Conover, Iowa | |
|---|---|
Ghost town | |
  Conover, Iowa | |
| Coordinates: 43°12′55″N91°53′41″W / 43.21528°N 91.89472°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| County | Winneshiek |
| Elevation | 1,227 ft (374 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1941391 [1] |
Conover is a ghost town located in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. [1] It appears on the Fort Atkinson quadrangle of the United States Geological Survey topographic map and has been subsumed within the U.S. Postal Service ZIP code of nearby Calmar.
Conover was a cow pasture until September 1864, when news arrived that the westward-growing railroad would pass through the area, at which time a village was quickly plotted from local farmland during a two-week period. Rails laid by the McGregor Western Railroad Company reached Conover, through Calmar, in August 1865, by which time the village contained more than 200 buildings, including over 32 saloons and as many produce markets. [2]
They are building the railroad near Conover. Mr. Pushusta took his team of horses and helped them. He took us with his team and wagon over to see where they are building. A lot of other farmers were there to help with their horses.
In 1865, Cargill (now the largest privately held company in America) was first started in Conover when William Wallace Cargill left his family home in Janesville, Wisconsin, and purchased a grain flat house in Conover, Iowa. The flat house, a type of warehouse that preceded country elevators, was at the end of the McGregor & Western Railroad line. This was the first business in a long line of agriculture-based businesses that would build the huge Cargill empire. [4] [5]
By 1866, the village boasted 1200-1500 inhabitants, many of whom had migrated from nearby Calmar. David Noggle presented a petition for incorporation of Conover into a town, and County Judge G. R. Wellett issued the order of incorporation on 17 October 1866. In 1867, Capt. V. C. Jacobs was elected the first (and only) mayor of Conover. Town Councilmen included Col. G. D. Pagent, Charles Sydan, and probably Capt. George Q. Gardner, but detailed town records were destroyed in a subsequent fire. The election expenses exceeded the capacity of the town treasury, and township clerk J. J. Haug took assignment of the accounts, but the expenses remained unpaid. [2]
Growth of the railroad continued to the north and west, drawing business away from the new town of Conover, and in 1868 Calmar became the eastern terminus and junction with the main line for the I & D branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad. In 1869 a branch line from Conover to Decorah was completed, and Robert Jameson became the first conductor. In the same year, the Conover terminal was transferred to Calmar, including the railroad depot, freight house, and side tracks. A large fire further damaged Conover, and many inhabitants (and buildings) moved back to Calmar. By 1870, most of the lots in Conover had returned to cropland, [2] but the 1880 census still reported a population of 168. [6]
Conover buildings huddle down the railroad track a half-hour walk – a town that somehow got cheated out of great expectations.
Railroad cars were still checked in Conover until the yards closed in the late 1940s. Anna Becvar (née Vondersitt) was the last Conover railroad agent. [2]
Conover is within the South Winneshiek Community School District. [7]
The South Winneshiek Community School District [...] unincorporated communities of Festina and Conover.- (PDF p. 92/512)
Municipalities and communities of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated community | ||
| Ghost town | ||
Winneshiek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,070. The county seat is Decorah.
Waukon is a city in Makee Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, United States, and the county seat of Allamakee County. The population was 3,827 at the time of the 2020 census.
McGregor is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 742 at the time of the 2020 census. McGregor is located on the Mississippi River across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Pike's Peak State Park is located just south of the city. Just to the north of McGregor is the city of Marquette. The community of McGregor Heights lies in the southern parts of the city limits.
Calmar is a city in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,125 at the 2020 census. It is at the junction of U.S. Route 52 and State highways 150 and 24, with both state routes terminating in Calmar.
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52, and is the largest community in Winneshiek County.
Ridgeway is a city in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 275 at the time of the 2020 census.
Spillville is a city in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 385 at the time of the 2020 census. It is located in Calmar Township, approximately 4 mi (6.4 km) west of Calmar and about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Decorah, the county seat. Spillville is known for its Independence Day fireworks display, held the first Saturday in July.
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, with over 33,000 artifacts, 12 historic buildings, and a library and archives. This treasure showcases one of the most extensive collection of Norwegian-American artifacts in the world and highlights the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk and fine arts. Some of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Burr Oak is an unincorporated community in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States, very close to the Minnesota state line. Burr Oak is a census-designated place and the population was 166 in the 2010 census.
Ulrik Vilhelm Koren was a Norwegian-American author, theologian and church leader. A pioneer Lutheran minister, he played a significant role in the development of the spiritual and intellectual development of Norwegians in America. Ulrik Vilhelm Koren has been called the "patriarch of Norwegian American Lutherans."
Decorah High School is a public high school located in Decorah, Iowa. The school colors are red and royal blue, and the mascot is the Vikings. It is a part of the Decorah Community School District.
Dover Township is one of twenty townships in Fayette County, Iowa, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 465.
Wesley Bailey was an American newspaper editor and politician from New York.
Brynild Anundsen was a Norwegian-American newspaper editor and publisher. He was the founder and publisher of Decorah Posten, a Norwegian language newspaper.
John Brayshaw Kaye was an English-born American poet, lawyer and politician.
Freeport is an unincorporated community in northeastern Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States.
Festina is an unincorporated community in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States.
The North Winneshiek Community School District was a public school district in unincorporated northern Winneshiek County, Iowa, with a Decorah address. At the end of the district's existence, it only served grades Pre-K through 8th. The enrollment for the 2015–2016 school year was 126 students.