The Osage Nation first used the area now known as Bentonville as hunting grounds, leaving their settlements to hunt in present-day Benton County for months at a time before returning to their families. Settlers first inhabited the area around 1837 and named their settlement Osage after the Osage Nation. By then, the Osage had ceased using the area for hunting, and the settlers began establishing farms. Upon the establishment of Benton County on September 20, 1836, Osage was considered a suitable site for the first county seat in the State of Arkansas, and the town square became the home of county government the following year. On January 3, 1906, Osage was renamed Bentonville in honor of Thomas Hart Benton, a senator from Missouri who strongly supported Arkansas statehood. In 1837, the town square appeared on the original plat map of Bentonville, which showed 166 original town lots with 165 sq ft for residential and 82.5 sq ft for commercial use. In 1885, the Bogart Hardware Building at 112 E Central and Roy's Office Supply at 110 E Central were built on the south side of the square, and in 1888 the Terry Block Building was constructed. The Hotel Massey opened in 1910, replacing the Eagle Hotel, which had stood on the site since 1840. On May 9, 1950, Sam Walton opened his new Five and Dime on the Bentonville Square, and that space, along with the historic Terry Block Building, is now home to the Walmart Museum. Over the years, the Bentonville Square served as the community's epicenter and, for most of its life, as the center of trade. In 2008, the City of Bentonville carried out a major renovation of the square and surrounding area, giving new life to what is now commonly called Downtown Bentonville, which today is home to dozens of restaurants, entertainment options, and community events.