Mrs. J. H. Mclntyre started a millinery (hat) store in 1879, which she sold to Mrs. John M. Johnson in 1884. Mrs. O. B. Knapp started a second store in 1894. Later on, general stores put in millinery departments and then those small stores went out of business. Dassel's first policeman was Henry Adlerbjelke, who was appointed to the job on January 1, 1880, by H. P. Breed, President of the Council (Mayor). William Porter started a wagon, carriage, and repair shop in 1880. He was in that work until 1884, when he moved to Brandon, Minnesota. Henry L. Babst opened the first hardware store of Dassel in the Andrew Linquist building in 1880 and, in 1882, he sold out to A. M. Bell. Bell ran the establishment until 1886 when he sold it to Bartholomew & Co. They then sold the store to William Galiger and William S. Cox, the business being known as Galiger & Cox. In 1889, Cox sold his interest to Galiger, who became its sole owner. In 1882, L. W. Leighton and John M. Johnson started a second hardware store, the partnership lasting until 1887 when Johnson became the owner of this business. In 1891, Johnson sold out to John Clarquist. Peter Rudberg bought the store in 1895 and operated it until 1900, when the fire of January 12 destroyed it and all the other business places on Atlantic Avenue in Block Eight. The lot was then sold to S. N. Gayner & Co. They built a brick building for a new hardware store.