Since the turn of the century, four local men have had the honor of representing the Dallas Center area in the state legislature.  They are John Fox,  Charles Rhinehart,  Conway Morris and Leroy Petersen.

          John Fox was born in Yorkshire, England, January 24, 1841.  His parents were Benjamin and Ellen Fox.  The family left their native land because of political differences, and settled in Pennsylvania, later moving to Ohio.  He enlisted in the Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1861.  He participated in some of the most important battles of the war and was honorably discharged in 1864.

          In 1868, he married Mary Ineson of Monroe, Mich.  They had five children, William, Nellie, George, Frank and Joe.

          They moved to Dallas County in 1869, settling on unbroken prairie northeast of Dallas Center.  Around 1903, he moved to town and was postmaster in Dallas Center for a number of years.  He helped to organize the Farmers Mutual Insurance Co., of which he was secretary four years.  He was also president of the Farmers Mutual Telephone Co., having over 1200 farms connected by phone in one rural system.  He always stood for progress through the establishment of business enterprises and through the promotion of those interests which benefitted the county along material, intellectual, political or moral lines.

          He was a life-long Republican, casting his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln while serving in the army in 1864.

          John Fox was the first person to represent Dallas Center in the General Assembly.  Her served in the 32nd and 33rd assemblies.  In 1906, he was elected to the State Legislature and served as a member of the committee on banks and banking, ways and means, agriculture, school and text books, telegraph, telephone, and express, pardons and state education.

          He was a charter member of the Dallas Center Methodist Church and a prominent member of the Masonic Lodge.

          Charles Rhinehart, son of George L. and Adaline Albin Rhinehart, was born in Dallas County, Iowa, on March 4, 1876, and died June 22, 1944.  During his entire life he was a resident of the Dallas Center community.

          Always an active Republican, he was a member of the Republican State Central Committee for six years (1934-1940) and served Dallas County as Representative in the 40th, the 40th extra and the 41st General Assemblies of the State of Iowa (1925-1929).

          Mr. Rhinehart was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, sons of Veterans, Odd Fellows and Masonic Lodges.  As a Mason, he held degrees in the York Rite and Scottish Rite as well as being a member of the Za-Ga-Zig Temple of the Shrine.

          He was a member of the School Board of the Independent School District of Dallas Center from 1913 through 1931, and served as president from 1925 through 1931.

          He was Chairman of the Organization Committee of the Dallas Center Rotary Club which received its charter in 1927.  He was District Governor of Rotary in 1933.

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