Every day at noon and six o’clock, the town whistle would notify the residents that it was time for “dinner” as we called (lunch) in the “olden days” and supper, as we called dinner then. I was never in town early in the morning, so maybe it blew then, too.
If you were sitting in church, it would be a loud reminder to the preacher that it was time for him to end his sermon. (He had to pause for at least a full minute anyway because he couldn’t be heard). It was a signal for the men to head for home and the women to put the last touch on the meal they were preparing. The kids would reluctantly stop their play because they knew they better be in their seat for the meal, or they wouldn’t get fed again until the next mealtime. I don’t remember that any of the Haigler businesses closed during the dinner hour, but if they did, the whistle was the signal to turn the OPEN sign in the window to CLOSED.
The whistle was also blown when there was a fire, to call the volunteer firemen to hurry to the firehouse, located just south of hiway 34 on Main Street. The old red fire engine was always there; ready to leave at a moments notice. I don’t remember there being very many times that it was blown for that purpose unless there was a grass fire someplace.
Does that old whistle still blow in Haigler? It is one of the things I miss about small town life.
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