Whistle Stops

Railroad travel was a prominent mode of transportation in the first half of the 20th century, and presidential nominees sometimes stopped in towns to give speeches and persuade voters in appearances known as whistle stops. Three presidential candidates stopped in Monett: Theodore Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Thomas E. Dewey. Roosevelt was the first to appear there on September 23, 1912, in a whirlwind stop that was a highlight of the 1912 election. He gave a short talk advocating an eight-hour workday with one rest day a week for women and calling for an end to child labor. When he saw a group of men talking among themselves at the side, he stopped, walked over to introduce himself, and told them people had come to listen to him, not them, before resuming his speech to a crowd of 1,500 people. In 1948, Truman and Dewey also stopped in Monett. Truman focused on persuading the American people to love a man with guts. Dewey campaigned against Truman, stayed the night at the home of his long-time friend V.B. Hall, and had a wife who had taught in Monett before their marriage. Truman's persistence was rewarded with a tremendous victory on election day, and he remains the only president from Missouri.

Monett, Missouri · United States