Mass grave, unidentified victims and more questions than answers in a tragic explosion that occurred on Main Street in West Plains Missouri.
On April 13, 1928 shortly after 11pm a large explosion leveled 3 buildings including the Bond Dance Hall.
The Bond Dance Hall, a popular local venue, was alive with anticipation on the night of April 13th with a reported fifty attendees in the dance hall which was located on the second floor of a brick building on East Main Street.
The Bond Dance Hall was situated on the second floor above the Wiser Motor Co. garage, which housed used cars and highly flammable materials, which in theory could have set the stage for disaster.
April 13th, the evening carried on like any other, the band playing tunes of the era and couples dancing.
The band, which normally took a break at 11pm decided to extend their set, and chose the song “At Sundown” for their final number before intermission.
At approximately 11:05 p.m., the Bond Dance Hall exploded with an immense force which erupted from the Wiser Motor Co. garage located directly beneath the dance hall without warning.
The explosion’s impact was so catastrophic, the force was powerful enough to obliterate three brick buildings, including the dance hall, reducing them to rubble. The explosion was felt for miles, building along Court Square had most of the windows blown out.
The Bond Dance Hall was engulfed in flames and smoke. Injured survivors emerged injured and confused from the ruins, while others were trapped under debris, calling out for help.
Community members rushed to the scene to assist the victims.
Thirty-seven people were initially reported dead, most were young attendees of the dance. The death toll would later rise to 39. The severity of the explosion caused over half of the deceased who perished were beyond recognition.
The cause of the explosion remains a mystery to this day, compounded by the complexity of the scene and the horrific extent of destruction.
Much speculation centers around the garage’s contents, including flammable chemicals such as gasoline which could have created a volatile environment prone to ignition.
Despite numerous extensive investigations and theories, investigators never determined a definitive cause, leaving both a tragedy and a mystery .
Funeral services were held in every church in town for both known and unknown victims culminating in a massive funeral attended by an estimated 7,000 people.
In the Oak Lawn Cemetery there is a massive monument surrounded by 20 blank stones which memorializes 20 of the victims. 19 of those victims were unidentified with the 20th victim in the grave being an identified victim whose family ask that she be buried with her husband, one of the 19 unidentified.
The Identified Deceased:
- Mary Katherine “Kitty” McFarland – 31
- Robert G. Martin – 54
- Mrs. R.G. Martin
- Elbert White – 19
- Paul Evans, Jr. – 23
- Charles Fisher – 20
- Major Bob Mullins – 34
- J.W. Wiser – 46
- John Bates – 20
- Naomi Reeves Mullins – 19
- Charles Merk – 17
- Jullius C. Jeffrey
- Carl Jackson – 19
- Soula “Dimple” Martin – 21
- Lev Reed – 26
- Hazel Slusser – 23,
- Ben Jolly – 68
- Clinton Clemmons – 23
- Mabel Daum Riley – 25
The Unidentified Deceased:
- Miss Mary Adair – 17
- Miss Frances Drago – 22
- Susan Rogers – 19
- Robert Murphy – 30
- Nellie Murphy – 24
- Miss Ruth Fisher – 18
- Marvin Hill – 19
- Evelyn Conkin – 20
- Esco Riley – 27
- Newton Riley – 20
- Miss Icy Risner – 23
- Boyd Garner – 21
- Carson McLelland – 25
- Chester Holstein – 22
- Miss Beatrice Barker – 17
- Miss Juanita Laws – 27
- Miss Ruby Hodkinson – 22
- James Loven – 22
- Hugh Sams – 19
The Injured:
- H.C. (Lum) Allen
- Dail Allen
- Garrett McBride
- Mrs. Garnett McBride –
- Carl Mullins
- Boyd Gray
- Mo Ashley
- William Fitchett
- Mrs. William Fitchett
- Glenn Moore
- E.D. White – 17
- David S. White
- Fred Archer
- Charles Unger
- Charles Stockdall
- Ralph Langston, Jr.
- Ernestine Cunningham
- Lewis Acuff
- Guy Wilson
- John Riley
- Elton White
- Roy Crain
Deceased after fire: - Elbert White – 19
Copy of the April 1928 West Plains Daily Quill included.
