Summary seventyfive years after the new london, texas, school explosion instantaneously ended life for three hundred students, haunted memories of all who knew them, and hushed a communitys discussion. New london school explosion haunts rescuer houston chronicle. Exterior view of new london school after an explosion. New london texas school explosion news photo of destruction. For many years new london residents did not speak of the tragedy, but today they are telling their stories of that tragic day in east texas and how it changed history. New london school explosion a part of familys history.
An elementary school in texas explodes in 1937, killing hundreds of children and teachers. Growing up in east texas, i heard powerful stories of loss and of survival. Books chronicle 37 school explosion san antonio expressnews. New photos from the new london school disaster bayou.
Seventyfive years after the new london, texas, school explosion. New london at 21, marvin dees, the youngest crew member at the texas companys l. Mar 18, 2012 seventyfive years ago today, some 300 people, mostly junior and high school students and their teachers, died horribly in the tiny east texas oilfield town of new london, 25 miles east of tyler. New london, tx school disaster museum posts facebook. Handbook of texas online new london texas school explosion. In 1937 new london, texas, in northwest rusk county, had one of the richest rural school districts in the united states. Jackson, new london methodist minister from 193739, and was originally published in 1938. This photograph is part of the collection entitled. It was almost time for the school day to end, the children were making plans with a friend.
So, as they have each year for decades, east texans will gather today in new london to remember the lives lost in the tragedy of march 18, 1937, when an explosion at london high school claimed the. New photos from the new london school disaster bayou city. Remembering texas forgotten new london school explosion. Community residents in the east texas oilfield were proud of the beautiful, modern, steelframed, eshaped school building.
The 1937 new london school explosion by ron rozelle. There were about 500 people in the school when the explosion occurred about 3. The day a texas school exploded, and a generation died. From its beginning until 1930 cotton and vegetable farming was the primary economic engine. Mar 01, 2007 on march 18, 1937, the residents of new london, southeast of tyler, endured the worst smalltown tragedy in u. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the deadliest school disaster in u. Even though new london is located in northeast texas, the magnitude of the disaster was such that all three houston daily newspapers devoted an extensive amount of coverage to the story. On one terrible day in 1937, a school building in new london exploded, killing nearly 300. Bridge city resident richard schurs mother, luna louise hudson, was a student at the new london school when it exploded on march 18, 1937. The fiveyear journey to sofia grants new texasbased novel, the daisy.
New london became home to one of the richest rural school districts in the nation. Our theatre team received many awards at the regional level. Johnson has brought the characters to life in his twoact play about the school explosion in new london, texas in 1937. The caption on the back of this photo reads, scenes from new london school explosionover 300 children lost their lives. The 1937 new london school disaster, a natural gas explosion in rusk county, east. In march 1937 a gas leak in the basement of the 1,200student consolidated school in new london caused a massive explosion that killed almost 300 children.
School disaster in american history, by journalists david m. Johnson was an infant in new london destined to become the scribe, oral historian, and dramatist for the tragedy. New london texas gas explosion of 1937 homeland security. And it is a tragedy that still haunts a small east texas town. East texas has had more than its share of disasters the galveston hurricane of 1900 and the industrial explosions in texas city in 1946 are examples but the day the school house in new london blew up has a singular pathos because so many of its victims were children. Texas historical association and author or editor of over 20 books on texas. The new london explosion led to the creation of the texas board of professional engineers. See more ideas about new london, london and school. The london museum is pleased to announce that reprints of living lessons from new london, texas, the first book written about the explosion, are now available. New london, march 19 ap military authorities viewed wreckage of the london consolidated school in driving rain today and immediately called a court of inquiry to fix the cause of an explosion that buried an estimated 450 children beneath tons of rock and. Johnson was an infant in new london destined to become the scribe, oral historian, and seventyfive years after the new london, texas, school explosion instantaneously ended life for three hundred students, haunted memories of all who knew them, and hushed a communitys discussion of an unspeakable event, the. Rescuing texas history, 2006 and one other and was provided by austin history center, austin public library to the portal to texas history, a. February 17, 2015 on march 18, 1937, a gas explosion occurred in a school in new london, texas, killing almost 300 of the 500 students and 40 teachers in the building. And it helped teach us the value of sharing grief and not.
New london, tx school disaster museum, new london, texas. Hidden camera investigation on what really happens to your car cbc marketplace duration. The explosion, which killed more than 300 children formed a crude arch of falling debris which sheltered the two. New london on march 18, 1937, a day much like any other in the unincorporated districts of london and new london, in rusk county, a generation of east texas was lost. New london school explosion on march 18, 1937, a massive explosion destroyed the new london junior senior high school, instantly killing an estimated 296 students and teachers. And the town had spent some of its newfound wealth to build a large school, where students in. New london, tx school explosion, mar 1937 gendisasters. Mar 17, 2017 294 killed in new london, texas school explosion, 80 years ago augusta robinson, tyler morning telegraph, associated press published 4. History in a pecan shell the areas first post office 1855 was named london, texas. It led the texas legislature to pass new regulations on pipeline safety.
The whole plan formed a letter e and covered nearly 30 000 sq. The subsequent deaths of victims from injuries sustained that day brought the final death count to 311. The school property is a consolidation of the london and new london districts, covering a number of acres over portions of two farms, and comprises a group of widely detached buildings of both brick and frame construction for grammar school, gymnasium, band room, domestic science, etc. Summary seventyfive years after the new london, texas, school explosion instantaneously ended life for three hundred students, haunted memories of all who knew them, and hushed a communitys discussion of an unspeakable event, the detailed story is now told. March 22, 2017 will mark the 80th anniversary of the worse school disaster in texas history.
