“C” is for Conway

“C” is for Conway (Horry County; 2020 population 24,849). Conway, originally named Kingston Village, was established on a bluff of the Waccamaw River about 1735. It became the seat of Kingston County (later renamed was renamed Horry--in honor of Peter Horry, a Revolutionary War hero). At the same time the village’s name was changed to Conwayborough. In 1883 the General Assembly shortened the name to Conway. As a county seat, the town benefited from the jobs and trade the courthouse drew. After World War II Horry County’s beaches began attracting visitors in ever greater numbers and the thriving sunbelt economy offered varied employment to local residents. In 1960s Coastal Carolina College, established in 1954 as a branch of the University of South Carolina, began to play a significant role in the town's economy. A new campus, for what became Coastal Carolina University, was erected in suburban Conway.