Members of the Dysart community including Mayor Tim Glenn (center left) and Dysart Sesquicentennial Committee Chair Marcia Knupp (center right) assemble around the The Great Dysart Gorge for a drone photograph on Sunday, July 3, as part of the town’s 150th birthday celebrations. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

DYSART – One-hundred-and-fifty years after its founding as the location for the first Tama County depot on what would eventually become the Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Northern Railway, the community of Dysart celebrated its milestone birthday by hosting two full days of events in and around the city park, community building, and downtown area.

The Sunday-Monday festivities unofficially kicked off Saturday evening with a downtown street dance hosted by Harper’s Public House. The event featured the country rock musical act The Jason Kincel Band and saw robust turnout, with Harper’s owner Jenna Scott declaring on Facebook the next day: “It was so awesome to see Main Street full of people, laughing, dancing, talking…just enjoying themselves!! I am humbled by the support of this town and its people.”

The band later referred to Dysart as “a hidden little gem,” in a follow-up comment on Harper’s page.

Sesquicentennial celebrations then officially began the next morning, Sunday, July 2, at 10 a.m. with a community worship service held in Dysart City Park. Mayor Tim Glenn provided opening remarks.

“In 1870 a group of Cedar Rapids investors saw the advantages of extending the railroad west from Vinton to the Tama-Benton county line,” Mayor Glenn began as he addressed a large crowd of both present and former Dysart citizens who had assembled in chairs and on golf carts in front of the gazebo.

Dysart Mayor Tim Glenn, sporting a rather bushy beard, provides opening remarks during the Sesquicentennial community worship service held on Sunday, July 2, in city park. While great effort was made, Glenn did not go on to win the Sesquicentennial Beard Contest. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

“A contract for grading and construction of railroad tracks from Shellsburg to Traer was approved in 1871. The contract said that the train must cross the Tama-Benton county line by January 1, 1873. … After a huge setback because of extremely heavy clay west of present-day Garrison, the Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Northern train finally steamed into the area of present day Dysart in the evening of December 31, 1872 – just in the nick of time.”

The town was platted on 25 acres of John Crisman land, Glenn said, and named after Joseph Dysart, “Crisman’s good friend.”

Dysart City Park was established some 15 years later when Dysart himself deeded roughly seven acres of his farm south of Sherman Street to the city for such purpose. Several of the park’s current trees, Glenn noted, were planted by Dysart.

“An Iowa historian stated – if we build a railroad, they will come. And come they did,” Glenn continued. “Settlers were flocking to our area, lured by our rich soils and opportunities to establish businesses in a rapidly developing community. By 1879, the population of Dysart had reached 600.”

Today, Dysart has a population of 1,281, per the 2020 Decennial Census, and roughly 620 households. The railroad no longer runs through town.

Dysart resident and Zion Lutheran Church member Richard Arp speaks during the community worship service held on Sunday, July 2, as part of the Dysart Sesquicentennial celebration. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

Glenn closed his remarks by thanking the community’s founders and leaders who aided in both the town’s growth and its stability before concluding: “[O]ur beautiful city is a great place to live, learn, work and play. Dysart – a proud history, a promising future. Let the celebration begin.”

Longtime community member Deb Oliver with the United Methodist Church addressed the crowd next, explaining that the service would feature “singing in the history of our lands.”

“Of all the hymns we will sing,” Oliver explained, “only three of them would have been published at the time our community was being formed. They speak of a deep religious correlation to what God has made possible for our country and most importantly, our people. Many of them we consider our anthems.”

Following a prayer by Pastor Matthew Muters of Zion Lutheran Church, the community embarked on a service of liturgical and non-liturgical music with hymns selected from both the Lutheran and Methodist hymnals including “God Bless Our Native Land,” “Faith of Our Fathers,” “America the Beautiful,” “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come,” “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee,” and “This is My Song.”

The service ended with the singing of Lee Greenwood’s 1984 patriotic hit “God Bless the USA,” during which the community was asked to stand.

Zion Lutheran Church Pastor Matthew Muters provides an opening prayer as part of the Dysart Sesquicentennial community worship service held in the city park last Sunday morning. PHOTO BY SOREN M. PETERSON

Sesquicentennial events sampling

Both Sunday and Monday sported blue skies and hot temperatures in the middle and upper 80s which made it easy to enjoy the many activities available to those in attendance including the Dysart Historical Society’s quilt show which featured 102 quilts from both Dysart and Tama County’s past and present made by local residents.

Main Street in front of the community building was the lively place to be on Monday morning thanks to the Dysart Police Dept. which hosted a Bike Rodeo for children. Officer Jeremy Stenda organized the event with help from Chief Joe Hols, Tama Co. Detective Trevor Killian, Tama Co. K-9 Deputy Casey Schmidt, and Tama Co. Deputy Dallas Dvorak.

