BIO: John CONWAY, Beaver County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Joe Patterson Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/beaver.html http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/beaver/bios/bbios.htm Index for this bio book. _________________________________________________________________ BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES. This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Buffalo, N.Y., Chicago, Ill.: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899, pp. 283-287. _________________________________________________________________ JOHN CONWAY, president of the John Conway Banking Co.; president of the Keystone Tumbler Co., and at one time a leading dry goods merchant of Rochester, Beaver county, Pa., is, today, one of the most influential men in that thriving borough, and is notable for sound judgment and sterling integrity. He has been a very successful business man, and his opinion in all matters pertaining to business and financial questions, is of great worth. Mr. Conway was born in Economy township, Beaver county, Pa., March 27, 1830, and is a son of Michael and Mary (O'Brien) Conway, Michael Conway was born in County Kerry, Ireland, and came to America in 1825. He located in Economy township, and bought 230 acres of partially cleared land on the bank of the river. There he built a log cabin, and later a frame house. The farm is now owned by John Conway and his sisters. He made many improvements on the place, and it became one of the best kept and most prosperous farms in that section. He married Mary O'Brien, who died at the age of seventy-eight, her husband dying when sixty-six years old. Their children were as follow: Abigail, deceased, who was the wife of James McGuire; Thomas, deceased, who was a 284 BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES farmer; James, attorney, who married Jane Sheldon, served as captain in Company H, 139th Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf., was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness, and later died from the effects of the wound; John, the subject of this biography; Joanna, who married Peter Ivory, of Perrysville; and Mary, the widow of William Emery, of Indiana. John Conway, whose name heads this sketch, was reared on the farm, and attended the common schools and the college of Vincennes, Indiana, and then returned home, and became a clerk in a dry goods store at Pittsburg, where he remained for one year. He was then a clerk for eight years on a steam-boat on the Ohio River when he returned to Rochester. In 1856, he opened a dry goods store in New Castle, Pa., and after two years spent in that place again came to Rochester and bought the building at 749 West Madison street, which was built, in 1848, by Bonbright and Irwin. There he started a dry goods store, in 1857, and was very successful, continuing in the business until 1871. His store was the principal one in Rochester at that time. In 1871, he closed out, and established a general banking business, the company being comprised; of the leading men in Rochester. Gradually Mr. Conway bought out the interests of his partners, until, at this time, he is the sole owner of it. The bank was built by Bonbright and Irwin, but purchased from J. H. Whisler. The subject of this Sketch has built and sold many fine residences in Beaver county, and has dealt quite extensively in real estate. He has always taken an active interest in the progress of Rochester, and was one of the original promoters and stockholders of the Olive Stove Works and of the Heat & Light Company. He is president of the Keystone Tumbler Co., of which a description is given elsewhere. Mr. Conway married Thalia Bentel, a daughter of Philip Bentel, of Freedom, Beaver county, and to them have been born two children, namely: Lilian M., married to N. F. Hurst, of Rochester, Pa.; and Charles B., who is his father's assistant, - he married Emma Pfeiffer, a daughter of Benjamin Pfeiffer, of Rochester, Pennsylvania. Mr. Conway is widely known throughout the county, and wherever he goes he makes many friends, and keeps them. In politics, he is an active Democrat, and has served in the borough council and as school director. He is a Mason, and a member of the Presbyterian church. He was one of the promoters of the project to build the Masonic block at Rochester.