Mayors serving the town and dates of their term follows:  F.  Hubbard, 1880;  James L. Loring, 1881-1883;  Wm. T. Allen, 1884;  A. F. Smith, 1885-1886;  E. McReynolds, 1887;  H. M. Schamel, 1888;  J. A. Richmond, 1889;  M. D. Ridle, 1890-1893;  A. F. Smith, 1893;  S. A. Sumner, 1894;  W. D. Cumming, 1895;  C. C. Fletcher, 1896-1897;  John Brown, 1898-1899;  James G. Ross, 1900-1902;  Clyde E. Brenton, 1903-1906;  H. T. Burns, 1907-1908;  Wm. Lackie, 1909;  S. A. Sumner, 1910-1915;  C. E. Bomberger, 1916-1917;  D. S. DeAtley, 1918-1920;  R. Scott Ellis, 1921;  D. S. DeAtley, 1922-1930;  M. W. Eikenberry, 1930-1940;  Oscar Thompson, 1940-1948;  Dawson Black, 1948-1952;  Charles Barrett, 1952-1953;  James Cadwell, 1953-1958;  Wm. Schultze, 1958-1964;  Galen Fitz, 1964-1968;  Tom Scott, present mayor was elected in 1968.

          The first Town Hall, located on Walnut Street at 15th, was built as a Methodist chapel in 1873.  The bell installed when the chapel was built, later served as the fire bell when the town hall offices were located here after 1883.  Through the years the building was used as a store, schoolroom, opera house and tin shop before it burned in 1925.  The bell perished in the fire and the Presbyterian church bell was used for a time in case of emergencies.  At one time, the town hall and library were located on the north side of Main Street at 1401 Walnut.  Since 1954, Memorial Hall houses the library, the town offices, the Legion Hall and the fire station.  The present library board includes Willene Burnett, chairman; Doris Labor, co-chairman; Helen Scott, Marjorie Harmon and Jane Hakes.  Present librarian is Jeanne Murphy with Ethel Sheary, assistant.

          The first census of Dallas Center in 1878, though unofficial, listed the population as 547, with 40 thriving business concerns.  Census reports later include:  1885, 499;  1890, 445;  1895, 538;  1900, 625;  1905, 741;  1910, 769;  1920, 864;  1930, 852;  1940, 865;  1950, 944;  1960, 1083;  1969, 1210 (unofficial).

          The Farmers Mutual Telephone Exchange was organized in Dallas Center in 1901.  The first and only long-distance telephone at that time was located at E. L. Nazarene's store.  Electricity was turned on in town in January, 1913, making revolutionary changes in many areas other than lighting.  Quoting from the Dallas Center Times of 1900, "There was no street lighting of any kind in Dallas Center.  If you wished to light your "nocturnal way" you carried a smelly kerosene lantern."

          Items of interest as reported in 1878:  "A new and substantial high boardwalk has been built from Melick's store to the depot.  A drain has been put down to carry off the surplus water from the public pump."

          The town's drainage and sewer system have made a substantial change through the years.  Water mains have been laid and an up-to-date fire engine and volunteer firemen have made Dallas Center a safer and more modern place in which to live.

     IN MEMORY OF

31

   Dillon G. Paul                                                    Joe K. Paul

Charles J. Wise, Druggist                     Benjamin M. & Jessie M. Kelley