Battle of Backbone Mountain

Conway is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Faulkner County, located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. Although considered a suburb of Little Rock, Conway is unusual in that the majority of its residents do not commute out of the city to work.[7] The city also serves as a regional shopping, educational, work, healthcare, sports, and cultural hub for Faulkner County and surrounding areas. Conway's growth can be attributed to its jobs in technology and higher education; among its largest employers being Acxiom, the University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College, Insight Enterprises, and many technology start-up companies.[8] Conway is home to three post-secondary educational institutions, earning it the nickname "The City of Colleges".[9]

As of the 2020 Census, the city proper had a total population of 64,134, making Conway the eighth-most populous city in Arkansas.[10] Central Arkansas, the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area, is ranked 75th largest in the United States with 734,622 people in 2016.[4] Conway is part of the larger Little Rock–North Little Rock, AR Combined Statistical Area, which in 2016 had a population of 905,847, and ranked the country's 60th largest CSA.[6]

History

The city of Conway was founded by Asa P. Robinson, who came to the area shortly after the Civil War. Robinson was the chief engineer for the Little Rock-Fort Smith Railroad (now the Union Pacific). Part of his compensation was the deed to a tract of land, one square mile, located near the old settlement of Cadron. When the railroad came through, Robinson deeded a small tract of his land back to the railroad for a depot site. He laid off a town site around the depot and named it "Conway Station" in honor of a famous Arkansas family. Conway Station contained two small stores, two saloons, a depot, some temporary housing, and a post office.[11] Despite being founded as a railroad town, there is currently no passenger service; this is attributed to the increasing emphasis placed on cars.[12]

In 1878, Father Joseph Strub, a priest in the Roman Catholic Holy Ghost Fathers, arrived in Arkansas. A native of Alsace-Lorraine, Strub was expelled from Prussia during the Kulturkampf in 1872. He moved to the United States, settling in Pittsburgh, where he founded Duquesne University in October 1878. Difficulties with Bishop John Tuigg led Strub to leave Pittsburgh in late October 1878 to travel to Conway.[13] In 1879, Strub convinced the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad to deed 200,000 acres (810 km2) along the northern side of the Arkansas River to the Holy Ghost Fathers in order to found the St. Joseph Colony.[14] This included land on which Father Strub founded and built St. Joseph Catholic Church of Conway.[15] As part of the land deal, the railroad offered land at 20 cents per acre to every German immigrant. In order to attract Roman Catholic Germans to Conway and the surrounding areas, Father Strub wrote The Guiding Star for the St. Joseph Colony. In addition to extolling the qualities of Conway and the surrounding area, Father Strub provided information on how best to travel from Europe to Conway.[16] By 1889, over 100 German families had settled in Conway, giving the town many of its distinctively German street and business names.[citation needed]

On April 10, 1965, an F4 tornado struck Conway, causing six deaths and 200 injuries.[17]

Geography

Conway is located in southwestern Faulkner County. Interstate 40 passes through the northern and eastern sides of the city, with access from Exits 124 through 132. Via I-40, Memphis is 160 miles (260 km) to the east, Little Rock is 30 miles (48 km) to the east (south), Russellville is 46 miles (74 km) to the west, and Oklahoma City is 307 miles (494 km) to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Conway has a total area of 45.6 square miles (118.1 km2), of which 45.3 square miles (117.4 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km2), or 0.54%, is water.[18]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Conway has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[19]

