Dale was originally called Elizabeth, and under the latter name was laid out in 1843. When a post office was established, the name was changed to Dale, in honor of Robert Dale Owen of New Harmony, the town's congressman at the time. The Dale post office has been in operation since 1844.
Geography
Dale is located at . According to the 2010 census, Dale has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,593 people, 603 households, and 406 families living in the town. The population density was. There were 649 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the town was 84.6% White, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 12.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.1% of the population. There were 603 households, of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couplesliving together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.7% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age in the town was 37.9 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 15.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,570 people, 591 households, and 414 families living in the town. The population density was 1,025.4 people per square mile. There were 630 housing units at an average density of 412.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 92.35% White, 1.02% African American, 6.12% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.44% of the population. There were 591 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,295, and the median income for a family was $42,969. Males had a median income of $29,018 versus $22,545 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,163. About 2.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Dale has a public library, a branch of the Lincoln Heritage Public Library.
Abraham Lincoln, U.S. President, was raised nearby on a farm near what is now Lincoln City. His mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died while he was young; her burial site is located on the original farm.
