Adel Stories
Mike Flinn, friend of the Adel Historical Preservation Commission, began writing articles on Adel’s history for Adel Living Magazine in 2022. He published these articles in a book called “Adel Stories” in 2025. He has graciously given us permission to include some of these articles on the website.
Adel’s Overall History:
The following articles relate to Adel’s overall history.
The County Seat Controversy: For many years after the county was established, the question of the county seat being at any place other than Adel was not raised. Adel was where the county started, and situated in almost the center of the county, was accessible to all parts. With the advent of the railroads, however, the question soon came up of the proper location for the county capital. Adel was handicapped in not having a railroad or a first class hotel. Click here to learn how Adel solidified its position as the county seat.
Railroad History of Adel. It was almost 30 years after Adel came into existence that it finally had a railroad. The two railroads that ran through Dallas County had both missed Adel and the town was in danger of losing the county seat for lack of railroad service. Click here to read more.
Adel’s Brick Manufacturing History. Adel's brickmaking history goes back to 1878 when a man by the name of William McKissick made the first bricks. The first brick plant was built by R.M. Kerns & Co. in 1882. Click here to learn more about the importance of brick manufacturing to Adel.
History of Churches in Adel. A study of our town’s history leaves little doubt that our founders had a great respect for religion. Their faith played a big part in the growth of our city. Click here to read more.
Adel’s First Schools. The first schoolhouse in Dallas County was a log cabin built by W.W. Miller and the first schoolhouse in Adel was a one-story frame house on Main Street just west of downtown where the Adel Historical Museum is located today. Click here to learn about these schools along with the two others shown below and a gymnasium that would become known as the “cracker box.”
The Bonnet Factory. Did you know that Adel’s city hall was once a glove and bonnet factory? The building that now houses our city government started life way back in 1907. Click here to read more about the journey of the building from a bonnet factory to apartments to a brewery and finally Adel’s city hall.
Notable People:
The following articles relate to Adel’s historical leaders.
Adel’s Medical Men. Adel has been blessed with many fine medical men over the years. Click here to read about Ezra Van Fossen, J.B. Brenton, W.J. Williams, Dr. Walter E. Scott, and Dr. Henderson.
C.S. Macy. Clarence Spencer Macy was born near Adel in 1879. He married Madge Young in 1904 and became manager of the Adel Mill soon after. In addition to milling grain, he began a light plant. Click here to learn more about Clarence Macy and the field built in his name.
Who is the Highway 6 Bridge Named After? You've passed by the big green memorial sign every time you leave or enter Adel over the highway 6 bridge and probably never paid any attention to it. Brothers Samuel and Elliot Rice, the two men named on the memorial, were Iowa Civil War generals. Click here to read about these two outstanding leaders.