| |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
7/12/2005 Me and my family visited your museum
on Monday July the 11, 2005. We very much
enjoyed the museum and felt the sorrow the town
felt. My daughter is going into the 6th grade
next year and she is going to participate in the
history fair in her school, she has chosen to do
her project on the explosion of the New London
School. We came to the museum just for the
purpose of her to research and get information
to help her in preparing for the project. John
(the tour guide) was very helpful to her. She
researched the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 last
year and received first place at school and
second place in county. She was overjoyed to
come home and share the information she received
and learned with her big brothers and her
cousin. She remembered the stories that John had
shared with us. This will be something she
enjoys learning about and something she will
never forget. If there is anything that you may
think of that might help her with her project
please e-mail me and let me know it would be
greatly appreciated. Once again thank-you for
sharing and thank-you to the survivors for
allowing my family to learn about what happened.
July 12, 2005
John & Shannon McIntosh
jsmc@marshalltx.com
Ed note: Many thanks for the kind words, but the
museum is not "mine" but a separate entity from
NLSE.ORG |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My grandfather, W. Ray Spears was a
pharmaceutical sales rep who was in the New
London area at the time of the explosion. He was
there. He arranged for medicines to be sent to
the hospitals directly from the drug companies.
I heard that people who were taking buses were
given the packages to hand carry. I have a
picture he took of the scene--it was a number
written on the blackboard. The photo may have
been used by the pharmaceutical company in a
brochure. I'm in the process of packing to move
and will keep an eye out for these things. We
often wondered why there was no museum or
memorial to those who died.
May 31, 2005
Pam Bell Morris, Ph.D. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
My father, David Neil Wakeman, was a roughneck
driving a wench truck when the explosion
happened. He was a couple of blocks away and was
one of the first to arrive. He stayed there
helping to dig bodies out until all of the
bodies were recovered. My mom and uncle told me
the story about it. My father died in 1950 in an
oilfield accident.
March 2005
Dave Wakeman |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Even though my mother's family has lived in east
Texas for many generations, I had heard very
little about this disaster until December of
last year, when my mother got a book about Texas
cemeteries from the library. There was a whole
chapter dedicated to the Pleasant Hill Cemetery
in Rusk County, and the disaster that occurred in
New London. I wanted to know more about it, and
came upon this site.
My grandmother was in 10th grade at the high
school in Elkhart, Texas (in Anderson County) at
the time. The Goff and Womack who died may have
been distant relatives of hers. Another victim,
Glendell Sutherlin, who was about the same age
as one of my great-aunts, lived near them for
a while. I don't know if they knew each other. I
don't recall Grandma ever talking about the
disaster. The only memory my mother has of
someone mentioning it was when she was a little
girl, sometime in the 1960s or '70s. My
grandfather, who was a plumber, had to fix some
gas pipes in a school near Tyler, Texas. Mom
remembers that everyone seemed to be very
nervous about the leaking gas, and Mom didn't
know why until someone told her that many years
ago, a school had exploded due to a gas leak. I
wish I could ask Grandma about it, but she is 84
and currently living at a nursing home in
Palestine, Texas, and lost her ability to speak
months ago.
I cry every time I look over the list of those
who died, thinking of all those youngsters whose
lives were cut short in such a tragic manner.
Next time my family goes to that area to visit
relatives, I am definitely stopping by the
museum and the monument. Those poor children,
teachers and others may be gone, but they will
never be forgotten.
March 2005
Christie Marie Shepherd |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
This picture is a Courtesy of Darlene Lummus! It
was taken approx 1937 or 1938. Top row 3rd from
left wearing a sweater and looking as if she
would rather be somewhere else is Darlene's
Mother "Mildred Josephine Wyatt" and her school
chums called her "Mickey". Also in the picture
Top row, 6th from the left is "Joe Graham King".
He was a taxi driver for many years in
Henderson. Later he became the Police Chief of
Henderson, Texas. Charlice is my best friend,
and Joe King was her father and he passed away
in or about 1992 or 1993.
November 2004
Darlene Lummus |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Even though my mother's family has lived in east
Texas for many generations, I had heard very
little about this disaster until December of
last year, when my mother got a book about Texas
cemeteries from the library. There was a whole
chapter dedicated to the Pleasant Hill Cemetery
in Rusk County, and the disaster that occurred in
New London. I wanted to know more about it, and
came upon this site.
My grandmother was in 10th grade at the high
school in Elkhart, Texas (in Anderson County) at
the time. The Goff and Womack who died may have
been distant relatives of hers. Another victim,
Glendell Sutherlin, who was about the same age
as one of my great-aunts, lived near them for
awhile. I don't know if they knew each other. I
don't recall Grandma ever talking about the
disaster. The only memory my mother has of
someone mentioning it was when she was a little
girl, sometime in the 1960s or '70s. My
grandfather, who was a plumber, had to fix some
gas pipes in a school near Tyler, Texas. Mom
remembers that everyone seemed to be very
nervous about the leaking gas, and Mom didn't
know why until someone told her that many years
ago, a school had exploded due to a gas leak. I
wish I could ask Grandma about it, but she is 84
and currently living at a nursing home in
Palestine, Texas, and lost her ability to speak
months ago.
I cry every time I look over the list of those
who died, thinking of all those youngsters whose
lives were cut short in such a tragic manner.
Next time my family goes to that area to visit
relatives, I am definitely stopping by the
museum and the monument. Those poor children,
teachers and others may be gone, but they will
never be forgotten.
March 2005
Christie Marie Shepherd |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My grandmother was a survivor of the explosion.
