A Movie We’d Like To See

Did you know the West Central Avenue property mentioned in this edition’s cover story on commercial development in downtown Bentonville was the setting of a bank robbery back in 1893?

On June 6 that year, outlaw Henry Starr and his gang of seven marched — in broad daylight, Winchester rifles in hand — down Main Street to the intersection of West Central Avenue and held up the People’s Bank.

They fired a steady stream of warning shots into the air and toward would-be interlopers on the downtown square, and the scene was a shock to the quiet, peace-loving town. According to a 1948 edition of Arkansas Historical Quarterly, its residents owned guns mostly for hunting squirrels and rabbits, and peace officers were only armed when court was in session.

But the townspeople fought back with what weapons they had and managed to seriously wound at least one of the bandits, before the gang rode out of town with about $11,000 in gold and cash.

W.H. Plank, editor of the Benton County Sun at that time, witnessed the robbery first hand. In 1936, as editor of the Benton County Record, he referred to the event as “providing Bentonville with the most thrilling adventure in its more than 100 years of life.”

With bullet holes from the event reportedly still visible in the building across the street from 101 W. Central Ave., the story has long been a favorite of local history buffs. However, it seems to be garnering renewed interest.

Josh Mostyn, an attorney who represents the owners of the property, said he has been approached by groups wanting to reenact the robbery. “Maybe someone will make a movie, and we’ll see it at next year’s [Bentonville] Film Festival,” he said.

A picturesque Southern town holds its own against a slick, smooth-talking gangster with his band of outlaws from the West? That definitely sounds like a movie to us.

Mostyn would not identify his employer. 101 West Central Avenue LLC bought the property in February, and there’s no name attached to that company, which is registered in Delaware.

But a source told Whispers that one of the owners is Alex Schwyhart, who has been showing the property to potential renters.

The last time you saw Schwyhart in the press might have been back in 2010 (then in his early 20s), when a local newspaper published a photo of him walking to court with his father, real estate developer Bill Schwyhart.

Bill Schwyhart was one of the founding fathers of Pinnacle Hills, but he had a very public fall from grace following the death of one of his business partners (J.B. Hunt) and during the Great Recession.

There were multiple lawsuits, a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Bill  Schwyhart was even evicted from his home and office near Pinnacle Country Club in 2011.

However, it’s been several years, and the economy has improved. If Bill Schwyhart is also involved in the West Central Avenue property, the purchase of such prime downtown Bentonville real estate might mean he’s poised for a comeback.

Otherwise, Alex Schwyhart is striking out on his own. Either way, with such a notable name, Whispers doesn’t blame him if he plays close to the vest for a while.