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Submitted: 8/14/14 • Approved: 10/3/16 • Last Updated: 10/6/16 • R1031850-G0-S3
James Sevier Conway
December 4, 1796 - March 3, 1955
Surveyor, Planter, First Governor of Arkansas
James Sevier Conway was born in Greene County, Tennessee to Thomas Conway and Anne Rector. He was born into a Wealthy family by the standards of the day. His father’s Plantation grew corn, cotton and raised livestock.
His and his 6 brothers and 3 daughters were schooled by a private tutor.
In 1818 the family moved to St Louis, Missouri to join his fathers family. His Uncle William Rector, brother to his father taught him the art of land surveying. William was surveyor general for Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas Conway and two of his brothers formed a Surveying company. This company took over the land that would later become the city of Little Rock, Pulaski County Arkansas. Conway is know as the founder of Little Rock.
1820, Conway was appointed a federal land surveyor and assigned to survey the territory of Arkansas’s western boundary with the Choctaw Nation and The southern boundary with Louisiana. Due to an
Improper survey he added over 100,000 acres to Arkansas and sparked A dispute with the Choctaw Nation. This dispute was Not settled until 1886, when the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the
Choctaw claim but allowed Arkansas to keep the Conway survey and compensated fifty cents per acre to the Choctaw for the lost acreage.
Conway married Mary Jane Bradley, in 1826, daughter of a prominent pioneer who lived in the Red River area. Her family had also migrated to Arkansas from Tennessee. Conway and Mary had 10 children, of which 5 died in infancy or early childhood.
Conway was named surveyor general of Arkansas Territory in 1832. His wealth gave him the ability to purchase land along the Red River and by the mid 1830’s he owned more than 2,000 acres and eighty slaves. His property laid along the Red River fifteen miles west of present-day Bradley,Lafayette County, Arkansas. He built a larger home a short distant from his original dwelling. He named his plantation Walnut Hill. He also built a Summer cottage at Magnet Cove, in Hot Spring County and a bathhouse at Hot Springs in Garland County.
His first venture into politics in 1828 was unsuccessful, but in 1831 he was eElected to represent Lafayette and Union counties in the territorial legislature. Conway’s political career was enhanced by his extended family of politicians. His Uncle William Rector, Benjamin Johnson (a future chief justice of the state Supreme Court)and Ambrose Sevier, Territorial Delegate to the Us Congress and the state’s first United States Senator. Through the help of his “Family Dynasty” and their close ties with the presidential administration of Andrew Jackson he secured the Democrat Party’s nomination for governor at the party’s state convention. He was never comfortable campaigning and instead had friends speak on his behalf.
Conway wrote letters to key political leaders and the Little Rock (Pulaski County) newspapers expressing his opinions on different issues.
He won the election defeated the Absalom Fowler and his Whig party 5,338 to 3,222.
His tenure as governor was mixed with success and controversy.
Through his leadership the institutional structure took place.
The bank system, prison system, public roads and schools all became organized and expanded. Two of the bills that were among those that Conway signed into law was to establish a State Bank and a Real Estate Bank. There was a large increase in the population from 52,240 to 97,574 during his four years as
Governor. There was a surplus in the treasury after only two years.
This early success was blighted by the taxes and the revenue needed for normal operations of the state. Through the cooperation of the General Assembly the state reduced the rate of assessment. This, however,
Came at the same time as a National recession and cut back in Federal funds. The state’s banking system collapsed and Arkansas was plunged into an economic turmoil. Conway did not benefit from the banks, but overshadowed the last two years of his tenure as governor.
The state went from surplus of $50,000 in the treasury to a deficit of $65,000 in two years.
In the summer of 1836 Conway was caught up in a controversy with the Native Americas who were gathering in force on the state’s western
Border. They were ready to attack local settlements. Conway assigned a Militia unit of nearly 200 armed men to federal officials at Fort Towson.
In the middle of the threat there arose a controversy over the choice of a Commander of the troops. The troops chose Absalom Fowler, a Captain of a Pulaski County Militia, Conway’s chief opponent in the gubernatorial election. When the troops rescinded their vote and chose, instead, Leban C Howell from the Pope County unit. Conway supported Howell. Fowler
Was livid with anger and ordered Howell arrested. Conway intervened.
In retaliation Fowler demanded a court of inquiry to investigate Conway’s conduct. The court’s findings were not definitive and Conway released Court records and a letter written by Fowler, which was highly critical of the governor, to the newspapers. The people supported Conway. Fowler boasted that his position had been vindicated. This incident greatly polarized public opinion.
Conway had fought his bad health through out his tenure as governor. In 1838 He became seriously ill and considered resigning from office. He spent several weeks at Hot Springs and at home, Walnut Hill. Due to his health he did not seek a second term. He returned to his home, Walnut Hill, and took up his life as a planter. He devoted the rest of his life to farming and local affairs. He was a great advocate of education and he helped to establish Lafayette Academy in his home county in 1842.
James Sevier Conway died of pneumonia and was buried in the family cemetery at Walnut Hill.
Conway was the brother of Arkansas Governor Elias Nelson Conway brother of Congressman Henry Wharton Conway, first cousin of Senator Ambrose Hundley Sevier and Governor Henry Massey Rector. He was third cousin of Confederate General and Virginia Governor James Lawson Kemper.
Contributed on 8/14/14 by tootied
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Record #: 1031850