Climate data for Conway, Arkansas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 83
(28)
86
(30)
94
(34)
96
(36)
101
(38)
109
(43)
115
(46)
115
(46)
110
(43)
101
(38)
88
(31)
81
(27)
115
(46)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 49.0
(9.4)
54.1
(12.3)
63.0
(17.2)
72.0
(22.2)
79.4
(26.3)
87.3
(30.7)
91.7
(33.2)
91.4
(33.0)
84.7
(29.3)
73.9
(23.3)
61.0
(16.1)
51.6
(10.9)
71.6
(22.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 38.1
(3.4)
42.2
(5.7)
51.0
(10.6)
59.7
(15.4)
68.4
(20.2)
76.7
(24.8)
80.7
(27.1)
79.9
(26.6)
72.6
(22.6)
61.1
(16.2)
49.4
(9.7)
40.8
(4.9)
60.0
(15.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 27.1
(−2.7)
30.4
(−0.9)
39.0
(3.9)
47.4
(8.6)
57.5
(14.2)
66.1
(18.9)
69.6
(20.9)
68.4
(20.2)
60.5
(15.8)
48.3
(9.1)
37.7
(3.2)
30.0
(−1.1)
48.5
(9.2)
Record low °F (°C) −13
(−25)
−15
(−26)
9
(−13)
25
(−4)
33
(1)
41
(5)
51
(11)
49
(9)
34
(1)
22
(−6)
5
(−15)
−6
(−21)
−15
(−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.82
(97)
4.17
(106)
5.25
(133)
5.43
(138)
5.57
(141)
3.62
(92)
3.40
(86)
3.48
(88)
3.12
(79)
4.03
(102)
4.56
(116)
4.74
(120)
51.19
(1,300)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.5
(1.3)
1.3
(3.3)
0.4
(1.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
2.3
(5.8)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 8.0 7.8 9.8 8.6 9.3 7.0 7.5 7.4 6.3 7.1 7.6 8.3 94.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.3 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 1.4
Source: NOAA[20][21]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18801,028
18901,20717.4%
19002,00365.9%
19102,79439.5%
19204,56463.4%
19305,53421.3%
19405,7824.5%
19508,61048.9%
19609,79113.7%
197015,51058.4%
198020,37531.4%
199026,48130.0%
200043,16763.0%
201058,90836.5%
202064,1348.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[22]
2018 Estimate[23]
Racial composition 2010[24] 2000[24] 1990[25] 1980[26] 1970[27]
Non-Hispanic White 77.4% 84.1% 90.5% 90.9% 92.0%
Black or African American 15.6% 12.0% 8.5% 8.3%[a] 8.0%
Native Hawaiian and
other Pacific Islander
0.05% 0.03% 0.02% [b]
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.44% 0.36% 0.34% [b]
Hispanic or Latino 5.09% 2.26% 0.43% 0.5% [b]
Asian 1.9% 1.24% 0.46% [b]
Other race or multiracial 4.6% 2.2% 0.12% 0.17%

2020 census

Conway racial composition[29]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 42,317 65.98%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 11,718 18.27%
Native American 222 0.35%
Asian 1,207 1.88%
Pacific Islander 35 0.05%
Other/Mixed 4,341 6.77%
Hispanic or Latino 4,294 6.7%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 64,134 people, 26,319 households, and 14,609 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census[30] of 2010, there were 58,908 people, 23,205 households, and 13,969 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,299.2 inhabitants per square mile (501.6/km2). There were 24,402 housing units at an average density of 538.2 per square mile (207.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 77.4% White, 15.6% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 5.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 23,205 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 22.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.3 years. There were 51.7% females and 48.3% males. For ages under 18, there were 49.2% females and 50.8% males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,640, and the median income for a family was $63,860.[31] The per capita income for the city was $42,582.[32] About 9.3% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over[citation needed].

