Welcome To KEY TO THE CITY's Page For
New London
Rusk County, Texas
ZipCodes
75682
Page Contents for New London, Texas
History & History-related items
Statistics & Facts
The Texas state capital is Austin.
The population of New London is approximately 926 (1990), 998 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 391 (1990), 368 (2010).
The amount of land area in New London is 23.016 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0.034 sq kilometers.
The distance from New London to Washington DC is 1140 miles.
The distance to the Texas state capital is 216 miles. (as the crow flies)
New London is positioned 32.26 degrees north of the equator and 94.93 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Location
on State Highway 42 twelve miles south of Kilgore and 122 miles southeast of DallasReturn to Index
History & History Related Items
The first post office, of this mainly agricultural area at that time, was started in 1855. It was open here until about 1876. In 1877, a school was built and named West Rusk. The community continued along much the same for many years until 1930 when a change occurred. Columbus M. Joiner drilled his first oil well a few miles from town. The town changed dramatically becoming an oil boomtown almost over night. The residents opened another post office here in 1931 but found the name of London was already taken in Kimble County, so they changed the name to New London. The oil industry remained strong for several decades, but during the 1950's, things began to change. The oilfields began to decline and well drilling was replaced more by pipelines and pumps. Many of the oil field workers decided to stay in the area and in 1963, New London incorporated.
In 1937 a huge and disastrous school explosion occurred, the worst ever in the country. Read about it on our historical events page for New London.
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Attractions
London Museum
690 Main St
New London, TX 75682
Phone: 903-895-4602
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New London City Government
New London City Hall180 Phillips St
New London, TX 75682
Phone: 903-895-4466
New London Historical Events
1937, March 18School Explosion at New London
An excerpt from the above page:
"At the gymnasium, the PTA met. At 3:05 P.M. Lemmie R. Butler, instructor of manual training, turned on a sanding machine in an area which, unknown to him, was filled with a mixture of gas and air. The switch ignited the mixture and carried the flame into a nearly closed space beneath the building, 253 feet long and fifty-six feet wide. Immediately the building seemed to lift in the air and then smashed to the ground. Walls collapsed. The roof fell in and buried its victims in a mass of brick, steel, and concrete debris. The explosion was heard four miles away, and it hurled a two-ton concrete slab 200 feet away, where it crushed a car."
"Of the 500 students and forty teachers in the building, approximately 298 died. Some rescuers, students, and teachers needed psychiatric attention, and only about 130 students escaped serious injury. Those who died received individual caskets, individual graves, and religious services."
New London Schools
London Elementary School
Highway 42
New London, TX 75682
Phone: 903-895-4803
West Rusk High School
Hwy 42 S
New London, TX 75682
Phone: 903-895-4428
West Rusk Superintendent's Office
Highway 42
New London, TX 75682
Phone: 903-895-4503
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