New London, Texas

History

On March 18, 1937, the London School Explosion killed 270 children and 24 adults. As a result of the disaster, Texas passed laws requiring natural gas to be mixed with a malodorant to provide early warning of any leak. Other states quickly followed. Eventually, malodorant in natural gas became a legal requirement in the United States.

Holt Stadium in London, Texas

In 1953, the unincorporated community of London, Texas, was home to a notably modern Little League stadium known as Holt Stadium. While a slight possibility exists that this could refer to a different, obscure ghost town, the majority of historical evidence confirms that this 'London' was the community officially known since 1931 as New London. The venue was constructed at a cost reported to be "in excess of 30,000"( in dollars), seated approximately 700 spectators, and was described at the time as "the latest thing in Little League parks," highlighting its advanced features and substantial scale for such a small community.

The construction of Holt Stadium reflected both the popularity of youth baseball in East Texas and the economic influence of the region’s oil industry. As a major community investment, it served not only as a sports venue but also as a symbol of local pride. Over time, however, the story of this unusually high-cost Little League facility in rural Texas has faded from public memory.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.6 sqmi, of which 8.6 sqmi is land and 0.12% is water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1181 people, 459 households, and 371 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2000, there were 987 people, 352 households, and 268 families residing in the city. The population density was 114.3 PD/sqmi. There were 388 housing units at an average density of 44.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.59% White, 4.86% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 2.33% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.86% of the population.

There were 352 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,984, and the median income for a family was $36,979. Males had a median income of $27,981 versus $15,313 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,009. About 13.5% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Most of the city of New London is served by the West Rusk Independent School District. A very small portion of the city is within the Overton ISD.

Areas in West Rusk ISD and Overton ISD are in the service area of Kilgore Junior College.

In culture

The 2015 historical novel Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez depicts 1930s New London.

Notable person

• Sandy Duncan (born 1946), American actress, comedian, dancer and singer

References

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
3. {{GNIS. 2411233
4. "294 killed in New London, Texas school explosion, 80 years ago". Houston Chronicle.
5. (1953). "Oil Belt Little League celebration at Holt Stadium". Kilgore News Herald.
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
7. "Explore Census Data".
8. https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific. (August 2022)
9. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin".
10. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Rusk County, TX". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
11. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.194. Sec. 130.184. KILGORE JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]
12. "[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ashley-hope-perez/out-of-darkness-perez/ OUT OF DARKNESS]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20150906195148/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ashley-hope-perez/out-of-darkness-perez/ Archive]). ''[[Kirkus Reviews]]''. June 1, 2015. Review posted online May 6, 2015. Retrieved on November 8, 2015.