After a brief bicycle safety talk in the basement of the community center, Officer Stenda split the roughly 20 youngsters in attendance into two groups. The children then participated in a series of obstacle courses and drills on a section of cordoned off Main Street. The Bike Rodeo ended with street races – emceed by Deputy Schmidt – after which the kids enjoyed donuts with the law enforcement members.

By far the biggest event of the Sesquicentennial celebration took place at 2 p.m. Monday inside the community building where the winners of the fine arts contest, the costume contest, and the beard and mustache contest were revealed, as well as the oldest and youngest Dysart residents.

Four-year-old bike aficionado – he learned to ride without training wheels at 3-years-old! – Huxley Dumas, 4, powers his way toward the finish line during the Dysart Sesquicentennial Bike Rodeo race held Monday morning along Main Street. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

With Dysart Sesquicentennial Committee member Kolby Knupp at the microphone and the upper room of the building packed with people, winners were announced and paraded in front of the crowd in rapid succession.

Walter Brandt won the beard contest for those who began growing their facial fur after February 1 of this year, while Tim Nass won – with “a truly amazing beard,” in the words of Kolby – for best beard with no specific start date. Matt Albertsen won the mustache contest as the lone entry.

Honorary Dysart Sesquicentennial Queen duties were awarded to two Dysart residents as the oldest members of the community – Elsie Mitchell and Phyllis Burhemn (neither were present), both 98 years old and born on rural Dysart farms – while Briggs Douglas Stoner, wee son of Kelsi and Steven Stoner, was deemed the youngest resident and honored with a prince’s crown. Briggs was born two weeks early on June 18, weighing in at 7 lbs, 2 oz. his parents said.

Costume contest winners included members of Pat Hansen’s extended family led by Curt and Aubri Hansen who all wore costumes previously made for Dysart’s Centennial celebrations which were held in 1973 – the Hansen quartet won the Historical Dress 1873-1923 category.

Glen Salisbury won the Festive Hat category in a sharp top hat, while Tom Brandt was the winner of the Festive Dress category with his patriotic overalls. Lucy Peterson won the children’s hat category for her pretty bonnet.

Dysart Sesquicentennial Committee member Catharine Wieck pictured on Sunday, July 2 inside the Dysart Historical Center’s one room rural school while holding a copy of the Sesquicentennial book put together by herself and fellow members of the Dysart Historical Society. The books were hot off the presses on Friday and are now available for purchase from the Society. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

First-place winners of the Dysart Sesquicentennial Fine Arts Contest were also announced and included Cheryl Knupp (adult photography), Aubrie Hartwing (adult original art), Elliana Hartwig (youth original art), Pam Thiele (adult home arts and adult poetry), Kaleb McFarland (youth home arts), Gary Brunssen (adult woodworking), Joey McFarland (youth metalworking and youth poetry), and Martha Baker (adult prose).

Reta Callahan won first place as well under the Literary/Musical Arts category for best original lyrics, penning the song “Dysart is Your Town” set to the tune “This Land is Your Land” by American folk singer Woody Guthrie.

Lyric sheets were circulated amongst the crowd before Peg Mullen took to the microphone with her guitar to perform Callahan’s piece.

As Mullen moved into the second verse – “As I go walking through the streets of Dysart / I see artwork all around me / From barn quilts to the downtown gorge / Dysart was made for you and me,” – many in the audience began to join in and by the sixth and final verse, much of the room was singing along.

Following the community building events, local realtor and Tama County farmer Jeremy Stills maneuvered his drone into place above The Great Dysart Gorge on Main Street for a community picture.

Just after 3:10 p.m., the gathered group – led by Mayor Tim Glenn and Dysart Sesquicentennial Committee Chair Marcia Knupp — looked to the skies and waved for the commemorative photograph.

It’s anyone’s guess how much life in Dysart will change during the next 150 years. Will print newspapers still exist? For that matter, will Facebook? What will become of The Great Dysart Gorge? Who will be the mayor? How will the school district change, if at all? Will the population increase or decrease?

Perhaps most importantly, will the town have finally received the official recognition it deserves for hosting Iowa’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade?

Hopefully the community will reach back and sing once again the Callahan-Guthrie compilation.

Maybe the railroad will make a return, too.

Happy 150th Birthday, Dysart!

A full photo gallery with additional pictures from the 2+ days of events can be viewed here.

Briggs Douglas Stoner, born June 18, is lifted into the air by his mother Kelsi Stoner after being crowned Dysart’s Sesquicentennial Prince on Monday, July 3, as the youngest member of the community. His dad, council member Steven Stoner looks on. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Dysart Sesquicentennial costume contest winners in the Historical Dress 1873-1923 category including Curt and Aubri Hansen pictured on July 3 in the community building. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Dysart Sesquicentennial Festive Hat category winner Glen Salisbury, left, and Festive Dress category winner Tom Brandt pictured on July 3. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Beard and Mustache Contest winners pictured on July 3 in the community building including (left to right) Tim Nass, Walter Brandt, and Matt Albertsen. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Time capsule contents on display in photograph form. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER