New London is a city in
Rusk County,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, United States. The population was 1,181 at the
2020 census.
New London was originally known as just "London", but because
Kimble County had already established a
US Post Office station named
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, the town changed its name to "New London" in 1931.
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 United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which 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
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 987 people, 352 households, and 268 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 388 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.59%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 4.86%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.10%
Native American, 0.10%
Asian, 2.33% from
other races, and 1.01% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
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
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
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
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $16,009. About 13.5% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, 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.
Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.194. Sec. 130.184. KILGORE JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
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In culture
The 2015 historical novel '' Out of Darkness'' by Ashley Hope Pérez depicts 1930s New London.[OUT OF DARKNESS]
Archive
. ''Kirkus Reviews
''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...
''. June 1, 2015. Review posted online May 6, 2015. Retrieved on November 8, 2015.
Notable person
* Sandy Duncan (born 1946), American actress, comedian, dancer and singer
References
External links
*
*
New London's West Rusk Schools homepage
The London Museum of New London, TX webpage
{{Authority control
Cities in Texas
Cities in Rusk County, Texas
Longview metropolitan area, Texas