Tontitown is located in northwest Arkansas, in Washington County. It has a fascinating history, and you can learn highlights of this history at their museum, located in the home of some of the original Italian settlers, located at 251 East Henry DeTonti Boulevard.
I visited Tontitown during the Grape Festival, so the museum was open! You can check to see the hours the museum is open, or set up an appointment to visit, by phoning 479-361-9800.The first time I attended the grape festival, I was in college, and I bought some of the fresh grapes they were selling, and took them back to Fayetteville, in a basket that looked like the one below: Then, the "kitchen disaster" started! I did not have cooking facilities in the dormitory facility, so I was using the kitchen facilities in a friend's apartment. Although I had never made jelly in my entire life, I decided I would make grape jelly from this huge amount of grapes I had just purchased. I cooked the grapes, then added the Sur-gel, as directed on the package. Then I poured the boiling hot grape concoction, into an empty, recycled glass mayonnaise quart jar. As soon as I finished pouring all the hot grape mixture into the thin, recycled glass jar, sitting inside a cold porceline sink, the jar started to crack and proceed to go down the drain. I was SOOO disappointed because I had spent considerable time prepping the grapes, washing the grapes, cooking the grapes, straining out the seeds---then seeing it all go down the drain!! Needless to say, I have not made jelly since then!
Even before I went to college at Fayetteville, I visited Tontitown when I was attending a plant science institute at U of A, between my junior and senior year of high school. I roomed with Miss Jeff Taylor. Her father had also been a U of A attendee, and while a student there, he would make the drive to Tontitown to eat at a restaurant there called "Mary Maestri's". When he came to visit his daughter, he took her and me to that cafe one evening, and we had a delicious spaghetti meal there.
Notice the sculptor who made the bust of Father Pietro Bandini, is a descendant of Mary Maestri:
Father Pietro Bandini was a Roman Catholic priest remembered for founding Tontitown, in 1898. Books like the ones below will tell the reader that the town is named after Henry DeTonti, who was the Chief Lietenant of famous explorer LaSalle, who is credited with the first European settlement in Arkansas, in 1686. The Arkansas Post National Monument, located in area where the Arkansas River runs into the Mississippi River paid tribute to Henry DeTonti, with the information placard, pictured in this photo:
Father Bandini's first assignment was in Montana, where he was a missionary to the Native Americans. But he had a life-long dream of founding a colony for Italian immigrants. He had a theory that placing Italian immigrant in interior of U.S., on land similar to their homeland. He thought they could prosper and become useful citizens in such a location.
This lovingly-crafted photo quilt is a wall hanging in the museum that shows glimpses of many of the original families and town structures.
The artifacts in this room of the museum are items from the Catholic churches that have been in Tontitown. One of these churches burned, and another was destroyed by a tornado, but these items were saved..jpg)
When I saw this accordian, I was reminded of the accordian my sister used to own, that was destroyed in the 1961 flood that covered my parent's business, where her accordian was stored. 
Seeing this hand crocheted baby outfit, reminded me of hand crocheted baby outfits I still have, that were made by my great grandmother.
This ornate organ must have been a luxury for the little community.
This confessional window is in the museum, and reminded me that one can listen to oral interviews from Tontitown original settler descendants. One of the Maestri interviewees remembers that her first confessional in the little Catholic church, where she asked forigiveness for stealing one of the jacks from her friends game.
Father Pietro Bandini was a Roman Catholic priest remembered for founding Tontitown, in 1898. Books like the ones below will tell the reader that the town is named after Henry DeTonti, who was the Chief Lietenant of famous explorer LaSalle, who is credited with the first European settlement in Arkansas, in 1686. The Arkansas Post National Monument, located in area where the Arkansas River runs into the Mississippi River paid tribute to Henry DeTonti, with the information placard, pictured in this photo:
Father Bandini's first assignment was in Montana, where he was a missionary to the Native Americans. But he had a life-long dream of founding a colony for Italian immigrants. He had a theory that placing Italian immigrant in interior of U.S., on land similar to their homeland. He thought they could prosper and become useful citizens in such a location.
The artifacts in this room of the museum are items from the Catholic churches that have been in Tontitown. One of these churches burned, and another was destroyed by a tornado, but these items were saved.
When I saw this accordian, I was reminded of the accordian my sister used to own, that was destroyed in the 1961 flood that covered my parent's business, where her accordian was stored. 
Seeing this hand crocheted baby outfit, reminded me of hand crocheted baby outfits I still have, that were made by my great grandmother.
This ornate organ must have been a luxury for the little community.
A long-standing tradition for the Tontitown Grape Festival is the carnival, and on the early morning day I visited, the rides were not open yet.
The St. Joseph Catholic Church that was standing when I was in college, began to deteriorate, so it had to be replaced. As a tribute to the intimate history of the church is intwined into the history of the town itself, it was decided that the bell tower of the original church would be saved and restored. The photo below shows what the tower looked like after the sanctuary was removed.
The historic monument now is a tribute to the people, whose faith in God, enabled them to leave their home country and start life in a new and foreign land.
In 2024, the Tontitown Grape Festival is scheduled for August 6-10, and is billed as their 126th festival. You can get updates on performers, meal tickets, vendors, etc., on their Facebook page. The festival dates back to August, 1898, when the original settlers were so happy for their bountiful grape harvest, that they held a special Mass of thanksgiving, followed by a frolic to celebrate the blessings God had given them.
I have shared a few of my memories of Tontitown, starting in the 1960's, but you can hear interviews of locals that were born in Tontitown, from long before the sixties. I really enjoyed listening to them, and would encourage you to not only listen to them, but actually attend the 2024 festival. Visiting Tontitown, and the loved ones who live there, has always given me "MILES OF SMILES"! Tricia
The photo below shows you are always welcome in TONTITOWN, ARKANSAS! BENVENUTO!
.jpg){kind=link}