What does Dot report in her 1970 Christmas letter in the novel, The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop?

In her 1970 Christmas letter, Dot reports that someone has stolen the Whistle Stop railroad crossing sign. This reference seems to suggest that the town is truly dead because the sign is gone. When Ruthie and Evelyn revitalize the town, they hire an artist to recreate the sign and have it erected, a symbolic rebirth of the town.