TONTITOWN, Ark. — The Tontitown Historical Museum has all the artifacts and information about the small Arkansas town's humble beginnings.
The building, located at 251 E. Henri de Tonti Blvd, is a Tontitown artifact itself. The museum used to be the home of some of the town's original settlers, sisters Mary and Zelinda Bastianelli.
On this episode of Around the Corner, the 5NEWS morning crew got a crash course in Tontitown history at the museum. Guided by an expert, they learned all about the town.
In the late 1800s, 98 Italian families were lured to southeast Arkansas with the promise of land in exchange for work. The contract, which is displayed in the museum, said the families would get 12.5 acres for 21 years of labor.
These families were also promised they would have the essentials to live when they got to town, but this wasn't the case when they arrived. Instead, heartbreak and hardship began for the Italian families.
After hearing about what was happening to his fellow countrymen, Father Pietro Bandini came to southeast Arkansas from New York to save them. He then led the families to Northwest Arkansas and settled in a town now known as Tontitown.
The Bastianelli sisters were a part of one of the families who came to Tontitown with Bandini. Now, the sisters' original home is the site of the Tontitown Historical Museum.
After they passed away, they wanted their home to be turned into a museum filled with items from some of the original families in Tontitown. The museum officially opened in August 1986.
Some items in the museum give a good look at how some Tontitown traditions began, including the Grape Festival. It all started in 1898 when the Italian settlers had a picnic to celebrate their new home in Northwest Arkansas and honor Bandini.
It slowly became a tradition as they added games, activities, and food in hopes of getting funding for their local church and gaining acceptance from their new neighbors in Arkansas.
To learn more about Tontitown's history, the museum is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. They are open on Sundays by appointment.
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