James Dalton, Poplar Bluff’s own captain of industry

The Poplar Bluff Museum has tales of us, our family, and our history. I want to tell you some of those tales found within the museum walls.

When the Wright hardware store opened a store in Poplar Bluff, they hired James Dalton to manage it.

In 1887, he purchased half ownership in the store making it the Wright Dalton Hardware Store.

In 1901, they bought out two other stores and became the Wright Dalton Bell Anchor store.

This was the largest retail business in town, requiring a new four-story building on the corner of Main and Poplar streets. The Iron Mountain Railroad even arrived with a 21-car train from St. Louis full of merchandise for the new store.

The large store was destroyed in the 1927 tornado but the business returned in a new building on South Broadway Street. In 1937, the store was sold to Woodard Baldwin, eventually closing in 1957.

In 1904, James started the Dalton Adding Machine business. The factory was opened on the corner of Pine and Main streets. It eventually employed 2,500 people.

The factory fielded many of the town’s early sports teams. In 1914, the business grew so large, Poplar Bluff could no longer support it and James was forced to move it to Cincinnati.

James was born in Ripley County in 1866. He left home at 14 years old to attend school in Arkansas. He began teaching in 1885 but quickly changed his career to retail. After starting two of the most successful companies in Missouri, James served as Missouri state legislator in 1900. He was a 33rd degree Mason and Grand Master.

James was truly a Missouri Captain of Industry.

His funeral in 1926 was a city-wide event. The procession shut down the business district. The Missouri Pacific train arrived from St. Louis. Every car was filled with mourners. Full Masonic honors and rituals were observed.

Presidential portrait artist Chandler Ross’ painting of James Dalton is on display in the Poplar Bluff Museum.

The James Dalton story is told in the “Poplar Bluff People Room,” including the famous Dalton adding machine.

The museum is open every Sunday free of charge from 1-4 p.m. at 1010 Main St., Poplar Bluff (Formerly the Old Mark Twain School). Tell them Mike sent you!

Mike Shane is a veteran, Poplar Bluff resident and board member for the Poplar Bluff Museum.