What do you think?
Rate this book
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. And while the story inspired a popular country song, the firestorm that claimed thirty-nine lives remains an unsolved mystery. In this first book on the notorious catastrophe, Lin Waterhouse presents a clear account of the event and its aftermath that judiciously weighs conflicting testimony and deeply respects the personal anguish experienced by parents forced to identify their children by their clothing and personal trinkets.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
160 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2010
65 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Lin Waterhouse
5 books2 followers Lin Waterhouse is a freelance journalist and fiction author who searches out the historical curiosities of the Missouri Ozarks region and explores the unique culture of the beautiful hills and "hollers" of the area. In addition to her books, she writes for local and regional magazines and newspapers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 28, 2016
A terrific yet heartwrenching read about such a horrible tragedy. This book was well researched and the victims and survivors brought back to life. The only thing I disliked was the author putting her sources for the information in each chapter at the end of each chapter. It's helpful and shows where she got her information from but it disrupts the flow of the story.
The author also discusses the consequences of the explosion and mentions the five stages of grief. She says if the cycle is not completed the griever can experience intense pain for extended periods of time even a life time. Sorry for this rant but the five stages are incorrect and flawed. Grief does not fit perfectly on a straight path and all the things listed as the stages changes from person to person. Also grief does not end and it will remain a numbing and sometimes intense pain for the rest of your life no matter what emotions you experience.
The author also discusses the consequences of the explosion and mentions the five stages of grief. She says if the cycle is not completed the griever can experience intense pain for extended periods of time even a life time. Sorry for this rant but the five stages are incorrect and flawed. Grief does not fit perfectly on a straight path and all the things listed as the stages changes from person to person. Also grief does not end and it will remain a numbing and sometimes intense pain for the rest of your life no matter what emotions you experience.
April 19, 2021
Very well researched, well told
In 1928, in a cultural oasis in the remote Missouri Ozarks, a devastating explosion killed 39 of the town’s best and brightest, their future leaders. This is the story of those young people, of the events surrounding the disaster, and of what may have brought about the explosion.
This will be of interest especially to those in the Ozarks and those who are fascinated by the area. I would also recommend the fiction novels by the author for those drawn to the Ozark culture.
In 1928, in a cultural oasis in the remote Missouri Ozarks, a devastating explosion killed 39 of the town’s best and brightest, their future leaders. This is the story of those young people, of the events surrounding the disaster, and of what may have brought about the explosion.
This will be of interest especially to those in the Ozarks and those who are fascinated by the area. I would also recommend the fiction novels by the author for those drawn to the Ozark culture.
December 3, 2018
The prose is sporadic and jerky, but raw content can do marvelous things to a Goodreads rating . . .
Being from West Plains, the "Dance Hall Explosion" has always been a lingering piece of lore for me. I've been to the mass grave numerous times. My father owned a building on the square for many years, and I know the area well. So I've collected bits and pieces of what happened here and there, but it's nice to see it here all in one place, as awkwardly written as it is.
(It sort of feels like every author who newly settles in West Plains has to write about the explosion and earn that metaphorical badge, you know? Like as a rite of passage.)
Anyway, the story of the dance hall explosion is legendary in and of itself. It doesn't need embellishments or conjectures or contemporaneous takes. I love it for the horrible mystery that it is, for it embodies the tenuousness of human life—of any kind of life. And it hits me close to home and it is devastating indeed. I am lucky to be who/when/where I am.
Recommended for people who don't mind navigating through iffy writing to get to the good stuff.
Being from West Plains, the "Dance Hall Explosion" has always been a lingering piece of lore for me. I've been to the mass grave numerous times. My father owned a building on the square for many years, and I know the area well. So I've collected bits and pieces of what happened here and there, but it's nice to see it here all in one place, as awkwardly written as it is.
(It sort of feels like every author who newly settles in West Plains has to write about the explosion and earn that metaphorical badge, you know? Like as a rite of passage.)
Anyway, the story of the dance hall explosion is legendary in and of itself. It doesn't need embellishments or conjectures or contemporaneous takes. I love it for the horrible mystery that it is, for it embodies the tenuousness of human life—of any kind of life. And it hits me close to home and it is devastating indeed. I am lucky to be who/when/where I am.
Recommended for people who don't mind navigating through iffy writing to get to the good stuff.
November 29, 2018
An interesting event, but oddly written book. A lot of it just seems padded out—unnecessary historical digressions read like someone’s trying to meet their word count. A lot of the stories get told chapter after chapter too, im guessing because there just isn’t that much source material to draw from. I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of who was who and what their story and connection was.
The citation style is also weird.
Anywho, some super cool antidotes make it worth the unorthodox presentation.
The citation style is also weird.
Anywho, some super cool antidotes make it worth the unorthodox presentation.
May 17, 2025
Very Good Historical Record of A Terrible Tragedy
This is a good book that teaches some history and provides some cautionary tales for future generations. The storage of flammable materials, the vice of drinking and dancing, and the history of the past are not to be forgotten or taken lightly.
This is a good book that teaches some history and provides some cautionary tales for future generations. The storage of flammable materials, the vice of drinking and dancing, and the history of the past are not to be forgotten or taken lightly.
March 3, 2026
Wow! Such a great read about a tragic event in our local town. Where the garage/dance hall was is still a parking lot and the bank still remains open and on the corner.
Great little piece of history.
Great little piece of history.
September 19, 2024
I had never heard about this tragedy until I read a novel about it. Such a sad thing for all of those involved. It's an event that should never be forgotten.
May 1, 2025
I really liked this book
It is very sad since it’s true
It is very sad since it’s true
September 29, 2025
Non fiction. Tougher read 4cme
March 7, 2013
http://www.amazon.com/West-Plains-Dan...
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. And while the story inspired a popular country song, the firestorm that claimed thirty-nine lives remains an unsolved mystery. In this first book on the notorious catastrophe, Lin Waterhouse presents a clear account of the event and its aftermath that judiciously weighs conflicting testimony and deeply respects the personal anguish experienced by parents forced to identify their children by their clothing and personal trinkets.
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. And while the story inspired a popular country song, the firestorm that claimed thirty-nine lives remains an unsolved mystery. In this first book on the notorious catastrophe, Lin Waterhouse presents a clear account of the event and its aftermath that judiciously weighs conflicting testimony and deeply respects the personal anguish experienced by parents forced to identify their children by their clothing and personal trinkets.
May 2, 2022
Interesting book on a disaster I hadn't heard of before. The author seems to do a good job of laying out what's known - which, unfortunately, does not include the cause of the explosion. They do offer the theories, both historical and current, of course, but they don't really pick an answer. (Which is probably a good thing, considering it's somewhere between highly unlikely and impossible for us to ever know. Not when the explosion happened in 1928.)
January 5, 2011
Accurate account of an actual disater in West Plains, Missouri. Well researched and photographed. Victims of the explosion came alive in this account.
April 14, 2012
Very accurate documentation of the actual events that happened in my hometown in 1928. To this day, it is not talked about.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews