Dexter celebrates 150 years of community, collaboration

Photo by Historic Downtown Dexter Association

On July 7, 2023, at Dexter's East Park, hot balloons glowed like giant birthday candles as they hovered over the land. In a sense, that is what they were, since Dexter is celebrating its 150th birthday this year.

Dexter officially became a city on July 4, 1873, and has grown considerably since. Executive director of the Dexter Chamber of Commerce, Alisha Trammell, brought in the biggest “candles” she could find to celebrate — hot air balloons.

In Dexter, businesses continue to pop up, and the education system built within the city continues to give students the best chance for success. The city's health care providers continue to evolve and expand to meet the area's needs. Dexter celebrated all of these and more at this year's Grille It Up/Glow It Up event in East Park, along with looking ahead to their bright future.

A hot air balloon from Dexter's Grille It Up/Glow It Up event lights up over East Park. The city is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

Photo by Dexter Stateman

Chamber of Commerce

Trammell is a key player in Dexter's recent and future success. Though not a Dexter native, she knows the value of a small town and its citizens.

“I am originally from Shelbina, a small town in Northeast Missouri with a population of 2,000 people. I grew up knowing the value of a smaller community and its people. My husband, Justin Trammell, was born and raised here,” Trammell said. “To this day, I continue to be amazed at the number of people who grew up here, still live here and wouldn’t think of another place to live. I attribute that desire to live here to our sense of community. ... The stories that generation after generation have passed down and shared with me over the years are indescribable.”

Trammell believes Dexter should see a sizable economic boost from Highway 60 being designed as I-57. She says the city’s local employers who rely on the highway system would have a more efficient way to move their products.

“We will see an increase in out-of-state travelers stopping for dining, shopping and fuel. Dexter is already seeing the fruit of the hard work of the future I-57 designation. One example of this progress was the announcement of a Hampton Inn hotel coming to Dexter,” Trammell said. “I-57 is a vital infrastructure project, and ultimately, the completion of this project lies within funding from our federal government. Dexter is primed and ready for the economic boost.”

"I continue to be amazed at the number of people who grew up here, still live here and wouldn’t think of another place to live. I attribute that desire to live here to our sense of community." — Alisha Trammell, Executive Director of Dexter Chamber of Commerce

Business and employment

Dexter’s two major employers are Tyson Foods and Faurecia, though the former announced recently it would be closing the Dexter plant in mid-October. Just a few miles down the road in Dudley, Missouri, is another major employer, WW Wood Products — which owns an enormous amount of acreage for its large facility.

Besides its major employers, Dexter also has a history of small and local businesses, which have been supported by the community over the years.

“Dexter supports its businesses. That is the drive to bring in new businesses and the reason why we have local shops that are 50-plus years old,” Trammell said. “Our community continues to show up for our local businesses by supporting them financially, sharing about the businesses online and by word-of-mouth. Our local business owners have expressed to me over the years how grateful they are for their customers and all the continual support they’ve provided.”

"After spending several years in Dexter, I now realize it’s much more than a typical small town, it’s quite a polished gem." — Amy James, Dexter Schools Superintendent

Education

Dexter Schools superintendent Amy James has lived in Southeast Missouri for her entire life and has always been familiar with Dexter. Every Christmas season, her family would visit Hickory Log to gaze at the Christmas decorations and eat tasty ribs.

“My perception was that Dexter was your typical small town,” James said. “After spending several years in Dexter, I now realize it’s much more than a typical small town, it’s quite a polished gem. Dexter is a town with traditional values that are ingrained in many of the residents. There is an expectation for people to be polite and respectful, and there is an emphasis placed on family. The town is full of colorful, local businesses that can’t be found anywhere else.”

The Three Rivers College in Dexter, Missouri, allows students to take a variety of classes as they work towards their associate's degrees.

Photo by Dexter Stateman

James says businesses in Dexter support one another and give back to the community. James appreciates the close-knit aspect of Dexter’s community. She also spoke about the school district’s impact on Dexter’s community.

“The Dexter School District is a great place to learn and work. Teaching and learning are established as core values. The district strives to create a safe environment where students can develop supportive relationships with adults,” James said. “We challenge students through high expectations to think critically and form independent opinions that can be utilized in real world experiences. The district has well maintained facilities, ample resources, innovative technology and highly qualified staff members.”

"Vehicles equate to people, trucks equate to freight, and both equate to a much greater potential for additional commerce, development and revenue. In short, the full development of I-57 represents a potentially massive economic boon for our area." — Dave Wyman, Dexter City Administrator

City administrator

Dexter City Administrator Dave Wyman spoke about how different entities come together for the good of the city. Wyman just took the position in January but is not new to the area. He said cooperation between the city’s entities, starting with their successful school district, helps the city accomplish a lot.

