Stedman is one of several small towns that have grown up around the leading metropolitan center of Fayetteville.  The community was named for Maj. Charles Stedman, railroad president.  Stedman provides a small-town setting near major urban amenities.  Newcomers will find a friendly community where neighbors know each other, wave hello, and often stop to chat.  Quiet neighborhoods of well-kept older homes along tree-shaded streets are anchored by a scattering of small shops and businesses.  Surrounding these small towns in the countryside leading toward Fayetteville, residential communities, new-home construction, and subdivisions are on the rise.