The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-03-25
Stricken School
Was u. S. Richest
Located in the Heart of East
Texas Oil Fields.

henderson,, lex lie LuiluOii
Consolidated school, wrecked in
the horrible explosion which
blotted out the lives of hum
dreds of children instantly, is
believed to have been the finest
rural school of its type in the
United States. In the heart of
the East Texas oil fields, it is
located in one of the Wealthiest
sections of the world.
The blast itself is believed to have
been caused by explosion of natural
gas from the seven oil wells on the
school campus.
The school district encompasses
some thirty square miles with an
assessed valuation of l6 million dol
lars. The community sprang up al
most over night following the dis
covery OF one of the most productive
oil fields known.
Quickly Paid For.
With "black gold flowing from
its own wells, the school plant had
no difficulty in raising the several
hundred thousand dollars spent in
its construction. It is not only debt
free but its original value has null
tiplied many times.
In 1881, when wealth gushed out
OF the ground for the communities
of London and New London. the
| schools serving the two villages
we're merged and the present dis
trict set up.
The school lies midway between
the two communities.
The site of the disaster scene can
readily be located by drawing line
from Tyler, a city of $4,000, largest
in the district, to Henderson.
$500 in Eight Grades.
The wrecked school had an en-
| rollment of 800 students, from the
| fifth grade to the third year OF high
school.
The building had been constructed
In units, the first OF which was built
in 1884 The completed structure
contained 30 classrooms and an au-
! ditorium large enough to accommo-
date half OF the total enrolment.
| Equipped to teach stenography
music, manual training, and sew
ing, as well as academic subjects
1t was the proud boast OF the com
munity that its institution was a.
fine as could be found in any rura
section of the country.
At one side of the main building
stood the gymnasium, and at thu
other stood a grade school for chill
dren from the kindergarten to tn,
fifth grade. The home Of the super
itendent also stood on the schoo
grounds.
All Are Fircproof.
All of the buildings we're OF fire
proof construction and ample size
The grade, or grammar school, wa
a two story brick building about 10
by IFS feet.
The main building had two stor,
unit in the center, about so feet wild
and go feet deep, which housed tn
auditorium and various laboratc
ries, and wings on either side
These wings, each 80 feet deep an
SIS feet long, gave the building
frontage OF 100 feet.
From high window of the schot
one could look out across a plai
, dotted almost solidly as far as tn
eye could reach by oil derrick.
Thousands of these rear their smu
, covered skeletons from SO to 100 fes
In the air.
Smooth Dirt Roads.
: Broad dirt roads, Of the sort liste
on road maps as first class G grad
I are the main highways here. The
I are almost as smooth as glass, ar
/ at this time OF the year are DIR
bitches are three feet deep on eat
side and the shoulders, in son
!. cases, are edged with asphalt !
= gravel.
: Under the scorching sun tn
: beats down with sitting force nh
: months out of the year, the hous
: and other wooden structures a
: like finder boxes, dry as dust al
ready to burst into flames at t
), slightest spark.
: Practically no building is mo
: than two stories high. Many of I
. office buildings, stores, and ev
the banks in the villages are or
4 one-story affairs,
: Despite the dirt roads and ba
earth, nearly everyone in the scht
!. district is well-off financially |
II cause OF the oil.
[e The people ride in expensive ca
r for the most part. to their emit
II tainment in Dallas, Houston, F,
Worth. and Shreveport.