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LONGVIEW,
TEXASGregg
County Seat, East Texas
Junction of Hwy 80 & Hwy 259
40 miles E of Tyler
125 miles E of Dallas
Population: 73,344 (2000) |
Longview
street scene
TE photo, 2002 |
Excerpted
from "THE EAST TEXAS SUNDAY DRIVE BOOK"
by Bob Bowman
Begin at in downtown
Longview with the excellent Gregg County Historical
Museum at the corner of Fredonia and Bank streets. The museum's exhibits illustrate
the development of Gregg County from the days of the Caddo Indians and will prepare
you for the rest of your Sunday Drive.
Longview itself was carved out
of the pine forests in l870 when railroad engineers surveyed a 50-acre tract deeded
to the Southern Pacific Railroad by O.H. Methvin. From the crest of Capps Hill,
the surveyors, looking into the distance to the south, remarked what a "long view"
there was from the hill. Longview was made the county seat of newly-created Gregg
County in l871.
Leaving the museum, you'll want to spend some time walking
the streets of downtown Longview, where many of the city's oldest buildings
are being preserved as the result of a strong historical movement in the community.
Be sure to see the historical marker to the last raid of the Dalton Gang
at 200 North Fredonia. Here, at the First National Bank, a bloody gunfight resulted
in three deaths when the Dalton
Gang robbed the bank. The
robbery resulted in the ultimate capture of the gang, ending its reign of
crime and violence.
The
Gregg County Courthouse is also in downtown Longview. Here is a statue
to General John Gregg, a general in the Confederate Army.
Other Longview places of
interest include:
- The
Campbell Honeymoon Home,
located at 521 North Second Street. This was the home of Texas Governor Thomas
Mitchell Campbell when he married Fannie Bruner while working as a clerk in the
Gregg County courthouse in l878.
- The
Stagecoach Stop Museum
at 322 Teague, one of the few remaining homes from Earpville, the forerunner of
Longview. The building dates from the early l860s.
- The
Brown-Birdsong home at 104 West Whaley Street. This Victorian home was built
in l879 by an early settler, B.W. Brown, a Methodist lay minister. Brown helped
create Gregg County.
- (Post
Office Mural - The post office has a 1942 "WPA" mural: Texas Farm Scene by
Thomas Stell. - Editor.)
From
Longview, head east on U.S. 80. You'll pass through Hallsville while traveling
a scenic route characterized by meadows, ranches, and turn-of-the-century buildings.
Hallsville dates back to l839 when W.C. Crawford built a fort as protection against
Indians. The town was named for pioneer Elijah Hall in l870 when the railroad
arrived. ... more
Longview
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The
Gregg County Historical Museum:
Located in the
handsome and historic Everett Building at 214 North Fredonia Street. This
was originally the Citizens National Bank. Many exhibits deal with the everyday
life of early residents, and many showcase the various industries that molded
the economy of the region. Included are artifacts from an 1894 bank robbery involving
the Dalton Gang. 10:00 to 4:00 Tuesday through Saturday. Closed on Sunday, Monday,
and major holidays. Admission is $2.00 for adults, $1.00 for students and senior
citizens (65 and older).
Longview
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The Gregg County Historical Museum
The Everett Building in Longview
TE
photo, 2002
More Texas
Museums |
Everett Building historical marker
TE photo |
The K of P Lodge in Longview
TE photo, 2002 |
The K of P Lodge in Longview
TE photo, 2002
More Texas
Lodges |
Longview Event
One of Longview's most popular
events is the mid-July Great Balloon Race.
Longview
Nearby Destinations Brandy
Branch Reservoir - On Brandy Branch Creek in Harrison County, 10 miles east
of Longview
Lake
O' the Pines - 25
miles northeast of Longview
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/lakes/lop/lake_id.htm
Marshall
- Hwy 80 East 23 miles. See:
Longview
and Marshall, East Texas Sunday Drives Marshall
HotelsLongview
Hotels |
A
cast iron building in Longview
TE photo, 2002 |
Cast
iron building detail
TE photo 2002 |
Union
Iron and Foundry Co. St. Louis
Cast iron building detail
TE photo 2002
|
Municipal
Building
TE photo 2002 |
Longview
Tourist Information
The
Longview Convention & Visitor's Bureau
410 N. Center Street. 903-753-3281.
http://www.longviewtx.com/ |
Longview
Texas Forum
About Longview
When I
was five years old, my family moved to Longview from Houston. My dad took a job
as an engineer with R.G. LeTourneau, designing offshore drilling platforms. We
moved into a pink house on Idylwood Drive and lived there until I was ten. The
things that still come to mind about that time in Longview was in the summer,
the streets, which were an oil/tar base were plowed up with huge tractor like
vehicles. The smell of the tar was pervasive for weeks after they did that. As
a young boy, I went barefoot in the summer and walking on the streets in Longview
caused the bottoms of my feet to become black, like the tarred streets....
more - Mike Campbell, Hong Kong,
December 01, 2006
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