When Metal Was King, Part Four: William McConway

This article was written by James Wudarczyk and was posted to this site on August 26, 2007.

For the introduction to this series see:
http://www.lhs15201.org/articles_b.asp?ID=41

A leading manufacturer in Pittsburgh, William McConway was the president and founder of McConway & Torley Company. Born in Ireland on February 14, 1842, McConway was seven-years-old when his family emigrated and eventually settled in Pittsburgh. After attending public school for five years, he secured employment at the age of twelve in the old Novelty Iron Works. After six months, he entered the service of Olnhausen and Crawford, manufacturers of malleable iron castings. He continued working for the company until the outbreak of the American Civil War, when he enlisted as a private in Company M of the One Hundred and Second Pennsylvania. McConway served in the military from September 15, 1861 until he was honorably discharged on September 2, 1864. His military company was under the command of Mexican War veteran Colonel Thomas A. Rowley. The regiment, which consisted of twelve companies, saw action in the Virginia Peninsula campaign with McClellan in the spring of 1862. This Union outfit also participated in a number of campaigns and military actions, including Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. The One Hundred and Second Pennsylvania was also a reserve unit at Gettysburg. Early in his service, McConway was promoted to the rank of sergeant major, and on July 2, 1863, was commissioned a second lieutenant.

After military service, McConway returned to the employment of Olnhausen and Crawford, where he advanced rapidly in the company. On November 9, 1865, he married Margaret J. Lytle.

Upon the death of Olnhausen, senior partner of the firm, the business became known as John Crawford and Company, and McConway was admitted as a junior partner. On January 1, 1869 the firm of Lewis and Company was organized, composed of Samuel Lewis, William McConway, and John Torley. This firm engaged in the manufacturing of saddlery hardware and malleable iron castings. Shortly afterward Lewis withdrew. John Heath and William Dilworth, Jr. succeeded him. After this last round of reorganization among various partners, the firm became known as McConway, Torley & Company. Although Dilworth later resigned from the company, he apparently continued to hold stock in the company, and it continued to be known as McConway, Torley & Company until 1880 when Torley died. Around this period, Dilworth elected to sell his interest in the company. Thus, the company became known as McConway & Torley to reflect the two active partners, William McConway and Mrs. Frances B. Torley, widow of John J. Torley. In 1882 the company was incorporated under that name.

This firm abandoned the saddlery hardware in 1873 and devoted its attention to the manufacturing of Janney car couplers, buffers, and malleable iron and steel castings. In 1869 the firm employed 35 men, but by 1904 its workforce grew to over 1,500 employees. Its plant was on the line of the Allegheny Valley Railroad in the Lawrenceville section of the city of Pittsburgh in the proximity of 48th Street. The plant covered six acres under its roof, with eight adjoining acres that were used for storage and yard purposes.

After the death of Mrs. McConway on March 1, 1877, William McConway remarried. His second wife was Josephine A. Eaton, daughter of Frank H. Eaton, a prominent merchant in Pittsburgh. McConway was the father of eight children.

Although McConway’s business interests were in Lawrenceville, his residence was on Lexington Avenue in the Point Breeze section of Pittsburgh. His religious and social affiliations included membership in the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Ascension, a Mason, an Odd Fellow, served as president of the Duquesne Club from 1898–1901, a member of the Country Club of Pittsburgh, the Engineers’ Club of New York, the University Club, Athletic Club, Americus Republican Club, and the Loyal Legion.

In addition to serving as president of McConway and Torley Company, at various times in his life, William McConway also served as a director of the Second National Bank, a director of Union Signal and Switch, and director of Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. He was also very civic minded and served as president of Allegheny Cemetery, trustee of Carnegie Institute, trustee of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, trustee of Elizabeth Steel Magee Hospital, and on the board of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. He was asked to be the Republican nominee for Congress but declined for personal and business reasons.

Charles A. Rook included a commentary on McConway by one of his contemporaries:


He is a very quiet, reticent and unassuming man, one of those rare men who prefer to act than to talk. His services are in constant demand in public, educational and charitable enterprises, and when he is put upon a committee it means with him the same care and attention that he gives to his personal affairs. It is a very easy matter for a wealthy man to be charitable with his check book, but Mr. McConway is not satisfied with that kind of giving. In any philanthropic work that is worthy of the name, there are many important problems to be solved, which require more thought and careful attention than most business and professional men are willing to give to them. Among his colleagues, Mr. McConway is known and respected as one who never neglects a public trust, even at the sacrifice of his own personal business. He is a lover of good literature, has a fine library and is an omnivorous reader. Having a remarkably retentive memory, his mind is stored with a fund of information that often surprises his most intimate friends. The wonder is, how a man directing such a large manufacturing business, and giving careful attention to the financial enterprises with which he is connected, can find time for so much reading.

In conclusion, I would like to say that the keynote of this well-rounded life is a reputation for scrupulous honesty and integrity that is as solid and immovable as the rugged hills of his ancestors.


Fortunately for local historians, W. L. Russell, business editor for The Pittsburgh Press, shed some light on the company. In a column, reporting on the purchase of McConway & Torley by a Baltimore firm, Russell wrote:

“A three-million dollar sale of McConway & Torley Corp., 88-year-old Pittsburgh company, to Ellicott Machine Corp., of Baltimore, will be made March 19. . . No change in operations of McConway &Torley’s plant at 48th St. and Allegheny Valley Railroad are planned. The plant with 240 employees produces automatic couplers for railroad freight cars, passenger cars and locomotives. Its sales last year were over five million dollars.”

Russell also reported, “McConway & Torley’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Baltimore Foundry and Machine Corp. which also manufactures automatic couplers is included in the sale.” The same account reported that the Ellicott firm was the nation’s largest maker of dredging equipment, and the purchase of the Pittsburgh company was part of Ellicott’s diversification program.

Prior to the sale to Ellicott, McConway & Torley was a closely held private corporation. The transfer of the company was made on March 19, 1957. According to Russell, there were only a few changes in personnel. Arthur D. Foster planned to leave the firm. Allan Mund, president of Ellicott, replaced Foster, and became chairman of McConway & Torley. The source identified Grover L. Michael as president of McConway & Torley, and indicated that he would continue in that position.