Tontitown, Arkansas Facts for Kids

Tontitown is a city in northern Washington County, Arkansas, United States. It is located in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. This city was founded by Italian settlers in 1898. Tontitown is well-known for its grapes and wines. It has hosted the Tontitown Grape Festival every year since 1898.

The city is part of the Northwest Arkansas region. It acts as a "bedroom community" for larger nearby cities. Many people live in Tontitown and travel to Fayetteville and Springdale for work. Tontitown has grown a lot. Its population increased by 160% between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.

History of Tontitown
Population Information
- 2020 Census Data
- 2010 Census Data
Culture and Traditions
Education in Tontitown
Transportation
Notable People
See also

History of Tontitown

The story of Tontitown began with Italian settlers. They were led by a Catholic priest named Pietro Bandini. He later became the city's mayor. These settlers had been working on a large farm called Lakeport Plantation in the Arkansas delta. They moved to northwest Arkansas because the weather and land here were similar to their home in Northern Italy. Tontitown was settled in 1898. It was named after an Italian explorer, Henri de Tonti.

The first 35 families each settled on about 10 acres of land. They planted gardens and vineyards. By 1909, the community had grown to 1,400 acres and became an official city. At first, some local residents were not happy about the new Italian families. The Italian settlers mostly spoke Italian and kept to themselves. After some threats and fires at barns and the school, Pietro Bandini stepped in. He confronted the group to stop the problems in the new Tontitown community.

Over time, Tontitown's grapes became a very important crop in Washington County. This happened after the Welch Company built a plant in Springdale, close to the railroad. The area also grew other fruits and vegetables. These included apples, blackberries, peaches, strawberries, and tomatoes. They were grown for canning in Springdale.

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	222	—
1920	235	5.9%
1930	188	−20.0%
1940	189	0.5%
1950	203	7.4%
1960	209	3.0%
1970	426	103.8%
1980	615	44.4%
1990	460	−25.2%
2000	942	104.8%
2010	2,460	161.1%
2020	4,301	74.8%
Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture

2020 Census Data

Tontitown racial composition
Group	Number of People	Percentage
White (not Hispanic)	3,372	78.4%
Black or African American (not Hispanic)	80	1.86%
Native American	44	1.02%
Asian	102	2.37%
Pacific Islander	30	0.7%
Other/Mixed	278	6.46%
Hispanic or Latino	395	9.18%

According to the 2020 United States census, Tontitown had 4,301 people living in the city. There were 1,399 households and 1,060 families.

2010 Census Data

In the 2010 census, the population was mostly non-Hispanic white (92.0%). Other groups included African-American (0.3%), Native American (0.5%), and Asian (0.6%). About 2.4% of people reported having two or more races. Hispanic people made up 5.7% of the population.

Culture and Traditions

Tontitown is famous in the region for its Tontitown Grape Festival. This festival started in 1898. It was a harvest festival to celebrate when the settlement was first established. A special spaghetti and fried chicken dinner is still a big part of the tradition today.

Many of the original families who settled Tontitown still live there. Others live in nearby Springdale.

Education in Tontitown

Tontitown is part of the Springdale School District.

Jim Rollins Elementary School, also known as Jim D. Rollins School of Innovation, is located in Tontitown. It is part of the Springdale district. This school uses a special teaching method called an open classroom instructional model. This model comes from New Zealand. Planning for the school began around 2018. The district started building the school in October 2020. It opened in the fall of 2021, even though some construction was still being finished. The school was officially dedicated in 2022. It was named after a person who used to be the superintendent of the Springdale school district.

In 2022, most of Tontitown was assigned to Jim D. Rollins Elementary. This included areas south of Highway 412. Areas north of Highway 412 were assigned to Shaw Elementary School in Springdale. Some areas in the east were assigned to Bernice Young Elementary School. All students in Tontitown are assigned to Hellstern Middle School, Central Junior High School, and Har-Ber High School. All of these schools are in Springdale.

In 2006, most of the community was assigned to Bernice Young Elementary School. A smaller part was assigned to Walker Elementary School. Tontitown was split between Hellstern and Helen Tyson middle schools. It was also split between Central and Southwest junior high schools. All parts of Tontitown were assigned to Har-Ber High School.

Ozark Catholic Academy, a Roman Catholic high school, is also located in Tontitown.

Transportation

As of 2023, Tontitown does not have regular bus service with fixed routes. Ozark Regional Transit operates bus services in nearby Springdale. However, in Tontitown, they only offer "demand-response" service. This means you have to call and ask for a ride.

Notable People

Pietro Bandini (1852–1917): He was the founder of Tontitown and later became its mayor.
Albert Lewis Fletcher: He was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Little Rock from 1947 to 1972. He lived in Tontitown when he was a child.
The Duggar family: These are reality TV stars who live in Tontitown.

Tontitown, Arkansas facts for kids

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