The building of the railroad, known as the Des Moines Valley, the Ft. Dodge and more recently the M & St L, prompted the settlement of the town at this point.

Items of interest from the Daily State Register, June, 1869:

          "The Valley construction trains went up the road yesterday morning, loaded with material and workmen for commencing at the town of Dallas Center, a town about half way from Des Moines to the Northwest railroad, and near the middle of Dallas County.  A party of excursionists went up day before yesterday, and christened the town by assisting at the laying of the first house sills, the irrepressible Porte Welch, of Oscaloosa "Conservator" fame, heading the register of their names upon the sill.  The most of the party chose lots for businesses or dwelling houses and 10 days from now will see a thriving town where was blank prairie three days ago!  The site is the highest prairie upon the line of the railroad, upon a straight stretch of road 26 miles long.  It overlooks the Rock Island 10 miles north and overlooks Adel which is five miles southwest."

          "A daily line of hacks has been put on between Dallas Center and Adel making prompt connections with the Adel trains."

          August 8, 1869, was the date of a total eclipse of the sun.  The Des Moines area was the best location from which it could be viewed.  Scientists came from a university in Connecticut for this purpose.  Several days later they came by train to Dallas Center, spending some time here securing specimens of plant life in the new county.

          Dallas Center's main business district is located on Walnut Street both east and west of the railroad tracks.  The three avenues west of the business block, namely Hatton, Percival and Kellogg, were named for the original owners of the land on which the town was built.  A much larger city was apparently envisioned by our founding fathers, as a total of six blocks was originally marked for the business district.

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