Conway, Pennsylvania

File:Conway Yard 1941a.jpg in 1941]]

The area that would become Conway was first settled by former American Revolutionary War General John McKee, an Irish immigrant, around 1800 through an 800-acre grant of New Sewickley Township.{{cite web|url=https://conwaypa.org/community/conway-history/ |title=A History of Conway Borough, the Conway Family, Crow’s Run Valley, and Conway Yards |publisher=Borough of Conway |access-date=December 23, 2022 }} The area had formerly been known as Crow's Run Valley by several tribes of Native Americans because of the abundance of crows that nested in the Hemlock trees of the region. McKee's land extended in to the forest about {{convert|2|mi}} from the Ohio River.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

In 1825 McKee sold 230 acres of his land to Michael Conway, a fellow Irish American. McKee then used the funds to help finance the construction of the first railroad between Pittsburgh and Beaver County, which would later become a branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Conway Yard was built in 1884 by the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway, a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad.{{cite book |title=Pennsylvania Railroad |last1=Schafer |first1=Mike |last2=Solomon |first2=Brian |year=2009 |publisher=MBI Publishing |location=Minneapolis, MN |isbn=9780760329306 |page=57 }} It was expanded in the early 20th century, and again in a massive effort in the 1950s, which made it the largest railway yard in the world for some time.Edwin Kraft, "The Yard: Railroading's Hidden Half." [http://www.trains.com/trn/ Trains Magazine], Vol. 62, No. 6, June 2002. p. 48. Apart from the railroad, other industries flourished in the production of clay, coal, oil, building stone, brick making and building railroads, primarily through the various endeavors of James I. Park and his sons William A., John H. and George I. Park.

A post office, originally known as Agnew, was created in 1881.{{cn|date=September 2024}} The borough was incorporated as Conway on June 3, 1902, with Addru Bepler serving as the town's first mayor.

File:Conway Borough municipal building.jpg

Conway is located at {{coord|40|39|48|N|80|14|10|W}} (40.663466, −80.235981).{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of {{convert|1.5|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|1.2|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.2|sqmi|km2}} (13.70%) is water.

Conway has three land borders, with Freedom and New Sewickley Township to the north, and Economy from the east to the south. Across the Ohio River, Conway runs adjacent with Monaca and Center Township.

{{US Census population

|1910= 1483

|1920= 1858

|1930= 2014

|1940= 1865

|1950= 1570

|1960= 1926

|1970= 2822

|1980= 2747

|1990= 2424

|2000= 2290

|2010= 2176

|2020= 2168

|estyear=2021

|estimate=2144

|estref=

|footnote=Sources:{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=December 11, 2013}}{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|work=Population Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archivedate=June 11, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:42&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 12, 2022}}

}}

At the 2000 census,{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} there were 2,290 people, 988 households, and 656 families living in the borough. The population density was 707.3/square kilometre; (1,825.3/square mile). There were 1,026 housing units at an average density of 316.9/square kilometre; (817.8/square mile). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.25% White, 1.27% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.04% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.

There were 988 households, 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 31.0% of households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 18.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

The median household income was $34,181 and the median family income was $46,250. Males had a median income of $36,167 versus $23,516 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,699. About 4.8% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those ages 65 and older.

Children in Conway are served by the Freedom Area School District. The current schools serving Conway are:

• Freedom Area Elementary School – grades K–4
• Freedom Area Middle School – grades 5–8
• Freedom Area High School – grades 9–12

• List of cities and towns along the Ohio River

• [http://www.conwaypa.org Borough website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425175440/http://www.conwaypa.org/ |date=April 25, 2017 }}

{{Beaver County, Pennsylvania}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Pennsylvania populated places on the Ohio River

Category:Populated places established in 1902

Category:Boroughs in Beaver County, Pennsylvania