Conover is a town in
Vilas County,
Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,235 at the 2010 census. The unincorporated community of
Conover is located in the town.
History
The town is named after Seth H. Conover, a descendant of
Wolphert Gerritse, who would travel to the area for hunting and fishing. He would often take a
train to the area, even though there was no station there. Eventually, the railroad men started calling the area "Conover's Place." A station was soon built there, and several logging camps were established. The town continued to grow when other businesses were established. In 1935, the town hall was built.
Geography
The Town of Conover is located in central
Vilas County, Wisconsin. The upper part of the
Wisconsin River runs through the town, and there are several lakes that dot the area. Much of the western part of the town is made up of Vilas County Forest lands. According to the
United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 87.2 square miles (225.8 km
2), of which, 80.0 square miles (207.1 km
2) of it is land and 7.2 square miles (18.7 km
2) of it (8.27%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 1,137 people, 483 households, and 337 families residing in the town. The
population density was 14.2 people per square mile (5.5/km
2). There were 1,440 housing units at an average density of 18.0 per square mile (7.0/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.77%
White, 0.35%
African American, 0.26%
Native American, 0.18%
Asian, 0.09% from
other races, and 0.35% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 483 households, out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,683, and the median income for a family was $37,125. Males had a median income of $31,563 versus $23,750 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $18,692. About 7.1% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Conover is served by
USH 45 and
STH 32, which run concurrently north–south through the middle of the town. To the north the highways run to
Land o' Lakes
Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an American member-owned agricultural cooperative based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Arden Hills, Minnesota, United States, focusing on the dairy industry. The cooperative has 1,959 direct producer-members, 751 ...
and on into the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan. To the south they connect to
Eagle River and points south.
STH 17 also serves a small portion of the southeast corner of the town as it makes its way between
Eagle River and
Phelps. There are two Vilas County Highways that serve the Town of Conover. CTH K runs east–west through the center of town, meeting
USH45\
STH32 in the unincorporated community of
Conover. CTH K runs east along the north shore of North Twin Lakes and connects to CTH E and the community of
Phelps. It proceeds east through the Vilas County Forest towards
Star Lake and eventually
Boulder Junction
Boulder Junction is a town in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 958 at the 2000 census.
In 1903, the Milwaukee Railroad laid tracks to the area that became known as Boulder Junction. While the railroad served the booming ...
. CTH S runs from a junction with CTH K near Stormy Lake northwards into the
Town of Land o' Lakes and serves the area around the Tamarack Flowage. The Vilas County forest lands and roads are also home to many
snowmobile trails in the winter, with trails leading to all the surrounding communities.
Recreation
Vilas County forest lands cover much of the Town of Conover, allowing for opportunities to camp, fish, and hike. The
Wisconsin River runs north–south through the center of the town and is popular with canoeists and kayakers. Every summer the Callie Rohr Memorial Canoe and Kayak charity race is held on the river.
Camp Ramah in Wisconsin is located in Conover on the shore of Upper Buckatabon Lake, approximately north of
Eagle River and southwest of the unincorporated community of
Conover.
Climate
The climate is described as
Humid Continental by the
Köppen Climate System, abbreviated as ''Dfb''.
Climate Summary for Conover, Wisconsin
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References
External links
Conover Chamber of Commerce
Town of Conover
{{authority control
Towns in Vilas County, Wisconsin
Towns in Wisconsin