New London is a city in Rusk County, Texas, United States. The population was 1181 at the 2020 census.

thumb|United States Post Office in New London, Texas

New London was originally known as just "London", but because Kimble County had already established a US Post Office station named London, 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.

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, New London had a population of 958 and a median age of 41.8 years.

22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.0% were 65 years of age or older; for every 100 females there were 89.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.6 males age 18 and over.

There were 340 households in New London, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 57.1% were married-couple households, 15.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

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| White || 719 || 75.1%

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| Black or African American || 82 || 8.6%

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| American Indian and Alaska Native || 4 || 0.4%

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| Asian || 7 || 0.7%

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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 1 || 0.1%

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| Some other race || 65 || 6.8%

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| Two or more races || 80 || 8.4%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 116 || 12.1%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

Areas in West Rusk ISD and Overton ISD are in the service area of Kilgore Junior College.

In culture

The 2015 historical novel Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez depicts 1930s New London.

Notable person

  • Sandy Duncan (born 1946), American actress, comedian, dancer and singer

References

  • New London's West Rusk Schools homepage
  • Texas Bob's New London, Texas webpage
  • The London Museum of New London, TX webpage
  • Pictorial history of New London, Texas