West LeMars, Iowa

[Formerly known as Dalton]

DALTON: On Great Northern (Burlington Northern) Ry, 2 miles west of LeMars, 6 miles north of Merrill (NE/NW Sec. 13, Washington Twp, 92N, R46W.) Established July 18, 1890, Oren F. Wilson; discontinued Dec. 31, 1912. An old house on the site is probably part of the old town.  ~Compiled by local historian and genealogist John Winterringer. Published in the LeMars Sentinel, June 29, 1995.

~Sometime in the 1940s (date to be determined) the small town of Dalton became known as West LeMars, Iowa.

West LeMars Headline Stories--from 1947

LeMars Globe-Post
July 14, 1947

A BROOM FACTORY AT WEST LE MARS
Pete Peterson Once Raised Straw; Made Own Tools, Now Makes Brooms

West Le Mars boasts a new industry now—a broom factory, run by Pete Peterson, who once farmed in that vicinity, later lived in Brunsville for a while, who built his own equipment and runs it.

Mr. Peterson’s venture into raising broom corn interested him in the ways in which his crop was used.  He visited broom factories, learned how brooms were made, and devised some improvements in the equipment, when he built it for his own use.

Most of the brooms are sold in LeMars.

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LeMars Globe-Post, July 31, 1947

“FIRST RATTLER” EVER KILLED AT WEST LE MARS

Tom Flaherty, once “Mayor of West LeMars,” now depot agent for the Great Northern at Merrill, brought in a 2-foot snake that he had killed at West LeMars yesterday, and asked Jim Mathey and Paul Traufler, veteran hunters, to identify it.

They said it was a rattlesnake, verifying the opinion of Ray Hauser, of Struble, acting track inspector for the Great Northern.  Mr. Hauser was born in Virginia, and as a small boy, killed many rattlers.

This was the first rattlesnake ever found near West LeMars and while it was only a small one, its presence indicates that there are probably others.  It had no rattle, but did have a button.

“The next one,” said Mr. Flaherty, “we will bring back alive, like Frank Buck.”