New London, Texas

“The Day a Generation Died” was the phrase used to describe the horrific impact of the 1937 school explosion that killed 311 local students and teachers. Within weeks after the tragedy, sparked by an undetected natural gas leak, survivors testified before the state legislature and succeeded in getting a law passed requiring odor be added to natural gas. The New London Museum tells the poignant story in photographs, oral histories, and memorabilia that includes a sympathy telegram from Adolph Hitler. The museum lies behind the drugstore where survivors met for reunions. Between the museum and the rebuilt school is a landmark cenotaph, or empty tomb, bearing the names of victims.