A BRIEF HISTORY OF DYSART, IOWA

(Most information obtained from the Dysart Quasquicentennial book)

By the 1850's, a few families had come to the area of present-day Dysart. Joseph Dysart came in 1855 and bought a section of land which was bordered on the north side by present-day Sherman Street, and he finally settled on his farm in 1863.

After the Civil War, the railroad proposed to build a rail line west from Vinton. The site for a depot was chosen on land owned by John Crisman who also donated land for business sites. The new town was named "Dysart" after Joseph Dysart. The first train arrived in Dysart on December 27, 1872. The Dysart area's fine farmland drew many settlers, and by 1879 Dysart's population had grown to 600. The town was incorporated in 1881.

On July 4, 1889, Joseph Dysart presented a park to the town and planted the park trees himself. We enjoy the shade from these trees in the park yet today.

The first home was built in Dysart in December, 1872, and in January, 1873, the first store, which was a general merchandise establishment, was built on the northeast corner of Main Street. A hotel was built in 1874, and a town hall was built in 1878 on the corner of Wilson and Tilford Streets.

Dysart's first industry was the Dysart Brick and Tile Company which was located in the northwest part of town along Liberty Street. Many local buildings were built of the locally manufactured bricks, including the present Dysart Historical Museum. Other early industries included a cement block company and a canning company.

Cement sidewalks were installed on Main Street in 1909, and Main Street was paved to the park in 1928. A downtown improvement project took place in 2007, and Dysart now has new sidewalks, stylish lighting, and an improved street in the business district.

The first school was established in a wagon shop in 1873, and the first actual school building was built in 1878-1879. In the early 1890's, the Bell Company installed forty private phones, and by 1909 there were 350 phones in town. The first bank opened in 1877, and the first Dysart Post Office opened on January 3, 1873. The Dysart Reporter was the first newspaper and was first published on March 22, 1875. Electricity became available in 1914. Prior to that time, the streets were lit by kerosene lamps. A water tower was built in 1910, and a city sewage system was completed in 1921.

A library was established in 1882, and the books were kept in the doctor's office. A public library was opened in 1931. The beautiful new Norma Anders Public Library was built in 2003 and is a busy, beautiful addition to Main Street.

The new Dysart Aquatic Center, completed in 2004, and the City Park, C.R . Roberts Trail, and Dysart Country Club all provide many recreational activities for citizens and visitors.

Dysart has continued to progress since its beginning in 1873 and is a thriving community worthy of its slogan, "City on the Grow."