Conway is an unincorporated community in southwestern Jackson Township, McPherson County, Kansas, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 56 and a Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad line, west of the city of McPherson.DeLorme. Kansas Atlas & Gazetteer. 4th ed. Yarmouth: DeLorme, 2009, 48. .
History
19th century For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1867, McPherson County was founded.
In 1878, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and parties from Marion County and McPherson County chartered the Marion and McPherson Railway Company.Marion County Kansas : Past and Present; Sondra Van Meter; MB Publishing House; LCCN 72-92041; 344 pages; 1972. In 1879, a branch line was built from Florence to McPherson; in 1880 it was extended to Lyons and in 1881 was extended to Ellinwood.Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners for the Year Ending December 1, 1886 in State of Kansas; Kansas Publishing House; 1886. The line was leased and operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to Marion, was abandoned in 1968.Railway Abandonment 1968 In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to Central Kansas Railway. In 1993, after heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was abandoned. The original branch line connected Florence, Marion, Canada, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Canton, Galva, McPherson, Conway, Windom, Little River, Mitchell, Lyons, Chase, and Ellinwood.
A post office was opened in Conway in 1880, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1983.
20th century The National Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and was routed through Windom, Conway, and McPherson.
Economy Conway is home to a large underground refined petroleum storage facility. The storage facility consists of large caverns carved into the underlying salt beds. The storage facility has a holding capacity of over 4 million barrels of propane and other refined petroleum products. The Conway storage facility holds approximately 30% of the propane stored in the United States.
Education The community is served by McPherson USD 418 public school district.
References
Further reading
External links Historic Images of Conway, Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University Library