47.6% of Conway's population describes themselves as religious, slightly below the national average of 48.8%.[33] 44.5% of people in Conway who describe themselves as having a religion are Baptist (21.7% of the city's total population). 9.2% of people holding a religion are Catholic (4.5% of the city's total population). The proportions of Methodists and Pentecostals are higher than the national average.[33]

Economy

Conway was home to one of the world's largest school bus manufacturers, IC Corporation. The Conway plant was one of only two IC manufacturing plants; the other is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. IC Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Navistar International Corporation of Lisle, Illinois. IC was previously known as American Transportation (AmTran) Corporation and Ward Body Works. The company was founded in 1933. IC Corporation closed its plant and moved all bus manufacturing operations to its Tulsa plant in 2010, largely due to incentives offered by the city of Tulsa.[34]

R. D. "Bob" Nabholz founded Nabholz Construction in Conway in 1949. It currently employs over 800 people and has been listed by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine as one of the Top 400 General Contractors every year since 1986. Currently, the company is ranked #161.[citation needed] Conway Corporation handles the local utilities (cable TV, Internet, and telephone services, in addition to electricity and water) for the city of Conway.

Acxiom Corporation, an interactive marketing services company, was founded in 1969 in Conway.

On June 19, 2008, Hewlett-Packard announced it would be opening a 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m2) facility with 1,200 employees in 2009. The building, built by Nabholz Construction and located in the Meadows Office and Technology Park,[35][36] has since been abandoned by HP and is now leased to Gainwell Technologies.

On December 16, 2021, Arkansas-based company Westrock Coffee announced the planned opening of a new plant in Conway. The company purchased a 524,000-square-foot (48,700 m2) facility that is expected to create 250 jobs.[37]

Top employers

Updated March 2016[8]

Rank Employer Employees
1 Acxiom 1,500
2 University of Central Arkansas 1,500
3 Conway Regional Health System 1,330
4 Conway Human Development Center 1,200
5 Conway Public School District 1,100
6 DXC Technology 900
7 Wal-Mart 825
8 Kimberly-Clark Corporation 700
9 Southwestern Energy Company Natural Gas 600
10 Virco Manufacturing 600
11 Snap-on 570
12 Nabholz Companies 500
13 City of Conway 415
14 Kroger 400
15 Home BancShares 385
16 Hendrix College 350

Government and politics

Conway city council chambers

Mayor–city council

Conway operates within the mayor–city council form of government. The mayor is elected by a citywide election to serve as the city's chief executive officer (CEO) by presiding over all city functions, policies, rules, and laws. Once elected, the mayor also allocates duties to city employees. The Conway mayoral election coincides with the election of the President of the United States. Mayors serve four-year terms and can serve unlimited terms.

The city council is the unicameral legislative of the City, consisting of two members from each of the city's four wards. Also included in the council's duties is balancing the city's budget and passing ordinances. The body also controls the representatives of specialized city commissions underneath their jurisdiction.

Arts and culture

Downtown Conway

The Conway Symphony Orchestra performs many times throughout the year,[38] and the Conway Community Arts Association has been presenting theatre and other art opportunities to the community for over 40 years.[39] The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, based in Conway, is the state's only professional Shakespeare theater. It holds an annual summer festival in June.[40]

There are also art, music, and theater opportunities provided by Conway's three colleges. The University of Central Arkansas's Public Appearances program provides dance, music, and theater offerings each year.

The national award-winning community theatre, The Lantern Theatre, is located downtown and offers a wide variety of plays and musicals year-round.

Conway Public Schools have theater and music programs, with large concert and marching bands that consistently receive high marks in regional competitions.

One of the city's largest annual events, Toad Suck Daze, has been held since 1982. The three-day community festival incorporates live music, food and craft vendors, and amusement rides during the first weekend of May. Proceeds from the festival fund college scholarships for local students.[41]

The Faulkner County Museum focuses on the prehistory, history, and culture of Faulkner County. Located inside the former Faulkner County Jail, it displays photos, artifacts, equipment, household items, clothing, and arts and crafts by local artists. The museum also holds an annual open house that showcases interactive demonstrations and various crafts.[42]

Conway is a popular sport-fishing destination and is home to the largest man-made Game and Fish Commission lake in the United States. Lake Conway, holds largemouth bass, crappie, gar, catfish, bream, bowfin, and others. The Arkansas Crappie Masters state tournament is held here every year.