Over the years, there have been plenty of books written on the topic both. Mar 17, 2017 the new london school explosion on march 18, 1937, nearly wiped out an entire generation of a small east texas community. The new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak caused an explosion, destroying the new london school of the city of new london, texas. We performed the play several times and placed second place at the regional competition held on march 24th. Mar 11, 2012 new london at 21, marvin dees, the youngest crew member at the texas companys l. The new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak caused an explosion, destroying the london school of new london, texas, a community in rusk county previously known as london. For todays responders, 1937 texas tragedy still carries. The new london school explosion occurred on march 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak caused an explosion, destroying the london school of new london, texas. Brown and michael wereschagin, was published by potomac books. Books chronicle 37 school explosion san antonio express. Tragic deaths school explodes in new london, texas almost 300 students were killed when a rural school in new london, texas, exploded from a gas leak, thursday, march 18, 1937.
They never knew the bell wouldnt ring that day, the buses wouldnt run and they would never play. The odorless, colorless gas went undetected until the flip of an electrical switch triggered a colossal blast. It was one of the most devastating disasters in texas history and the worst school disaster in us history, yet little known outside east texas. In 1937 the rural new london texas school district was considered one of the wealthiest independent school districts in the united states. The brand new, steelandconcrete school, located in the east texas oilfield, was one of the wealthiest in the country. To whom it may concern at the new london museum, our high school preformed dr. New london school explosion the handbook of texas online. And the town had spent some of its newfound wealth to build a large school, where students in grades five11 attended classes. Feb 25, 2019 february 17, 2015 on march 18, 1937, a gas explosion occurred in a school in new london, texas, killing almost 300 of the 500 students and 40 teachers in the building. Mar 14, 2016 bridge city resident richard schurs mother, luna louise hudson, was a student at the new london school when it exploded on march 18, 1937. Hudson had missed school that day because she couldnt. Dec 11, 2019 tragic deaths school explodes in new london, texas almost 300 students were killed when a rural school in new london, texas, exploded from a gas leak, thursday, march 18, 1937.
Survivors recount the horror of the worlds worst disaster involving children. Two ships exploded in texas city on april 16, 1947, killing 576 people and injuring 3,500. On march 18, 1937, the combined juniorsenior high school in the small east texas town of new london exploded without warning, killing nearly half of the. A gas explosion in dallas last month killed a 12year old girl and brought new attention to an aging infrastructure. A modern facility for grades k11 there was no 12th grade was completed in 1932. When the east texas oilfield came in a few miles west of town, everything changed. New london explosion i have looked at your coverage of the explosion at the new london school and you have done a good job covering it. In march 1937 a gas leak in the basement of the 1,200student consolidated school in new london caused a massive explosion that killed almost 300. Directly in the center the twostory auditorium section formed another wing extending east 115 ft. Before the day would end march 18, 1937, the callow youth would see. New london school explosion on march 18, 1937, a massive explosion destroyed the new london juniorsenior high school, instantly killing an estimated 296 students and teachers. As of 2017, the event is the third deadliest disaster in the history of texas, after the 1900 galveston hurricane and the 1947. Seventyfive years ago today, some 300 people, mostly junior and highschool students and their teachers, died horribly in the tiny east texas oilfield town of. However, the wealth and the beautiful and modern school building could not withstand a gas explosion that occurred on this day in 1937.
Johnsons play, a texas tragedy a play about the new london school explosion. The third is the new london school explosion that occurred 80 years ago in 1937. See more ideas about new london, texas city explosion and london. In those days, new london was at the center of the texas oil boom. The disaster killed in excess of 295 students and teachers, making it the worst catastrophe to. Perez takes the facts of the 1937 new london school explosionthe worst. New london school explosion still echoes across east texas.
Seventyfive years after the new london, texas, school explosion instantaneously ended life for three hundred students, haunted memories of all who knew them, and hushed a communitys discussion of an unspeakable event, the detailed story is now told. On march 18, 1937, the residents of new london, southeast of tyler, endured the worst smalltown tragedy in u. The new london school explosion on march 18, 1937, nearly wiped out an entire generation of a small east texas community. In memory new london texas school explosion trike talk.
The disaster killed more than 295 students and teachers. It was in a small town in texas in march 1937, when a chool full of children went to heaven. New london, tx school disaster museum home facebook. The new london school explosion should never be forgotten. On march 18 students prepared for the next days interscholastic meet in. The disaster scene at new london, march 18, 1937 the caption on the back of this photo reads, scenes from new london school explosion over 300 children lost their lives. The campus encompassed busy oil derricks and pipelines, and included an elementary school, a juniorsenior high school, a gymnasium and the firstinthearea lighted stadium for. East texas has had more than its share of disasters the galveston hurricane of 1900 and the industrial explosions in texas city in 1946 are examples but the day the school house in new london blew up has a singular pathos because so many of its victims were. The daisy children, a novel, explores familial tragedy of new. Jul 24, 2007 an elementary school in texas explodes in 1937, killing hundreds of children and teachers. Block 2002 in addition to the horrific losses that its servicemen endured during world war ii, east texas also suffered 2 natural disasters within the world war decade. Apr 06, 2012 in those days, new london was at the center of the texas oil boom.
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