Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, 1888
| Dexter was surveyed in 1873, and the first sale of lots took place in August of that year. The firs stores were opened by R.P. Liles & Co., William Edwards, J.N. Miller, Sisel & Plaut and Riggins & Co. Dexter has grown rapidly, and bids fair to become one of the best towns in this portion of the State. It has a very large trade in grain, cotton, and live stock. The leading business houses are Mill, Ladd & Co., N.A. Riggins, Dowdy & Co., Ed Webber and T.N. Daughtery, dry goods, groceries, etc.; R.A. Sisler & Co., J.J. Dowdy, drugs; T.S. Ulen, hardware and furniture; A.E. Bohlcke, E.E. Carter and J.R. Clark groceries. Cooper & Jorndt operated a flouring mill having a capacity of fifty barrels per day, William Kirkpatrick, an extensive pottery, and Miller, Ladd & Co., a cotton-gin and cornmill. The last named firm are also heavy dealers in grain and produce. |
| In February, 1875, Charles E. Stokes established the Dexter Enterprise, a weekly newspaper, and in 1877 purchased the Bloomfield Messenger, which he consolidated with it under the name of the Dexter Enterprise-Messenger. This paper he continued until the fall of 1887, when he transferred it to R.H. Jones, and founded the New Southeast, which he has since moved to St. Louis. |
| Star Lodge No. 1924, K. of H., of Dexter, was organized on December 15, 1879, with Charles E. Stokes as P.D.; J.C. Walker, D.; Charles Peters, V.D.; E.W.C. Weber, Reporter; Henry Bohlcke, Financial Reporter; James A. Collins, Treasurer; N. P. Riggins, Chaplain; J.H. Lee, Guide; E.W. Palmer, Guardian, and T.A. Suit, Sentinel. It now has a membership of thirty-two, including many of the best citizens. |
| Dexter Lodge No. 532, A.F. & A.M., was organized on April 28, 1887, and received its charter October 22, 1887. The officers are J.A. Sisler, W.M.; A.F. Cooper, S.W.; C. E. Stokes, J.W.; Thomas J. Ulen, Treasurer; J.C. Jennings, Secretary; W.H. Oathout, S.D.; J.W. Morgan, J.D.; John Wilson, Tyler. |
| Dexter Lodge No. 389, A.O.U.W., was organized in May 1887, with Thomas J. Toole, M.W.; G.N. Broughton, Recorder and Financier; J.L. Slayton, Receiver; A.J. Thrower, I.W., and James Grimes, O.W. The membership is now twenty-two. |
| Dexter was reorganized into a school district in 1874, but the schools were not graded until 1882. In that year a large brick building costing $5,000 was erected, and since that time three teachers have been employed. |
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