"Well now," Wally begins, rocking gently on his front porch with a mug of coffee in hand, "if you want to understand Conway, you gotta know it didn't just pop up one day like a pine tree in fresh soil. This place has roots deeper than the big live oaks down on Main Street."

"You see," he says, tapping the mug thoughtfully, "way back in the 1730s, long before any of us were around, English settlers came wanderin' down these parts. Those early folks laid out a little settlement on a bluff overlooking the river and called it Kings Town - to honor King George II, of all folks. That name got shortened to Kingston pretty quick."

"But the history of this place didn't stop there. That bluff over the Waccamaw River - that same river you and I fish and skip rocks beside - was the lifeline of this town." Wally points toward the horizon. "Back in the day, riverboats carried lumber, turpentine, and goods up and down those dark waters, makin' Kingston a busy little hub for trade." As folks kept settlin' and livin' here, big changes started rollin' in. In 1801, the area became the county seat of what was then called Kingston County, but they changed it to Horry County to honor a Revolutionary War hero named Peter Horry. At the same time, Kingston became Conwayborough, named after Colonel Robert Conway - a local leader folks respected.

"Now that sounds like a mouthful," Wally chuckles, "so in 1883 the state legislature just called it Conway. Easier on the tongue, and it stuck."

But that wasn't the end of Conway's story.

In 1887, the railroad reached town - and that changed everything. Before that, life moved at river-time. After that, folks and freight could head inland farther and faster. By the early 1900s, much of the downtown you see today - the shops, the businesses, that big courthouse - had been built back up after a big fire cleared out older buildings.

"And talkin' about that courthouse," Wally adds with a wink, "that old building on Main Street wasn't just any ol' courthouse. It was designed by Robert Mills - the same fella who laid out the Washington Monument up north!" Downtown Conway still carries that historic charm. Stroll along the riverfront boardwalk - the Riverwalk - and you're walkin' the same banks where steamboats once glided, and generations have paused to watch the water drift by.

A Modern Town with Southern Soul

Wally likes to remind folks that Conway today is a blend of old and new - one foot in history, and the other walkin' forward.

As of 2023, about 26,000 people call Conway home, with a median age in the mid-30s and a real mix of backgrounds.

Conway's historic downtown district - filled with shops, restaurants, live oaks, and churches - is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The city is also home to Coastal Carolina University, which brings students and culture right into our backyard.

"That river's still the heart of town," Wally says, eyes drifting toward the water. "But these days, it's not just trade boats you see - it's kayaks, walkers on the Riverwalk, folks fishin' and sittin', just like you and me."

Conway sits about 15 miles from Myrtle Beach, close enough for sun and sand when you want it, but far enough to keep that friendly, small-town feel we all love.

What Wally Thinks Matters Most

"History ain't just names and dates," Wally says, taking another sip of coffee. "It's the people who lived here, the river we grew up beside, the way downtown felt when everyone waved 'hello' as you walked past.

"Conway's story isn't done," he adds with a grin, "it's just bein' written a little slower and sweeter than most places. And that's just fine by folks like us."

Conway, SC - Quick Demographics (Census/ACS)