Harmon S. Conger

Harmon S. Conger
Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the 12th Circuit
In office 1870 – October 22, 1882
Preceded by	New circuit established
Succeeded by	John R. Bennett
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 25th district
In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1851
Preceded by	George O. Rathbun
Succeeded by	Thomas Y. Howe Jr.
Personal details
Born	(1816-04-09)April 9, 1816 Freetown, New York, U.S.
Died	October 22, 1882(1882-10-22) (aged 66) Janesville, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party	Whig Republican

Harmon Sweatland Conger (April 9, 1816 – October 22, 1882) was an American lawyer, partisan newspaper publisher, Whig politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York's 25th congressional district from 1847 to 1851. He subsequently served as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in southern Wisconsin from 1870 until his death in 1882.

Life and career

Born in Freetown, New York, Conger attended the local academy at Cortland in 1833. He studied law with Horatio Ballard, was admitted to the bar in 1844 and commenced practice in Cortland, New York.^[1]

Conger was also editor and owner of a newspaper, the Cortland County Whig, from 1840 to 1845.^[2]

He was elected as a Whig to the Thirtieth and Thirty-first Congresses, serving from March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1851. After his term in Congress, Conger resumed the practice of law in Cortland.^[3]

He moved to Janesville, Wisconsin, in 1855 and continued the practice of law.^[4] By now a Republican, Conger was elected Judge of the Wisconsin Circuit Court in 1870. He was reelected in 1876 and served until his death.^[5][6]

Death and burial

Conger died in Janesville October 22, 1882.^[7][8] He was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery.^[9][10]

Electoral history

New York's 25th congressional district election, 1846^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Harmon Conger	6,253	47.73
	Democratic	William Shankland	6,036	46.08
	Liberty	John S. Boyd	811	6.19
Total votes			13,100	100.00
	Whig gain from Democratic

New York's 25th congressional district election, 1848^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Harmon Conger (incumbent)	6,732	46.88
	Free Soil	Horatio Ballard	5,747	40.02
	Democratic	Frederick Hyde	1,870	13.02
	Liberty	Samuel R. Ward	10	0.07
Total votes			14,359	100.00
	Whig hold

References

1. State Bar Association of Wisconsin, Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin, Volume 3, 1900, page 226
2. Wisconsin Supreme Court, Wisconsin Reports: Cases Determined in the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, Volume 60, page xli, 1885
3. H.C Goodwin, Cortland County and the Border Wars of New York, page 291
4. Western Historical Company, The History of Rock County, Wisconsin, 1879, page 702
5. William Fiske Brown, Rock County, Wisconsin: A New History of Its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests, Volume 2, 1908, page 715
6. Marquis Who's Who, Inc., Who Was Who in America With World Notables, Volume 1, 1967, page 186
7. Chicago Tribune, Death at Janesville of the Hon. Harmon S. Conger, October 25, 1882
8. Janesville Gazette, The Death of Judge Conger, October 23, 1882
9. Thomas E. Spencer, Where They're Buried, 2009, page 235
10. Janesville Daily Gazette, The Last Sad Rites: The Funeral Services of the Late Judge Conger, October 24, 1882
11. "Our Campaigns - NY District 25 Race - Nov 03, 1846". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
12. "Our Campaigns - NY District 25 Race - Nov 07, 1848". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved 27 November 2024.

External links

• United States Congress. "Harmon S. Conger (id: C000676)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Harmon S. Conger at Political Graveyard

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by George O. Rathbun	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 25th congressional district 1847–1851	Succeeded by Thomas Y. Howe, Jr.