1951 - 2000

1953	Wall Insurance is established.
1954	Model sewage disposal plant now serving 12,000 people. Public school enrollment is almost 2,000 students and 85 teachers. 25 of the city's 27 miles of streets are paved. Willamette Valley Lumber Co employs 450 with an annual payroll of approx. $2,000,000. Gerlinger Carrier employs 250 with an annual payroll of $1,100,000. Population of Dallas 5,350. George DeGraff's Cabinet Works specializes in the manufacture of church furniture. Dallas Plaining Mill is one of the West's few factories devoted exclusively to the manufacture of moldings. Friesen Core Co makes cores of alder wood used for ticker tape, gum machines, adding machines, and cash registers. Muir and McDonald Tannery specializes in tanning russet strap leather. Pacific Power and Light purchased the power plant.
1955	A sheathing plant officially opened on the sawmill grounds (Dallas plywood plant). Dallas High School Dragons under coach Ken Jacobson lost to Vail High School in the A-2 Sate football championship.
1956	The City Council bought 15 acres across the creek of the city park from H.H. Harder.
1957	A.H. Freisen is Mayor. The first students enter the new Whitworth Grade School.
1958	Dallas voters approved a municipal water project that will assure the city of an adequate water supply for decades to come. Earth fill dam on the Rickreall will create a reservoir to hold 410 million gallons of water for municipal usage. Cost will be approximately $290,000. The Dallas High School Dragons (18-7) under coach Gordon Kunke beat St. Francis (22-4) 46-42 at South Salem High School for the first boy's A-2 basketball championship.
1959	Jack Isaacson was awarded contract for the Dallas Municipal Dam. Don & Lavina Brixius purchase the jewelry store from O.A. Sjolund and the store becomes Brixius Jewelers . March 1, only two mercantile establishments, an abstract off, a law office, the bank and the Itemizer Observer, are the only businesses in the same location and under the same management or family chain of decent as they were in 1924.
1963	The Mayor is R.I. Van Den Bosch.
1964	City Beautification Committee was formed. Richardson sold the Itemizer to Blue Mountain Eagle, Inc, . Don Denlinger opened his own real estate office, Northwest Enterprises on Main and Oak . Lee's Auto Service moved to its present location on the corner of Ellendale Ave and Orchard Dr. Marlin moved Western Steel & Supply to its present location. Marlin did the engineering there and Al did the welding and fabrication downtown. The flood damage to the city part was $9,915 for damages done on both sides of the river. The Rickreall creek reached its highest peak since 1932 and for the first time in its 103-year history, the Muir and McDonald Tannery had water flowing through it.
1965	W. Robert "Bob" Craven joined his father, Walt and the name changed again to Craven Insurance Agency.
1966	the two Burelbach businesses consolidated.
1967	Eldon Bevens purchases the Muir McDonald Tannery. The Stafrin girls sell the store to Mr. and Mrs. Ross Stetson. The Bank of Willamette Valley was formed. Bob Halvorson, owner of one of the oldest homes in Dallas, tears the old house down. It was on the Solomon Shelton donation land claim. (Next to Harry's Auto Service on Washington St). Willamette Valley Lumber and several others merged to form Willamette Valley Industries, Inc. Dallas Garbage Disposal Company starts up.
1968	Volunteers along with some Rotarians and Kiwanians built the Japanese garden in the city park.
1969	Dallas Business and Professional Woman's' Club donates a Japanese lantern to the city park. Clarence T. Smith built the "Japanese Garden" sign and it was installed by Gene Fredrickson. Vacu-Maid Northwest, Inc began.
1970	Due to Frank Guy's efforts, Northern Wholesalers was purchased by Cotter and Companies True Value Hardware Association, and Guy's Hardware became a leading True Value dealer.
1971	A new pagoda style park shelter with a new fireplace was completed in the city park at the cost of $6500, half provided by the city and half provided by the state highway department. The Polk County Itemizer-Observer Dallas office burned and was moved to its present location.
1972	Thomas C. Forbes Plumbing Co. is established.
1973	The Mayor is Kenneth L. Woods. Orlando Peters sold Peters Fuel Company to his son, Scott, who still runs the business. Guy's Hardware was remodeled and enlarged and the old Chevrolet garage that occupied the corner of Oak and Main St received a new store front and became part of Guy's.
1975	Willamette Valley Title Co. opens.
1976	Van Well Building Supply Company opens.
1978	The Mayor is Gwen Van Den Bosch (Dallas' only female Mayor). The City Park Board donates land for the development of an arboretum and botanical garden.
1980	Don Denlinger purchased the Realty World franchise and Northwest Enterprises became Realty World Northwest Enterprises.
1981	Frederick "Fritz" Meyer purchased the Lovelady House on Shelton and Washington St. Bob Praegitzer broke ground on 27.000 sq ft manufacturing facility and 6 months later, 15-20 employees began manufacturing the company's first printed circuit boards. Kenneth L. Woods Jr. joined Bob Craven in the agency. Ken's grandfather and father were also in the insurance business in Dallas.
1982	Pat DeLaGrange purchased the Denlinger business when he retires. Great Western Bank begins.
1983	The Friends of the Delbert Hunter Arboretum was formed to develop land donated by the city for native Oregon trees and plants. Focal Point Photography started business; buy, sell, trade photographic Equipment.
1984	The old HARDER HOUSE became the offices for attorneys Chris Lillegard and Doug Berg
1985	Realty World Northwest Enterprises becomes Century 21 Northwest Realty Inc. Farmer's Co-op was privatized and renamed Dallas Feed and Seed, Inc.
1986	The Dallas High School Dragons won the AA state football championship under head coach Ron August beating Sweet Home 34-8.
1987	Fire destroyed the newly expanded Praegitzer plant. Bob Brixius bought the jewelry store from his parents, Don and Lavina Brixius . Stuart Wright purchased Lee's Auto Service from his father. The AA Dallas High School Boys basketball team (22-2) under Ken Lathem beat The Dalles (21-5) at McArthur Court, Eugene 45-41 for the state championship.
1988	Praegitzer Industries hosts a grand open house in its new 115,000 sq ft plant. It was attended by 600 city, county and state dignitaries.
1989	Robert Brixius takes over Brixius Jewelers
1990	Century 21 office was sold to Eric and Nancie Rogers and the office moves to East Ellendale . Carnegie Library building becomes the home for the Polk County Museum. Great Western Bank builds a new building; Polk County's only locally owned bank. Two Dallas Recreational Complexes were dedicated, LaCreole and Whitworth. The city received a first place award for these complexes from the League of Oregon Cities.
1991	Chuck Friesen purchased Guy's Hardware from Frank Guy. Burelbachs combined technology with Globe Machine Manufacturing of Tacoma.
1992	Bank of Willamette Valley becomes First Security Bank.
1993	Al Adolf (Otto's son) retires and the business is purchased by Jerry Bower.
1998	The Performing Arts Pavilion becomes reality after two years of planning.
2000	The new Mayor is Jim Fairchild. The Blue Garden closes for good. Groundbreaking for the Dallas Skate Park.