Twenty are injured in mysterious explosion and fire at west plains, mo. On friday, april, 1928, about sixty young people had gathered in the bond dance hall, on the second floor of an east main street. Buy the west plains dance hall explosion by lin waterhouse isbn. West plains dance hall explosion ive been reading a book by lin waterhouse entitled the west plains dance hall explosion. Ill never forget the agonizing shrieks of those trapped by the falling walls. Jul 15, 2018 this lyrical, haunting tale revisits a 1928 explosion at a dance hall in west plains, missouri. West plains was the site of a disaster later remembered in folksong. The west plains dance hall explosion pdf libribook. Albany evening news, new york, april 16, 1928 west plains, missouri bond dance hall explosion this 24 page newspaper has one column headlines on the front page. April the west plains, missouri dance hall explosion occurs.
Read this book and over 1 million others with a kindle unlimited membership. About 60 people had gathered in the bond dance hall, which was on the second floor of a building on east main street. West plains, mo dance hall explosion, apr 1928 gendisasters. She reminded me of the song written and recorded in 2011 by ha ha tonka. Lin waterhouse will talk about the 1928 dance hall explosion that changed west plains forever. Oct 02, 2017 west plains lin waterhouse, author of the west plains dance hall explosion, will speak in the community room of the west plains public library on friday, october at 6 pm. The west plains dance hall explosion and the maids version. Elbert white is 40th victim of dance hall explosion. Historic tragedy, woodrells family converge in new novel. West plains was the site of a disaster remembered in folksong. Loosely based on the reallife west plains dance hall explosion of 1928, it centers on alma degeer dunahew, a maid with three children in fictional west.
I simply copied and pasted the news article so i did not check spelling etc. The song is about the great dance hall explosion of west plains, missouri on friday april th, 1928. Winters bone author daniel woodrell revisits a tragedy. Headlines about a furnace of death followed the april, 1928, west plains dance hall explosion. West plains dance hall explosion missouri and ozarks history. Though it made international news at the time, few recall the tragic 1928 dance hall explosion that changed west plains forever. The author of the book west plains dance hall explosion history press, 2010, she will show a powerpoint presentation with historic photos. West plains lin waterhouse, author of the west plains dance hall explosion, will speak in the community room of the west plains public library on friday, october at 6 pm. The explosion was reported to be felt for miles, even in pomona, which is approximately ten miles from west plains. The west plains dance hall explosion, by lin waterhouse local woman recounts family loss in the west plains dance hall explosion winters bone author revisits a tragedy in his ozarks hometown west plains, mo dance hall explosion, apr 1928. This event made national headlines, and the cause of the great explosion, which snuffed out the brightest and most popular young people in the town, was never discovered. The 1928 explosion that transformed a west plains dance hall into a. Ive been reading a book by lin waterhouse entitled the west plains.
Woodrell explores the disaster and his ozarks roots in his new novel the maids version. The west plains dance hall explosion by lin waterhouse. Her husband is mostly absent, and, in 1929, her scandalous, beloved younger sister is one of the 42 killed in an explosion at the local dance hall. On a rainy friday the thirteenth in 1928, a massive explosion transformed a missouri dance hall into a raging inferno that killed 39 people, sparked international media attention and inspired a popular country song. The west plains dance hall explosion and the maids version daniel woodrell was interviewed on npr this morning about his new book the maids version, a fictionalized story of the 1928 explosion in west plains, missouri friday, april, 1928. Sep 05, 20 for nearly a century, daniel woodrells hometown of west plains, mo. There was a local dance happening at the town hall at the time of the explosion. I really was emotionally invested, she says of the book which tells the story of the april, 1928, explosion in downtown west plains, and delves. The explosion was reported to be felt for miles, even in. Waterhouse to sign new book saturday west plains daily quill.
The 40th death as a result of the dance hall explosion here last friday, occurred early toady when elbert white, 19. The west plains explosion the max hunter folk song. West plains, missouri wikipedia republished wiki 2. Dance hall blast seen deliberate garage man suspected of causing explosion that killed 40 tells of the west plain, missouri bond dance hall explosion disaster. Lins nonfiction thriller the west plains dance hall explosion history press, december 2010, 2012, 20 details the coldcase mystery of the 1928 explosion that transformed a smalltown dance hall into a raging inferno and sparked international media attention. Syracuse herald new york 1928 0414fire follows an explosion causing death.
West plains dance hall explosion by lin waterhouse about. Sam iva haslett, west plains, missouri on june 11, 1958. Missouri author writes about a deadly explosion at a dance hall in the. Ballad of west plains explosion by vernon dahlhart, 1928. Loosely based on the reallife west plains dance hall explosion of 1928, it centers on alma degeer dunahew, a maid with three children in fictional west table, mo. The west plains dance hall explosion the 1928 explosion that transformed a west plains dance hall into a raging inferno sparked feverish national media attention and decades of bitterness in the missouri town it tore apart. Read the west plains dance hall explosion by lin waterhouse available from rakuten kobo. April 1214 the first ever east west transatlantic flight by aeroplane takes. An explosion of gasoline in the garage is generally blamed for the catastrophe. Set in the ozarks, the book is inspired by history and is far less noirtinged than the authors earlier works the outlaw album, 2011, etc. And while the story inspired a popular country song, the firestorm that claimed thirtynine lives remains an unsolved mystery. The 1928 explosion that transformed a west plains dance hall into a raging inferno sparked feverish national. This memorial of the unidentified of the explosion in west plains, missouri on april, 1928.
