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Conway County
U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts
Conway County lies in the heart of
the fertile Arkansas River Valley in the rolling foothills of
the Ozarks. The county was created on October 20, 1825, from
territory taken from Pulaski County, which then included all of
present-day Faulkner, Van Buren, Pope and Perry counties and
part of Yell County. Conway County is named for Henry Wharton
Conway, a member of the Arkansas territorial delegation to
Congress.
Perhaps the county's the most
striking landmark is Petit Jean Mountain, which provides
beautiful views of the valley. On top of the mountain is Petit
Jean State Park, flagship of the Arkansas state park system and
its most visited. The focal point of the park is Cedar Falls,
one of the highest waterfalls in the South. The park has more
trails listed on the National Recreation Trails Registry than
any other Arkansas state park.
Elsewhere, the Arkansas River,
Lake Overcup and Cadron Creek provide opportunities for floating
and fishing.
Conway County has worked to
diversify its industry and is home to a variety of businesses
and manufacturing, as well as to Winrock Farms, the agricultural
enterprise founded on Petit Jean Mountain by the late Arkansas
Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller. Some 6,000 acres of the farm are used
in the production of purebred Santa Gertrudis cattle. Winrock
International Livestock Research and Training Center is a public
foundation working to advance animal agriculture to meet human
food needs.
Another Rockefeller legacy is the
Museum of Automobiles. The nonprofit organization's permanent
collection includes a 1923 Climber, one of two in existence,
which represents Arkansas's brief foray into automobile
production from 1919 to 1924.
Conway County's late classic
revival courthouse, built in 1929-1930, is being restored with
the help of the Arkansas Historical Preservation Program.
--
courtesy the Association of Arkansas
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