Twin Falls County ID Archives Biographies.....Conover, Joseph B. 1844 - 1919
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Source: See Below
Author: S. J. Clarke (Publisher, 1920)

HON. JOSEPH B. CONOVER passed away on the 8th of May, 1919. At the time of his
death he had the distinction of being the oldest member of the house of
representatives in the Idaho legislature and he was also commander of the Grand
Army post in which he had membership, for he was a veteran of the Civil war. He
was born in Mason county, Illinois, September 28, 1844, a son of William H. and
Rebecca (Hopkins) Conover. The father died when the son was but four years of
age and the mother had previously passed away when her son Joseph was but nine
months old. He was the youngest of a family of eleven children, all of whom have
now passed away. His youthful days were passed in Mason county, Illinois, and in
August, 1862, when but eighteen years of age, he responded to the country's call
for aid in maintaining the Union intact and became a corporal of Company D,
Eighty-fifth Illinois Infantry, with which he served until July 19, 1864. In the
battle of Peach Tree Creek on that date he was severely wounded by a Minie ball
in the right arm which necessitated its amputation near the shoulder a few hours
later. Upon being wounded he fell into the hands of the enemy and it was a
Confederate surgeon who amputated his arm. He was then taken to Atlanta by his
captors and finally to Andersonville prison. On the 20th of November, 1864, he
was paroled, and being unfit for further military duty, he was honorably
discharged from the service at Baltimore, Maryland, February 23, 1865. He not
only participated in the battle of Peach Tree Creek but also in the engagements
at Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Rome, Dalton,
Kenesaw Mountain and Chattahoochee River and never lost a day's service from
illness or other cause until wounded and never was in a guardhouse. In fact his
was an exemplary military record, characterized by the utmost devotion to duty
and by marked bravery in the face of danger.

   After leaving the army Mr. Conover returned to his home in Mason county,
Illinois, where he continued to reside and devote his attention to the
occupation of farming until 1913, when he came to Idaho, settling at Twin Falls.
He had become very successful as a farmer in Illinois and had acquired large
land holdings, having many hundred acres of fine land in Mason county; but a
series of wet seasons, five in number and in succession, drowned out his corn
crops and eventually was the cause of his losing his land. Not only did this
occur but he also found himself twenty thousand dollars in debt. Not
disheartened or discouraged, he at once set about to retrieve his lost fortune.
He bought back four hundred and fifty acres of his former possessions on time;
better seasons and good crops followed and he paid off his indebtedness in full,
dollar for dollar. Eventually he sold this farm and for twenty-five years was a
partner in the ownership of a large grain elevator at Kilbourne, Mason county,
and still acted as overseer of a farm comprising thirty-six hundred acres in
Mason county for fourteen years. After his removal to Twin Falls county, Idaho,
he acquired extensive ranch and farm interests and he and his two sons, Marshall
O. and Howard, owned together over five hundred acres of choice irrigated land
in that county. One tract, comprising two hundred and forty acres, is situated
eight miles from Twin Falls and is valued at four hundred and fifty dollars per
acre, while the remainder is worth one hundred and fifty dollars per acre.

   Mr. Conover resided in Twin Falls, where shortly prior to his demise he
completed an eight thousand dollar residence, one of the attractive homes of the
city. His sons look after and manage the ranches and the sales of farm products
in 1918 from the Conover ranches amounted to more than twenty-five thousand
dollars. They raised nine thousand bushels of wheat on their land. Mr. Conover
certainly deserved the success which came to him. Notwithstanding his previous
losses, he again gained a place among the substantial business men of his
section of the country.

   On the 26th of December, 1869, Mr. Conover was married in Mason county,
Illinois, to Miss Charlotte Cogeshall, who was born in that county. They had but
two children, the two sons mentioned above, both of whom are married and are
recognized as leading and valued citizens of Twin Falls county.

   Mr. Conover long gave his political allegiance to the republican party and in
Illinois, as early as 1869, was elected county treasurer of Mason county on the
republican ticket in a democratic stronghold and served for one term. In the
fall of 1918 his party named him for the office of representative in the Idaho
legislature, where he was serving when death called him. He maintained pleasant
relations with his old army comrades through his membership in Dan Cook Post, G.
A. R., of Twin Falls, of which he served as commander. His religious faith was
that of the Baptist church and his life was always guided by its teachings. He
was a man of high principles, of genial disposition, of social nature and of
sterling worth, and in Twin Falls county, as in Illinois where he so long made
his home, he had a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of his
acquaintance.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

IDAHO
DELUXE SUPPLEMENT
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1920


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