Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.

Many remember the story in those American History textbooks about the building of the transcontinental railroad across our great country. Others may have even visited points of interest in that story, like Promontory Point, Utah where the Golden Spike was ceremonially driven in by Leland Stanford to join the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads in 1869.

The building of the railroad from Little Rock to Ft. Smith may not be as familiar but it is literally what put Conway on the map. Here is the story Continue reading →

Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.

Conway Station, as it was originally called, was established along the railroad that still runs through downtown. Building a railroad was very expensive and it took great effort to complete it. This is the first of three Continue reading →