Her name was Margaret Nelson. Her Step Mother
Johnnie Marie Nelson was one of the Teachers
killed in the explosion. She told stories of the
horrible experience, I remember her telling me
that the beautiful, very popular girl who
climbed out of the second or third story window
in front of her and fell through the window
below. My grandmother talked about having to
climb over the girl to escape.
This web site is a wonderful tribute. Thank you
so much for your dedication.
October 2004
Karie Martin |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Have just been extensively reading your website
on the New London explosion. You all have done a
great job on the site!
My family connections to the New London
explosion are thru Mrs. J. D. (Johnnie) Nelson,
an elementary school teacher, and Anna Ray
Purcell, who's brother Tom Purcell was guardian.
I believe Anna was in the 8th grade at the time
of the explosion. Tom Purcell was Johnnie
Nelson's father. I have genealogy information on
that family and would love to share with anyone
interested.
August 2004
Geneva Cole
genevacole@earthlink.net |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
I was raised in Leesville, La. As a child and
adult I would visit our family cemetery. At the
gate I always stop at a grave by the gate and
look at the headstone of a young child. His name
was Walter Thompson and it told that he was
killed in the New London school explosion. I now
live near New London and decided to look it up
on the internet. I had no ideal of the magnitude
of this explosion and how many children and
teachers lost their lives. I tried talking about
it to my friends around here and they didn't
know anything about it. It truly has affected me
and makes me realize that you should kiss your
children every day and tell them you love them.
I couldn't imagine the grief the community went
through. I want to donate something to the
museum as soon as I can. We mustn't let these
children be forgotten.
August 2004
Name Withheld |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Maybe someone remembers my Mother?
My mother attended the school and she told me
that was the only day of school she missed, as
her mother was a strict displinarian when it
came to education. I thank the Lord for that one
day of absenteeism of my mother's. Mother was
born in 1923, so I figured her to be either in
the 5th or 6th grade at the time of explosion.
Her name was " Mildred Josephine Wyatt ". I do
know that Mother said the children called her
Mickey, as her first name was Mildred. Thank you
again for all the research and the dedication
you have devoted to this tragedy. It still
brings tears to my eyes when I visit New London
or to the cemetery where all the children were
buried. If anyone remembers my mother, Please
let me know at the E-Mail below.
TejasGal1957@aol.com
July 2004
Darlene |
|
| |
|
|
| |
About the New London school tragedy. I was born
in 1926 near Waco and well remember it. We went
to a neighbors who had a radio and listened to
the sad news. I am glad you cleared up some
things. I thought it was the steam heat boiler
had burned dry causing the explosion. Years
later I lived in Killeen and became friends with
a lady, her sister, dad and her husband and when
they told me they were from New London I asked
about it and she was at home sick and her
husband to be had a paper route and had left
school early. Her dad talked about being part of
the rescue crowd and he had lost two children.
It
was a very emotional thing for us all even
though I
was a child but remember it well. Thanks for
posting the story. I am 78 and was sitting here
thinking about it and came to the computer and
found your story.
Thanks,
July 2004
Marie Rush |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My Great aunt was May Braswell. She was married
to Edwin Solon Holt; They leased the land the
school sits on. Infact, their home place sits
next door. Renee (Ed's son) resides there now.
It was truly, a dark time in Rusk County's
history. May's younger sister "Myrtle Braswell ( Mert )" was a teacher at New London. At the time
of the explosion, she was in an unattached
building. Her student's were putting on a play
for their parents. Mert took it very hard, from
what I've been told.
July 2004
Jason E. Braswell |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Sirs, I know very little of the tragedy and can
contribute but a small second-hand childhood
remembrance from the 1960s.I recollect my choir
teacher named Mrs. Marlow telling us children in
class at Gladewater, Texas about the explosion
and aftermath. She was somehow connected to the
Red Cross and stated she and others were rushed
to the site on hearing of the tragic event. She
remembered the rows and rows of small bodies and
the family members frantically searching for
their loved ones. My folks drove us to the site
of the school when I was a lad (1963) and it was
a haunting experience. So very sad...
June 27, 2004
R.D.Morgan |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Just a short note to let you know what a
wonderful project your website is!
My Dad, DC Rogers, related his personal story of
how he and my Mother's Father,
W.H Ferguson were
cutting firewood in the Good Hope Community off
of Hwy 64 about a mile east of the Gaston School
Campus when they heard the explosion. Not
knowing what it was they continued their chore.
Someone came along and told the horrible news
and they left for New London to help in any way
possible. Needless to say the devastation was
unspeakful as they worked nonstop for the day or
so.
My Grandmother, Werda Lloyd Rogers, told me of
Pickup trucks being used for herses passing her
house on Hwy 323. Most of our family is buried
in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery and I have looked
at the photos of the forever childen attached to
their tombstones over the years - now sadly
disappearing.
Best Regards and Thank You!
May 29, 2004
Kenneth(Ken) Rogers |
|
| |
|
|
| |
My granddad Phil Snyder also went to school in
New London. He had skipped school that day. He
went back to help in the rescue efforts and then
helped to dig the graves for the children
killed. He died in 1986 and is buried at
Pleasant Hill Cemetery east of New London. If
anyone wants to talk or share pictures please
e-mail me. Thank you very much.
Unknown date
Cindy Rives
cinisajoy@prodigy.net |
|
| |
|
|
| |
I first learned of this tragedy as a 7th grader
at Cushing Jr. High. Our math teacher, Joe Dan
Satterwhite, told us about it, describing in
some graphic detail the events of that day. How
he was connected with the school explosion, I
cannot remember, but he must have been there to
assist in the recovery and cleanup of the site.
You have done a wonderful job with this website
to memorialize those children, teachers and
others who lost their lives that sad day in
March 1938. May their souls find sweet peace.
May 1st 2004
Marsha Rawlinson Perkins
Cushing, Texas |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
