Dedicated June 15, 2003

On June 15th at 2:00 PM an Ohio Historical Marker commemorating the Conway Colony was dedicated near the intersection of Grinnell Road and Corry Street, along the Yellow Springs bikepath. In 1862 Rev. Moncure D. Conway rescued his father's slaves in Virginia and brought them to Yellow Springs to set them free. Jean McKee, a fifth generation descendant of former Conway slave Julia Gwinn was the guest speaker. The Southwest Regional Coordinator of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission and representatives of the Stafford County Historical Society from Virginia were also in attendance.

Antioch University Archivist and vice president of the Yellow Springs Historical Society Scott Sanders researched the Conway Colony and applied to the Ohio Historical Society for the marker. The Longaberger Legacy Initiative, a fund associated with the Ohio Bicentennial to provide matching grants for historical markers, and the Yellow Springs Historical Society provided funds.

Learn more about Conway:
Sowing Seeds of Freedom
Moncure Conway Timeline
Moncure Conway: Stafford County's "Unfavorite Son"
Dickinson College Biographical Sketch
Unitarian and Universalist Historical Society Biographical Sketch