The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Led by Catholic priest Pietro Bandini, who eventually became mayor of the city, Italian settlers working on Sunnyside Plantation in the Arkansas Delta moved to northwest Arkansas and found the climate and terrain similar to their native Northern Italy. Tontitown was settled in 1898 and named for Italian explorer Henri de Tonti.
The 35 initial families settled on 10 acres (4.0 ha) plots, planting gardens and vineyards. In 1909, the community incorporated, having grown to 1,400 acres (570 ha). Some residents resisted and resented the Italian influx, which largely spoke Italian and remained insulated. After threats and arson of barns and the school, Bandini confronted a group to stop the terrorization of the nascent Tontitown community.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Start Tontitown’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Tontitown’s history is told.
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Tontitown, decade by decade
2000
Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
Historic places
National Register · via Wikidata
From Wikimedia Commons (5) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.