1851 - 1900

1851	May 9th first county court held at the home of John E Lyle and a courthouse was ordered to be built. Cynthian site for Polk Co. first courthouse was two story, 30 feet by 24 feet wooden structure and cost $755.50 (no known photos have been found) was completed in the fall by C.C. Redman, contractor. October 1st the first District Court ever held in the new Courthouse at Cynthian, w/Hon OC Pratt presiding; 17 men were empanelled that date and offered donation land claims as payment; 16 men took the land claims in Polk Co.
1852	Acting on a petition signed by a large number of citizens, August 3, name changed to Dallas after Vice President, George M Dallas. Dallas got its first post office with John E. Lyle as postmaster. A.S. Crider came to Dallas and established himself as a bootmaker.
1854	Jennings Lodge formed in Dallas.
1855	An addition was made to the Cynthian courthouse at the cost of $637.50. Town moved to the south side of the river where water was more plentiful (1856?). Jennings Lodge No. 9, A.F. & A.M. occupied the second story of the LaCreole Academic Institute building until 1873. 4 donation land claims cornered on the site chosen for the town, 3 of these men donated land for this purpose; John E Lyle 20 acres, Solomon Shelton 32 acres & John H Lewis 40 acres. The proceeds from the sale of the lots was used for the support and benefit of the "LaCreole Academic Institute". February 5, people gathered at the court house to establish an Academy as an institution of learning; Reuben P Boise elected Pres.; Horse G. Lymon, Secretary, and a board of trustees were appointed. The first teacher was Horace Lyman, and Miss Elizabeth Boise was his assistant. July 12 grounds for the Seminary were planned out and a new courthouse on its present site was planned.
1856	A new court house was ordered built on land donated by the LaCreole Academic Institute at the cost of $7,400. Contract was let to William Pitman. The first dwelling house built in "new" Dallas, was by Lucien Heath, on the corner of Oak and Jefferson, where Mayor Hollis Smith lived. The second home was built by James. B. Riggs, W.C. Brown the third, and James S. Holman the fourth.
1857	57 students in LaCreole Academy. WC Brown bought out Ellendale General Store from J.W. Nesmith and agreed to pay Mr. Nesmith $2500 in one year for the goods in the store. Business was so good he paid them off in six months. The first jail was built in Dallas; prior to this, prisoners were let out to the highest bidders who would keep them at hard labor and assume their safe keeping.
1860	February 15 the new court house was completed at a cost of $7,400. It was a large two story, wooden structure fronting Main St, the same location as the present structure. Population of Dallas 449. John Waymire’s flour mill used 20,000 bushels of wheat to produce flour valued at $21,000 and his carding mill produced 14,000 pounds of spinning wool with a value of $2,000.
1863	Charles Edward Dane built a tannery on the LaCreole.
1865	The 4th woolen mill in Oregon was established in Ellendale, just north of Dallas, producing 50 yards of cloth each day and used 80,000 pounds of wool annually. It was incorporated by Judge Boise, John Worsley, and Joseph Watt; with a capital stock of $10,000, finally increasing to $100,000 with shares at $500. J.W. Nesmith (U.S. Senator) was a shareholder. Dallas businesses consisted of a saw and planning mill, flour mill, saddle tree maker, 6-7 general stores and the prosperous woolen mill at nearby Ellendale. Charles McDonald purchased the tannery.
1866	Polk County Itemizer was established.
1868	The Signal was started by J.H. Upton; it was a Democratic newspaper.
1870	Andrew Muir’s home was built (551) Levens St. The Signal was renamed Oregon Republican and then The Liberal Republican.
1871	The prosperous woolen mill was destroyed by fire. A new three story building on the bank of the Rickreall near the site of the old high school (LaCreole) was started.
1873	Jennings Lodge moved to use the Friendship Lodge No. 6 IOOF.
1874	November 2, the first form of government for Dallas was established. A five trustee board was elected to serve one year terms E.G. Bolter, T.J. Lovelady, W.W. Conkey, J.D. Lee, B.F. Nichols was the first president of the trustees. Dallas was incorporated.
1875	President of the trustees was A.D. Palmer. Jennings Lodge contracted for its own lodge hall above the Blue Garden, a building that was constructed in 1875.
1876	Pres of the trustees was Ed Casey.
1877	Pres of the trustees was A. Brown.
1878	Pres of the trustees was Warren Truitt. Oct. 5, Fire Company created.
1879	Pres of the trustees is E.L. DeLashmutt. The Dallas Itemizer was the successor to the Liberal Republican the Dallas Itemizer became the Polk County Itemizer.
