Conway Ranch
The property which became the Conway Ranch was initially homesteaded by James Wilson & Harlan Noyes in 1872. By 1903 it passed through other hands and grew to 900 acres; that year it was sold to a young Canadian named John Conway who had been living in Bodie with his wife and children. At their ranch, the Conways raised cattle and hogs, operated a dairy, and grew hay. Mr. Conway also operated a blacksmithing and wagon freight business, with which he delivered hay and other supplies to the surrounding area.
Though Mr. Conway died in 1918 and the family moved to Bishop, they continued to work the ranch until the 1980s. By the early 1990s, the land was threatened with large-scale development, but in 1999, the property was jointly acquired by Mono County and the Bureau of Land Management. In the years since, the County has worked with the Eastern Sierra Land Trust, Caltrans, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation to establish a large conservation area which encompasses and protects the historic ranch. In addition, stabilization and restoration of the remaining buildings has been undertaken to ensure that this key piece of Mono Basin history will be preserved.