“Luckily, the school district, the city government, the county government and the Chamber of Commerce all communicate with each other extremely well. Furthermore, we all share an elevated level of respect and trust for each other which translates to an excellent working relationship,” Wyman said. “Some examples of this include our Grille It Up/Glow It Up festival, which was an excellent event. The development of the new Hampton Inn is a result of cooperation between all these organizations. The Stoddard County Fair and Parade is another event that is successful primarily because we all do our best to work together, rather than work independently.”

Transportation

Wyman, who has a background in engineering and a long career with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT), knows what the impact of future I-57 would have on the Dexter area.

Wyman explained how the traffic volume of US 60, which currently runs through Dexter, is around 13,000 cars per day with about 17% of that traffic consisting of semi-trucks. He says that number shows how US 60 is underutilized as a four-lane highway. By comparison, I-70 at Mineola has around 39,000 cars per day with about 34% of the traffic consisting of semi-trucks. Interstate 44 east of Springfield has around 39,000 cars per day with about 33% of the traffic consisting of semi-trucks.

The interstate that connects Memphis, Tennessee, with Little Rock, Arkansas, is I-40. Wyman said the traffic on I-40 south of Memphis has about 44,000 cars per day with about 60% of the traffic consisting of semi-trucks. If the I-57 corridor can be completed, Wyman says we can hope to divert about 15 to 20% of the traffic away from I-40 onto I-57. This would equate to approximately 8,800 new vehicles per day, or an increase to around 21,800 vehicles per day with approximately 7,500 semi-trucks per day.

“Vehicles equate to people, trucks equate to freight, and both equate to a much greater potential for additional commerce, development and revenue. In short, the full development of I-57 represents a potentially massive economic boon for our area,” Wyman said.

He said the other important facet of upgrading US 60 to I-57 is safety. Of the 34,000 miles of roadways that MoDOT owns and maintains in the state of Missouri, Wyman said only 1,400 of those miles are interstate highways.

“Interestingly, these 1,400 miles of the interstate highway system are Missouri’s most heavily traveled,” Wyman said. “In addition, interstate highways have the lowest accident rate of any roadway type.”

Saint Francis Healthcare opened a facility in Dexter in 2016, which offers residents health care through their clinic, and opportunities for exercise and training through Fitness Plus.

Photo by Dexter Stateman

Health care in Dexter

In 1968, Dexter Memorial Hospital opened its doors and has served Dexter and the surrounding area ever since. In 2013, the hospital became part of the SoutheastHEALTH system of care with the facility renamed SoutheastHEALTH of Stoddard County. It grew overnight from an organization of 200 team members to an organization of 2,400 team members with enhanced benefits for employees and their dependents.

“Over the past 10 years, we have thrived, brought new healthcare services to our community and added specialized services that allow us to provide excellent care, at an affordable cost, close to home,” said SoutheastHEALTH of Stoddard County CEO Sue Ann Williams.

The Dexter Memorial Hospital became part of the SoutheastHEALTH system of care in 2013, with the facility renamed SoutheastHEALTH of Stoddard County. The location serves Dexter area residents' health care needs.

Photo by Dexter Stateman

Many services have been added over the years at the hospital to better serve Dexter and the surrounding area. Some of those are the occupational medicine clinic with increased services to provide for healthcare needs of the area, the medical plaza with new emergency room and the Adult Voluntary Behavioral Health Unit.

In 2016, the addition of the Hematology and Oncology clinic allowed patients to receive cancer treatment locally and avoid longer drives.

“When SoutheastHEALTH became part of the Dexter community in 2013, we were humbled by the warm welcome given to us by this close-knit community,” Williams said. “Since then, together we have worked to help improve the health status of Dexter and Stoddard County. We believe Dexter’s outlook for the future is a strong one. SoutheastHEALTH is proud to be a significant driver of community infrastructure and we look forward to continuing to add health care resources to help make Stoddard County a healthy, vibrant place to live.”

In 2016, Saint Francis Healthcare opened a facility in Dexter offering residents health care through their clinic, and opportunities for exercise and training through Fitness Plus.

On that Fitness Plus side of the facility, multiple training options and exercise programs are available. According to the Saint Francis website, Fitness Plus features a three-lane lap pool, indoor track, gymnasium for basketball, volleyball and fitness, contemporary locker rooms, steam room and whirlpool.

“Through continued development of our ambulatory center, we are striving to meet the healthcare needs of the community,” said Joel Sander, vice president of primary care services. “Based on the response from the community, Saint Francis is providing needed services in primary care, urgent care and a variety of specialty services. In addition, Fitness Plus offers a variety of fitness and wellness options that have been embraced by the growing community.”

Dexter also has clinics connected to Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston and Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff.

Dexter continues to grow, thrive and has made great strides in its 150 years. As it grows, city officials and local businesses adapt to better serve residents. Dexter is just now getting started on its next 150 years.

Josh Ayers is the editor of the Dexter Statesman newspaper in Dexter, Missouri.