1880	June 1, narrow-gauge railroad service arrived in town . Population of Dallas 600. W.C. Brown is Pres of the trustees. The first "scholars" graduated from LaCreole Academy. They were taught up to the equivalent of four years past the elementary school.
1881	E.L. DeLashmutt is Pres of trustees.
1882	M.M. Ellis is "Mayor". Main block of Main Street had the pedestrians from the elements by wooden awnings. J.J. Williams is president of trustees through 1884. City trustees authorized George Tillotson to make an estimate of cost of procuring water for the city.
1883	W.I. Reynolds is "Mayor". Major fire lead to the purchase of its first firefighting equipment. Dallas first fire fighting unit was a hand operated pumping station and 300 feet of hose. The cost was $1133. The unit was named Terror Engine Co. No.1.
1884	"Old Camp Ground" now the Dallas City Park was sold to Dallas by Mrs. Ellen Lyle, wife of John E. Lyle for $350. The deed said the "Christian Church shall have the right to hold religious services thereon, that intoxicating liquors shall not be sold on the grounds and that the town is to fence said premises and keep said fence in repair."
1885	Pres of trustees is Charles A. Johns.
1886	President of trustees is T.J. Hayter proposed a town hall be built.
1887	Pres of trustees was J.J. Williams. Town hall contract for $2,000 was awarded to William Grant and the building was erected on the corner of Church and Court. The second story of the building was known as the "Opera House" and served as a place for local plays and traveling stock companies. T.J. Lovelady built a house on the corner of Shelton and Washington served as overflow for his hotel on Main St. The first floor is said to serve as the residence for him and his wife, Cynthia Ann.
1888	Tannery was purchased by Andrew Muir and David S. McDonald. Pres of trustees is N.L. Butler. The Polk County Observer was founded in Monmouth by Charles Doghty and George Snyder moved to Dallas. Successor publishers included Carey Hayter, Jack Allgood, 5 different publishers in 1914.
1889	Pres of trustees is George Tillotson. W.C. Brown erected a building on Main St to replace his original store, the third to be built in Dallas. The Crider building was erected at the same time and much later became Haas Drug Store. D.J. Riley founded the first light plant at the east end of Mill Street using water power from the mill race. It consisted of a 20-arc dynamo, costing $2500. Direct current for 12 arc street lights. N.T. Butler presented petitions for a new courthouse building, the proposal was defeated. Adam K. Wilson built the two- story building on the NW corner of Main and Court. The bottom floor has been a variety of businesses: a pharmacy, a bookstore, stationary store and a gym. (1997).
1890	A carriage House was built on the SE corner of Main and Court and served the Dallas by building and repairing horse drawn carriages. Robert Suitor established a large saw mill. John F. Groves is Pres of trustees. W.C. Brown offered to build the walls and foundation of a new courthouse with brick or stone free of charge if the court would finish the project. This proposal was rejected.
1891	City received a charter from the legislature and adopted a council form of government. Mayors served a two-year term. M.M. Ellis Mayor. Main streets of Dallas were graveled. Dallas Woolen Manufacturing Company established and incorporated by W.C. Brown, J.J. Daly, M.M. Ellis, Peter Allison and K.K. Wilson with a capital stock of $50,000. The mill was never operated by the original owners.
1892	Telephone service began when Oregon Telephone and Telegraph Company was granted a franchise on September 5.
1893	W.I. Reynolds is Mayor.
1895	W.L. Wells is Mayor. A new light plant was purchased and moved to Suitor’s mill where a steam engine auxiliary was added.
1896	Dallas Wool Mfg. Co. was leased to James Shaw of Oregon City.
1897	J.E. Sibley is Mayor.
1898	June 10, Court house destroyed by fire; the first typewriter of the town was owned by Eugene Hayter, County Clerk, escaped the fire as it had been barrowed for the night. The fire was thought to be of incendiary origin. Act to remove county seat from Dallas and move it to Independence defeated by legislature. DJ Riley’s 20-arc dynamo generated direct current for 12 street arc lights. Dallas Wool Mfg. Co. was purchased by Charles and Fred Carter and William Walker for a small fraction of its original cost. It was operated for three years.
1899	J.W. Crider is Mayor.
1900	New court house was built out of native stone at the cost of $5,850 for the basement walls and $24,932 for the main building on the same site and is still used today. The LaCreole Academy was united with the Lafayette Seminary which was Evangelical. It was known as Dallas College. It operated for fourteen years.