The city held its first-ever EcoFest on September 12, 2009, in Laurel Park. EcoFest included exhibits and events relating to "green" and sustainable initiatives, including a cardboard car derby and an alleycat bicycle ride. According to organizers led by Debbie Plopper, the event was a success. Mayor Tab Townsell said the event indicated to him that "interest in sustainability is flourishing in this community."[43][44]

Libraries

Bailey Library at Hendrix College

The Faulkner-Van Buren Regional Library System serves the city, a two-county library system formed in 1954.[45] Originally the city was served by the Conway Library from 1935 until the merger into the current system.[45] Today, the Conway Library serves as the headquarters for the eight-library regional system.

In addition to this, the students of the University of Central Arkansas and Hendrix College have free access to both the Torreyson Library at UCA and the Bailey Library at Hendrix by showing a current student ID from their respective college.[46]

Parks and recreation

There are 15 parks located within Conway.[47]

Education

College and Universities

UCA along Bruce Street

Conway is home to three institutions of higher learning, earning it the nickname City of Colleges. The University of Central Arkansas is a public research university with an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students.[48] It is well known for its Norbert O. Schedler Honors College, being one of the first and most-modeled-after honor colleges in the United States.[49] Hendrix College is a nationally recognized private liberal arts college with an enrollment just over 1,300 students.[50] With an average composite ACT score of 29, it is the highest of any college in the state.[51] Central Baptist College is a four-year private liberal arts college with an enrollment of nearly 900 students.[52] These colleges together contribute to over 40 percent of Conway's adult workforce having a bachelor's degree or higher, making it one of the most educated cities in the state.[53]

Primary and secondary education

Conway High School

The Conway Public School District serves the city. It is overseen by the Conway Board of Education, composed of seven citizens elected every third Tuesday in September annually in a citywide vote.[54] Operating with a $88 million budget, the district enrolls approximately 10,000 students, making it the eighth largest in the state.[55][56] The district consists of 16 schools: 1 pre-school, 9 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 1 junior high school, and 1 high school.[55] Over 65 percent of teachers in Conway Public Schools hold a master's degree or higher, and 67 are National Board Certified.[55]

Conway is also served by two private religious schools, Conway Christian School and St. Joseph Catholic School. Conway Christian has an approximate enrollment of 400 students, while St. Joseph School enrolls about 500 students.[57][58] Conway previously had a Catholic grade school for black children, Good Shepherd School; it closed in 1965. [59]

Transportation

Rock Region Metro has provided dial-a-ride transit services within the city since October 24, 2022.[60] Prior to that, no transit service existed in the city. However, Conway remains the largest city in Arkansas without fixed-route transit services.

Notable people

Sister cities

Conway has one official sister city agreement with the city of Quakenbrueck, Germany. In 1986, the first exchange of visitors occurred between the cities. Starting in 1992, Dr. Oudekerk, a professor from Hendrix College, has taken several groups to the sister city in Germany. Since then, the high schools of each city have exchanged students to experience different cultures. The 25-year anniversary of the relationship was recently celebrated with a festival in Quakenbrueck with the theme of building bridges across the Atlantic.[63]

Notes

  1. ^ The 1980 U.S. Census referred to the "Black or African American" as a truncated "Black".
  2. ^ a b c d The 1970 U.S. Census did not record Hispanic American, Native American, Pacific Islander, or Asian American. The race selections on the census were truncated, so other race would be the default.[28]

