Thanksgiving Day, 1950, the Bells Methodist Church burned. The Pastor S. Baxton Bryant and Mr. Moir had been burning the grass around the church , that morining so the Pastor’s family could go to Arkansas for Thanksgiving, and not have to worry about the dry grass. They had finished burning the grass around the church and went to Mr. Moir’s home to burn the grass there. There was a piece of und After seeing the church burning, a man called Mose, slowly walked down the road. When he saw Baxton Bryant, he casually said, “Hey Preacher, your church is on fire.” The 80 year old Methodist Church was burned to the ground leaving about 60 families without a place to worship. An amateur photographer from Dallas driving through Bells, caught the photo of the burning church. Rev Baxton Bryant & Whitewright, Methodist Rev Ashley D. Jameson, wanted to find a single donor with $10,000 to donate to the rebuilding of the church. The town consisted of farmers and working people, so this was not possible, so they made a plan to find 10,000 persons with a dollar to donate. On May 6th, Sunday afternoon, reports say that an estimated 10,000 visitors turned out to see the Mile of Dollars. The idea of seeing a Mile of Dollars stretched out along the road, lured people like a magnet to Bells. Many had not even heard of Bells. A squad of 40 state highway patrolmen attempted to control the bumper-to-bumper traffic. The dollars donated were taped, end to end on a wire strung on top of 5’ posts, from the new church site down Hwy 69. Each donor wrote his name across the back of the dollar donated. Some were given Souvenir dollars, showing a artist-eye view of the proposed new church on one side and Rev S. Baxton Bryant on the other side. The event, in Bells, Texas, was covered by newspapers, television, newsreel, and magazine cameras. During the three hours the bills were being strung on the highway, hymns could be heard. A temporary stage had been built over the burned ruins and singers from churches in Denison, Sherman, Dallas and practically every other Grayson County community kept a continuous hymn singing program going at the church site near downtown Bells. It would take 10, 560 one dollar bills to complete the Mile of Dollars. On Tuesday, Nov 6th, 1951, United States, Speaker of House of Representatives, Honorable Sam Rayburn, spoke at a Victory Banquet at the Church. The dinner plates were $10 each, to raise money for the Mile of Dollars. Turkey was served at the banquet, and Parker House Rolls. The inventor of the Parker House Rolls, Mrs. Parker was also present. Life Magazine featured Bells, Texas, Mile of Dollars and Rev. S. Baxton Bryant in its May 21, 1951 issue. The magazine pictures Baxton, the cars lined up on Hwy 69 & the string of dollars or the Mile of Dollars. The program for rebuilding the Methodist Church through dollar donations attracted National attention. The newspaper articles covering the Mile of Dollars, in 1951, may have exceeded 100. With all the publicity, dollars poured in by mail, from nearly every US. State also from countries as far away as the Philippines, Korea, Brussels, Alaska & Belgium. Business men & individuals started programs of their own. At a filling station and a café, the owner’s collected one dollar bills and spelled out their names on their walls, by taping the dollars end-to-end. When passers by would ask about the dollars, they would wind up making a donation also. Fifty years has passed, since the burning of the Bells Methodist Church. A time capsule is buried outside the church. When the capsule is opened in 2080 AD, it will be interesting to see the souvenirs kept and see what new facts will be revealed about the fire that burned the church down on Thanksgiving Day, 1950.
The Pastor S. Baxton Bryant and Mr. Moir had been burning the grass around the church , that morining so the Pastor’s family could go to Arkansas for Thanksgiving, and not have to worry about the dry grass. They had finished burning the grass around the church and went to Mr. Moir’s home to burn the grass there. There was a piece of und After seeing the church burning, a man called Mose, slowly walked down the road. When he saw Baxton Bryant, he casually said, “Hey Preacher, your church is on fire.”
The 80 year old Methodist Church was burned to the ground leaving about 60 families without a place to worship. An amateur photographer from Dallas driving through Bells, caught the photo of the burning church.
Rev Baxton Bryant & Whitewright, Methodist Rev Ashley D. Jameson, wanted to find a single donor with $10,000 to donate to the rebuilding of the church. The town consisted of farmers and working people, so this was not possible, so they made a plan to find 10,000 persons with a dollar to donate.
On May 6th, Sunday afternoon, reports say that an estimated 10,000 visitors turned out to see the Mile of Dollars. The idea of seeing a Mile of Dollars stretched out along the road, lured people like a magnet to Bells. Many had not even heard of Bells. A squad of 40 state highway patrolmen attempted to control the bumper-to-bumper traffic. The dollars donated were taped, end to end on a wire strung on top of 5’ posts, from the new church site down Hwy 69. Each donor wrote his name across the back of the dollar donated. Some were given Souvenir dollars, showing a artist-eye view of the proposed new church on one side and Rev S. Baxton Bryant on the other side. The event, in Bells, Texas, was covered by newspapers, television, newsreel, and magazine cameras. During the three hours the bills were being strung on the highway, hymns could be heard. A temporary stage had been built over the burned ruins and singers from churches in Denison, Sherman, Dallas and practically every other Grayson County community kept a continuous hymn singing program going at the church site near downtown Bells.
It would take 10, 560 one dollar bills to complete the Mile of Dollars.
On Tuesday, Nov 6th, 1951, United States, Speaker of House of Representatives, Honorable Sam Rayburn, spoke at a Victory Banquet at the Church. The dinner plates were $10 each, to raise money for the Mile of Dollars. Turkey was served at the banquet, and Parker House Rolls. The inventor of the Parker House Rolls, Mrs. Parker was also present.
Life Magazine featured Bells, Texas, Mile of Dollars and Rev. S. Baxton Bryant in its May 21, 1951 issue. The magazine pictures Baxton, the cars lined up on Hwy 69 & the string of dollars or the Mile of Dollars. The program for rebuilding the Methodist Church through dollar donations attracted National attention. The newspaper articles covering the Mile of Dollars, in 1951, may have exceeded 100.
With all the publicity, dollars poured in by mail, from nearly every US. State also from countries as far away as the Philippines, Korea, Brussels, Alaska & Belgium. Business men & individuals started programs of their own. At a filling station and a café, the owner’s collected one dollar bills and spelled out their names on their walls, by taping the dollars end-to-end. When passers by would ask about the dollars, they would wind up making a donation also.
Fifty years has passed, since the burning of the Bells Methodist Church. A time capsule is buried outside the church. When the capsule is opened in 2080 AD, it will be interesting to see the souvenirs kept and see what new facts will be revealed about the fire that burned the church down on Thanksgiving Day, 1950.
