| 1960’s and 70’s - Tontitown Growth Continues Sixty years after Father Bandini came to the Ozarks, the town chartered a Knights of Columbus Council named in his memory. The Tontitown men had so much pride in their ability to grow mustaches they created the Whiskers Club in 1966. About this time, growth required a telephone exchange be installed by Southwestern Bell Telephone. Also, the parishioners found the growth of the Annual Grape Festival and the other church and city activities required a larger and more modern parish hall. Under Rev. Joseph S. Quinn’sdirection, it was built by October 1966. The need for a water system was again shown when the old Perona Milling Co. (leased by Arbor Acres) and the Corner Cafe & Tavern (operated by George Hartman)caught fire on April 13, 1965. Mayor Harry Sbonotto worked to obtain this and the dream was finally realized in 1972. Tontitown notoriety was quite evident when CBS came to town in August of 1971. They filmed parts of the Grape Festival including grape judging, Gov. Dale Bumpers crowning Queen Concordia, and spaghetti dinners. The television crew also interviewed some longtime residents and Rev. Quinn. They also filmed grape processing at Welch’s. Howard Stringer, the producer, said the documentary was intended to contrast events and activities of life in Tontitown and some Italian communities in New York with a small community in Italy. During the sixties, the Sisters of Mercy experienced a shortage of vocations, preventing them from staffing St. Joseph’s School without help from Springdale’s School System. By 1977, they had to turn the school over completely. The students and community sadly said goodbye to their beloved nuns, like Sister Adrianne who taught past the age of 70. Aleta Mabry and Donna Talbott, from the Springdale School System, were two teachers who stayed through 1987 when the Tontitown School closed. People of the community felt like a part of the town died when the Tontitown School closed its doors. Soon after, another blow to the community was the closing of Welch’s. Although there had been a decrease in grape production in the area as sons and daughters chose from the wide range of careers available, many farmers still depended on the grapes as their main source of income. They were again forced to use their Italian ingenuity and perseverance. Some found newmarkets to ship their grapes while others started new businesses. Well known restaurants, Mary Maestri’s and Venesian Inn, were thriving. Other businesses included: construction companies, carpet, tile, marble, trucking service, and auto repair stations. An industrial park had started on the south side of Hwy. 412. |
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1979 - Tontitown Area Fire Department Formed Tontitown Today
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