Editing Bentonville, Arkansas (section)

=== Twentieth century ===
In May 1922, the first [[Ku Klux Klan]] chapter was opened in Bentonville.<ref name=":1" /> By 1923, there was documentation of at least 162 men who were members of the Klan.<ref name=":1" /> Most of the town's most prominent citizens were charter members of the Klan chapters, including mayor [[Lee Seamster]],  his successor Tom Curt, the Benton County sheriff and several deputies, and Circuit Judge William A. Dickson, as well as half of the aldermen on the city council.<ref name=":1" />

In the 1920s and 1930s the county developed a reputation as a leader in [[Poultry farming|poultry production]] that continued into the [[World War II]] years, and which the area still maintains today.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bbvchamber.com/general/134/community-history|title=Community history from Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718221711/http://www.bbvchamber.com/general/134/community-history|archive-date=July 18, 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=August 5, 2011}}</ref> The post-war economy helped Bentonville grow, with many new businesses starting.

[[File:Wea01361 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg|thumb|US Weather Bureau Bentonville building c. 1900]]
In 1950, [[Sam Walton]] bought the Harrison Variety Store on the [[Downtown Bentonville|Bentonville town square]]. He fully remodeled the building and opened "Walton’s 5 and 10 Variety Store" on March 18, 1951. This single store eventually led to the creation of [[Walmart]], the world's largest retailer, which still strongly influences the community today.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=828|title=Bentonville (Benton County) – Encyclopedia of Arkansas|website=www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net|access-date=May 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929115459/http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=828|archive-date=September 29, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

The late twentieth and early twenty-first century has seen a dramatic reduction in the manufacturing sector in Bentonville, corresponding with an increase in tourism and entertainment focused on the natural setting and outdoor opportunities of the area as well as the [[Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art]], which opened in 2011. This has resulted in Bentonville being the fastest growing city in Arkansas,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nwahomepage.com/news/bentonville-fastest-growing-city-in-nwa/729353504|title=Bentonville Fastest Growing City in NWA|last=Caprariello|first=Alex|date=June 2, 2017|work=NWAHOMEPAGE|access-date=May 6, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605095614/http://www.nwahomepage.com/news/bentonville-fastest-growing-city-in-nwa/729353504|archive-date=June 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and the larger [[Northwest Arkansas]] area one of the fastest growing in the United States.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://talkbusiness.net/2018/03/northwest-arkansas-leads-growth-in-state-14th-fastest-growing-metro-area-nationwide/|title=Northwest Arkansas leads growth in state, 14th fastest-growing metro area nationwide – Talk Business & Politics|date=March 22, 2018|work=Talk Business & Politics|access-date=May 6, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>