1901 - 1950

1901	Dallas Woolen Mill machinery was dismantled and moved to Sellwood and the building was sold to the LaCreole Academy and was used as a gymnasium. M.M. Ellis is Mayor again. Basketball was first organized in Dallas. J.W. Crider retires and his brother takes over the business but about bankrupted it. Louis Gerlinger Sr. purchased 7,000 acres of timberland just west of Dallas. He incorporated the Salem, Falls City and Western Railway Company. Ordinance passed prohibiting livestock to run at large.
1902	Guy Brothers, with basic hardware inventory opens on Mill St by Newton L. and Bert Guy. Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. Morris open a jewelry store at the present Brixius location . W.C. Brown scattered thousands of nickels on the courthouse square for the children to scramble for.
1903	HV Gates started construction of a water system that continued to expand. City approved purchase of 3 hose carts outfitted with 100’s of feet of 2 ½ hose. J.C. Hayter is Mayor. Muir and McDonald Tannery was Destroyed by fire and a new tannery was begun on the same location<. The first train ran from Dallas to Falls City. The cost was 35 cents, one way, to ride and took forty-five minutes to ride nine miles. The light plant was sold to the city and then to the Mountain States Power Company.
1904	Sewers were laid on more populous streets to initiate a system . H.V. Gates completed the first Dallas Water System and operated it for 27 years. Conrad Stafrin and Dr. W.S. Carey bought the Adam Wilson building and the pharmacy it contained.
1905	Ed Biddle is Mayor and appoints the first library board; J.C. Hayter, R.E. Williams, D.M. Metzger, H.B. Cosper, F.H. Morrison and Dan P. Stouffer. Dallas High School began when the community decided to add the ninth and tenth grades to the public schools. Chauncy, J.W. Crider’s son, comes back to Dallas from California and takes over; adding a grocery store, at the Blue Garden location. Later, Chauncy purchased another location to the north and tore down the building and built a new two-story structure that made the business unique. He installed a freight elevator and sold buggies, wagons and harnesses upstairs and hardware and groceries downstairs. Charles Guy entered the hardware business with his brothers. George Cone began building a sawmill on the train terminal in Dallas.
1906	Cone Lumber Company began production (March) and was purchased two months later by the Gerlingers, H.L. Pittock and F.W. Leadbetter and was combined with the railroad and associated timber lands to become Willamette Valley Lumber Company. Stafrin buys out Carey and sells monogrammed hot water bottles, Georgia Rose face powder. Rexall hair tonic, as well as many other items.
1907	Andrew B. Muir is Mayor. Willamette Valley Lumber Company employed 40 men producing 60,000 board feet on a 10-hour shift.
1908	Dallas businesses contributed $2,000 to Carl Fenton and the Dallas College Basketball team to embark on a legendary trip across 22 states in a little less than three months, to promote the city of Dallas and the State of Oregon. They played 58 games with an impressive 49-9 record. W.C. Brown held his annual birthday banquet for the widows in November. This year, however, he also invited all of the widowers. This became the most memorable occasion, with the approximately 50 guest gathering in the Dallas Hotel parlor wanted their group picture taken on the porch as a remembrance of such a fine occasion. Dallas free library association was granted use of the fireman’s room in city hall for a library and a reading room.
1909	June 7th the City Council a 6mph speed limit was set for the streets in the city limits. H.C. Eakin is Mayor. Gail Hotel built by J. B. Thompson. George T. Gerlinger home on SE Main and Cherry St.
1910	F.J. "Joe" Craven started Craven Insurance Agency in the Dallas City Bank, writing fire and liability insurance on homes, farms, and businesses. Willamette Valley Lumber Company now cutting 100,000 board feet on a 10-hour shift.
1911	J.R. Craven is Mayor. A new high school was built on the corner of Academy and Main as there were too many students. The eleventh grade was added at this time and there were 40 students. Mrs. George T. Gerlinger, librarian, came before the council and asked that a library be built. National Guard Armory was built.
1912	National Guard Armory is dedicated Feb. 5. The first students graduated from the high school. There were six girls . Guy Brothers moves to the corner of Main and Mill (later Adolf Electric site) an new plumbing and heating shop was added to the business as well as Ford and Studebaker automobiles. Terror Engine Co. No.1 was reorganized under the present city charter with August Risser the first fire chief. Andrew Carnegie was awarded construction of the library for $10,000 and the city hall was moved around the corner to a location on Church. The library was built on the city hall’s original site.