Still considered west plains greatest tragedy, the explosion was on a friday night, april, 1928. Library officials say waterhouse will talk about the mystery of the 1928 explosion in downtown west plains. Its about a tragedy that occurred in west plains, missouri, on the night of friday, april, 1928, in which 39 people were killed and numerous others injured. West plains dance hall explosion on april, 1928, 15 for reasons still unknown, a violent explosion occurred in downtown west plains. Go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals store coupons. Aug 29, 2007 located at oka lawn aka oak grove cemetery west plains, mo. Author lin waterhouse says that many people who survived or lost loved ones in the west plains dance hall explosion that killed 39 people in 1928 were disinclined to talk about the event in the years that followed. Winters bone author revisits a tragedy in his ozarks hometown. Explosion which wrecked garage over which dance was in progress has not been determined. The west plains dance hall explosion history books. Megan abbotts 6 favorite books based on true crimes. In his latest book, the maids version, woodrell moves into more personal territory with the fictional retelling of a tragedy that hit the town hard back in 1928. The blast awoke sleeping farmers for a radius of three miles, and the leaping flames guided them to the scene of the disaster.
The west plains dance hall explosion disaster area. After writing an anniversary piece about the mysterious 1928 dance hall explosion in west plains, she continued researching the story that piqued her curiosity and offended her sense of historical justice. West plains dance hall explosion by lin waterhouse home. The west plains dance hall explosion lin waterhouse. West plains dance hall explosion by lin waterhouse posts. Forty people were killed and about 19 injured when the halstead block on east main street, east of the west plains bank, was wrecked by a gasoline explosion at about 11 p. Message boards localities north america united states states missouri counties howell anyone know about a dance hall fire message boards search for content in message boards. West plains dance hall explosion by lin waterhouse. The 1928 explosion that transformed a west plains dance hall into a raging. The west plains dance hall explosion by waterhouse, lin. The west plains dance hall explosion would make a wonderful movie. After years of bitter silence, alma has chosen to unburden her story on her grandson, alekthis may be a minor work for this major american writer, but no craftsman. The maids version by daniel woodrell is a small book but reads like a tome, with such literate and beautiful imagery that i was enthralled.
Buy the west plains dance hall explosion book online at. Woodrell, one of our greatest prose writers, drew on his grandmothers recollections and used them. Sep 21, 20 headlines about a furnace of death followed the april, 1928, west plains dance hall explosion. Library officials say waterhouse will talk about the mystery of the 1928 explosion in downtown west plains, and the many lives that were affected by the tragedy. In this first book on the notorious catastrophe, lin waterhouse. Tells of the west plain, missouri bond dance hall explosion disaster. On april, 1928, for reasons still unknown, a violent explosion occurred in downtown west plains. Waterhouse is also known for her nonfiction historical book, the west plains dance hall explosion, published by arcadiahistory press in 2010, the book she says shes most proud of. A explosion and fire broke out at the dance hall downtown west plains on the evening of april th well after the dance began. The west plains dance hall explosion disaster lin waterhouse on. The west plains dance hall explosion by lin waterhouse the. And while the story inspired a popular country song, the firestorm that claimed thirtynine lives remains. Many victims blown considerable distance from hall.
And while the story inspired a popular country song, the firestorm. Jan 16, 2011 ive been reading a book by lin waterhouse entitled the west plains dance hall explosion. Nothing of great importance ever happened there, except in april 1928, when a dance hall explosion killed over thirty people. The 40th death as a result of the dance hall explosion here last friday, occurred early toady when elbert white, 19, doniphan, died of injuries. About 60 people had gathered in the bond dance hall. On the night of april, 1928, a large group of mostly young people from. Alma degeer dunahew, the mother of three young boys, works as the maid for a prominent citizen and his family in west table, missouri. West plains dance hall explosion howell county mogenweb. In this first book on the notorious catastrophe, lin waterhouse presents a clear. The 1928 explosion that transformed a west plains dance hall into a raging inferno sparked feverish national media attention and decades of bitterness in. Daniel woodrells novel winters bone a dark family saga set in the ozarks. Local author to discuss book, dance hall explosion at west.
Thirtysix are known to be dead and 18 injured in explosion at west plains, mo. The 1928 explosion that transformed a west plains dance hall into a raging inferno sparked feverish national media attention and decades of bitterness in the missouri town it tore apart. Oct 22, 2012 the west plains dance hall explosion by lin waterhouse the 1928 explosion that transformed a mixssouri dance hall into a raging inferno sparked feverish national media attention and decades of bitterness in the small ozark community. West plains explosion library talk event west plains. Mary ruth sparks asked me about the old song written about the west plains dance hall explosion. September 5, 20 for nearly a century, daniel woodrells hometown of west plains, mo.
The book centers around the mystery of the explosion at arbor dance hall in 1929. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The 1928 explosion that transformed a west plains dance hall into a raging inferno sparked feverish national media attention and decades of. The 1928 explosion that transformed a west plains missouri dance hall into a raging inferno sparked feverish national media attention and decades of bitternes.
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