of an emergency. They'll just handle it themselves.

I would venture a guess that most Coloradans have never been in the town of Somerset, even if they have possibly driven past it on Highway 133 on the way to Paonia State Park. You'll find the tiny town of Somerset about 9 miles east of Paonia and about 32 miles south of Redstone.

What's the Deal With 911?

I recently ventured into the town of Somerset just to see what's there. One of the things I noticed was there were a lot of "No Trespassing" signs posted around town. Of course, the one sign that caught my eye was the one that said "We Don't Dial 911." Maybe there is no intent behind the sign - but, maybe there is. Perhaps it's simply a word of warning to anyone who might be looking for mischief.

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What Will You Find In Somerset?

The town of Somerset sits along the bank of the North Fork of the Gunnison River. Most of the very few streets in town are extremely narrow and are dead ends. You're not going to find a gas station, grocery store, or McDonald's. What you will find is a post office, a small park, and a lot of houses close together with mostly fenced yards.

Somerset was born in the late 1800s, a mining town that once boasted a population of around 700. According to the New York Times, the town's population was about 90 people in 2015.