1913	Hard surface paving began on parts of Main, Mill, Court and Oak streets, by the Clark Henry Company. J.G. Van Orsdel is Mayor. New courses were added to the high school and student enrollment jumped to 160 so three more teachers were hired, making a total of six. The high school severely injured the Academy as there were not tuition fees.
1914	August 31, the council purchased the Rowell tract in the southwest part of the town for the county fair. Cost was $5,000. The tract was traded to Polk County prior to the building of the new city hall for the property on Jefferson and Court. The two schools competed unnecessarily and duplicated offers so the two schools were combined. The Farmer’s Union Cooperative Warehouse was founded. Jennings Lodge added a third floor to the Blue Garden.
1918	Tracy Staats is Mayor.
1919	August Risser is Mayor.
1920	U.S. Grant is Mayor. A fire broke out at Willamette Valley Lumber Company sawmill. Fast work on the part of the employees and the Dallas citizens saved the finished lumber, logs, planning mill and box plant, but the sawmill was a complete loss. Farmer’s Union Cooperative Warehouse was built at the south end of Main St. Walter R. "Walt" Craven joined his father in the insurance business. Bill & Ruth Retzer purchase the jewelry store from the Morris’.
1921	Polk County Observer was destroyed by fire, but never missed an issue.
1922	Mark Odom Hatfield was born in Dallas. Fire at the sawmill destroyed the mill’s finished lumber inventory.
1923	Walter S. Muir is Mayor. First O & C timber bought. C.W. Henkel built a lovely Victorian home at SE Oak (184) and Jefferson. He was a funeral director and banker.
1924	Dallas Planing Mill founded . Fire burned the Willamette Valley Lumber Company logging camp and two weeks later a fire destroyed the planer, dry Kilns and some finished lumber. Walter Muir’s home built on (561) Levens St. Earle Richardson purchased the Polk County Observer from E.A. Koen.
1925	Conrad Stafrin is Mayor. The first motorized fire engine was purchased; a Stutz pumper. (Approx. this year) L.J. "Laurence" Smith joined Craven Insurance and the name changed to Craven, Craven & Smith and still located in the Dallas City Bank. Auto insurance was now available as a new product.
1927	New county jail built at Jefferson and Court St. Itemizer Observer name appeared when Richardson bought the competing Itemizer in Dallas and consolidated the papers.
1929	Leif Finseth is Mayor. Walter L. Young (joined in 1912) was the new fire chief.
1930	The ID. Bartell Hospital was build on (286) Court St. N.L. Guy helped establish the Northern Wholesale Hardware Association in Portland.
1931	Water system became municipally owned and the city built an additional three million gallon reservoir.
1932	Conrad Stafrin dies and his two daughters, Ruby and Ida continued their father’s business. The "Stafrin girls" became Dallas’s first ambulance drivers.
1935	Otto Adolf founded Adolf’s Electric on (611) Mill St. Guy Brothers purchased and remodeled a larger two story building on Main St.
1936	New City Hall dedication (Court and Jefferson) constructed for $45,000, 40% was a Public Works Administration grant. On the building committee were Mayor Leif S. Finseth, Maurice Dalton, C.B. Sundberg, and William C. Retzer, councilmen.
1938	Demolition of Rickreall Academy . Lair V. Woods started Woods Insurance. N.L. Guy and his son Frank bought out the other brothers. During this time, along with the basic lines, Guy’s sold Harley Davidson motorcycles and washing machines. N.L. Guy suddenly dies and Frank L. Guy became the president and owner of Guy’s Hardware. Albert Burelbach starts Dallas Welding and Boiler Works located where the Dallas Civic Center now stands.
1940	The worst fire in Dallas’ history destroyed nearly everything at Willamette Valley Lumber. Damages estimated at over $500,000 and only a portion was covered by insurance.
1941	Orlando Peters started the Peter’s Fuel Company . Willamette Valley Lumber was rebuilt.
1943	F.E. Kersey is Mayor.
1945	Mayor is Hollis Smith.
1946	Albert’s son, Marlin took over Dallas Welding and Boiler Works and formed Western Steel and Supply, hardware and logging supply business on the corner of Jefferson and Washington, where Radio Shack is today.
1947	Mountain States Power Company, on the corner of Main and Mill, becomes the new home for Adolf’s Electric. July Dallas had its largest celebration to date. Planned and hosted the Polk County Centennial, with all of Polk county towns participating and visitors coming from all over the Pacific northwest.
1948	Village Missions is formed.
1949	A Mack pump truck was purchased for the fire department for $15,555. Lee Wright opens Lee’s Auto Service on the SW corner of Washington and Church St. Mr. & Mrs. O.A. Sjolund purchase Retzer’s jewelry store. Fox Theater opened.