References

  1. ^ "Office of the Mayor". City of Conway. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  2. ^ "City Council". City of Conway. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  3. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Metropolitan Statistical Area". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  5. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Conway, Arkansas
  6. ^ a b "Combined Statistical Area". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  7. ^ "Statistics". Conway Development Corporation. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Conway's Largest Employers". Develop Conway. Conway Development Corporation. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  9. ^ "Higher Education". City of Conway. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  10. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  11. ^ "Faulkner County Historical Society: Conway". Faulkner County Historical Society. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  12. ^ "Railroads". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  13. ^ After 131 years, Spiritans might leave Conway
  14. ^ "The story of the Holy Ghost Fathers and St. Joseph Church". Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  15. ^ History of St. Joseph Catholic Church
  16. ^ St. Joseph Colony
  17. ^ "Tornado History Project: Maps and Statistics". www.tornadohistoryproject.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2019.
  18. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Conway city, Arkansas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  19. ^ Climate Summary for Conway, Arkansas
  20. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  21. ^ "Station: Conway, AR". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  22. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  23. ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  24. ^ a b "Conway, AR Population – Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts – CensusViewer". Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  25. ^ "1990 Census" (PDF). census.gov. U.S. Department of Commerce: Economics and Statistics administration. June 17, 1992. p. 18. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  26. ^ 1980 census. U.S. Department of Commerce. pp. 5–135. Retrieved October 8, 2016 – via archive.org.
  27. ^ "1970 Census" (PDF). census.gov. U.S. Department of Commerce. pp. 5–81. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  28. ^ Cohn, D’Vera (January 21, 2010). "Race and the Census: The "Negro" Controversy". Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016. The data item is called "Color or race" with categories for "White, Negro, American Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Part Hawaiian, Aleut, Eskimo, (etc.)"
  29. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  30. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  31. ^ About Conway
  32. ^ Federal Reserve of St. Louis (January 1969). "Per Capita Personal Income". St. Louis Federal Reserve. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  33. ^ a b Religion in Conway, Arkansas
  34. ^ "IC Bus Corporation To Lay Off Conway Workers". Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  35. ^ Google Maps
  36. ^ Lamb, Joe (June 20, 2008). "HP cat out of bag, officially". Log Cabin Democrat. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
  37. ^ "Westrock Coffee Announces Major Plant Expansions - Including Nation's". Westrock Coffee Company. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  38. ^ "Conway Symphony Orchestra". Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  39. ^ "About CCAA". Conway Community Arts Association. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  40. ^ "About Us". Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
  41. ^ Glover, Jeremy (April 30, 2006). "Festival was Cabin editor's brainchild". Log Cabin Democrat. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
  42. ^ "Museum History". Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  43. ^ "Conway EcoFest". 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  44. ^ Lamb, Joe (September 12, 2009). "EcoFest draws big crowd". Log Cabin Democrat. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  45. ^ a b "About Conway Public Library". Faulkner-Van Buren Regional Library System. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  46. ^ "Borrow from Another Library". University of Central Arkansas. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  47. ^ "Parks & Facilities". Conway City Hall. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  48. ^ "Retention and Average ACT Score Increase for Fall 2016". University of Central Arkansas. September 1, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  49. ^ "About". Schedler Honors College. University of Central Arkansas. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  50. ^ "Fast Facts". Hendrix College. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  51. ^ "Hendrix College Admission Requirements". PrepScholar. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  52. ^ "CBC Breaks Enrollment Record for Fall 2015". Central Baptist College. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  53. ^ "Develop Conway". Conway Development Corporation. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  54. ^ "Meet our School Board". Conway Public Schools. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  55. ^ a b c "District Profile" (PDF). Conway Public School District. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  56. ^ "2016 Largest School Districts in Arkansas". Niche. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  57. ^ "About CCS". Conway Christian School. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  58. ^ "About Us". St. Joseph School. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  59. ^ Hargett, Malea (May 12, 2012). "State's last black Catholic school to close". Arkansas Catholic. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  60. ^ "METRO Connect Conway Public Microtransit Service Launches Oct. 24". September 22, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  61. ^ "Les Eaves's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  62. ^ "Verna Elisha Howard (1911–2000)". therestorationmovement.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  63. ^ "Conway, German town celebrate 25-year relationship". thecabin.net. Log Cabin Democrat. Retrieved October 11, 2016.

External links