Whistle Stop Meetings

“Besides the campaigns, Billy preached at little whistle stops, hundreds of them. I remember one Monday morning we got a long distance call. It was during the Columbus meeting. We were going home on Sunday night to Winona Lake to see the children. So we got this call from the ministers in Dunkirk, Ohio, as we were getting ready to catch the train.

They wanted Billy to stop off between trains and preach. Dunkirk was a nice little farm town, about seventy miles north of Columbus, on the T. & O.C. line. I think the whole town was at the station to greet us. Church bells rang, whistles blew, the stores and schools were closed. “An automobile met us at the station and carried us to the biggest church in town. It was packed to capacity.

Billy threw off his hat and fur overcoat and began to preach. He preached for nearly an hour and gave an altar call and several people came forward. Of course, we had no sawdust there, but Brussels carpet. As we left the church, half the town shook hands with us. Billy said, ‘If I go home next Sunday night, I’ll stop here again and preach for you.’ They liked that. They cheered him. A big crowd followed our automobile to the depot, waving us good-bye and cheering.”

References:

Lee Thomas. The Billy Sunday Story, pgs. 134-136.