Bentonville, city (2020 pop. 54,164),
seat of Benton co., extreme NW Ark., in the Ozark Mts.; settled 1837 and
named for Senator Thomas Hart Benton. Local industries produce
fabricated metal products, plastic molding, electronic equipment, textiles,
cutting tools, modular homes, and foods, but the city is best known as the
site of the headquarters of Wal-Mart, Inc., the retailing giant. The
Wal-Mart visitors center is located in Sam Walton's original local variety store.
Crystal Bridges (2011), a museum of American art built by Walton's daughter,
Alice, and designed by Moshe Safdie, is located in Bentonville. Peel
Mansion (1875) and its gardens are on the city's outskirts.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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