Gregg County History Museum.
Historic downtown Longview
Heritage Plaza.
Longview is a city in
Gregg
and Harrison
Counties in the U.S.
state of Texas
. The
population was 73,344 at the 2000 census, but a 2006 estimate
placed the city's population at 77,793. Most of the city is located
in Gregg County, of which it is the
county
seat; only a small part extends into the western part of
neighboring Harrison County. It is situated in
East Texas, on the grid of
Interstate 20 and
U.S. Highways
80 and 259, just north of the Sabine
River
. Longview is a commercial hub for the
Longview Metropolitan
Statistical Area
Longview is the principal city of the
Longview Metropolitan
Statistical Area, which is part of the larger MSA made up of
Gregg County, Upshur County and Rusk County. Tyler and Longview are
the major hub cities in the East Texas region.
[23341]
History
The original name of Longview was Earpville until men by the last
names of Methvin and Whaley, to name a few, stood on a hill and
looked out over the town and made the reply, "What a long view,"
hence the name Longview. The historic hill is located where the
Gregg County Prison Annex is today along with the water tower
displaying "Longview" that can be seen from almost anywhere in the
city excluding the Pine Tree and Spring Hill areas. It was formerly
the parking lot of Super 1 Foods, County Market, and Safeway. The
names of the city founders are found all around the downtown
streets. Methvin, Whaley, Magrill, Fredonia, etc.
Geography
Longview is located at (32.509147, -94.753909) . Longview is
surrounded by many smaller cities and towns including: Kilgore,
Gladewater, Gilmer, Ore City, Hallsville, Harleton, Diana, White
Oak, and Lakeport. It is approximately east of the similarly sized
city of Tyler, Texas.
Incorporated areas include Spring Hill, Greggton, Pine Tree,
Judson, and Longview Heights.
NeighborhoodsSouthside, Red Brick, Bivin's
Addition, Garret's Addition, The Front, Bel-Air, Saw Mill Flats,
Northside, Riverside, Ware Acres, High End & Low End, Wildwood,
Huntington Park, Lakeview Estates, etc.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 73,344
people, 28,363 households, and 19,116 families residing in the
city. The
population density was
1,341.8 people per square mile (518.1/km²). There were 30,727
housing units at an average density of 562.1/sq mi
(217.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.10%
White, 22.11%
African American, 0.50%
Native American, 0.83%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 4.92% from
other races, and 1.51%
from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 10.31% of the
population.
There were 28,363 households out of which 33.2% had children under
the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were
married couples living together, 14.5% had a female
householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families.
27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had
someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average
household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age
of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to
64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was
34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every
100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,858, and the
median income for a family was $42,378. Males had a median income
of $33,078 versus $21,400 for females. The
per capita income for the city was
$156,768. About 13.0% of families and 16.0% of the population were
below the
poverty line, including 22.7%
of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local
According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial
Report, the city’s various funds had $75.9 million in Revenues,
$87.7 million in expenditures, $47.6 million in total assets, $9.0
million in total liabilities, and $12.2 million in cash in
investments.
The structure of the management and coordination of city services
is:
| Department |
Director |
| City Manager |
David Willard |
| Director of Finance |
Angela Coen |
| Director of Public Works |
Keith Bonds |
| Director of Human Resources |
Karri Hyko |
| Director of Development Services |
Kevin Cummings |
| Director of Community Services |
Laura Hill |
Climate
Rare snow scene in Longview from Good
Shepherd Medical Ctr.
Winter: Winters are mild. Average snowfall is less
than 2”. There are usually one or two ice storms each winter.
Normal highs are from the 50s-60s. Lows range from 30-40s.
Temperature rarely dips below 20 and occasionally can get as warm
as 80 during the winter months.
Spring: The season brings storms as a transition
from winter to summer. Temperatures range from 60s-80s for the
high, and 40-60s for the low. The date of the last frost is April
4. Severe thunderstorms are common during this season as cold
fronts pass though the area. This is the wettest time of year
Summer: The summertime is hot and humid.
Temperatures slowly climb from the 90s to the 100s going into the
dog days of summer. Lows are in the 70s.
This is the driest and sunniest time of year. Heat index can climb
to around 110.
Fall: It’s marked by the first cold front that
knocks the 100 degree temps down into the 90s. Fall starts in mid
September and lasts until December. Foliage begins to change in
late October. Temps start cooling down and dew points begin to
drop.
Area Events
Great Texas Balloon Race at East Texas
Regional Airport
Longview is home to some notable annual events.
The East Texas Boat, RV and Camping Expo attracts people from
around the region. This event is held the last weekend in January
each year..
E.T. Boat, RV and Camping Expo website
The annual Memorial Day Weekend Motorcycle Rally attract motorcycle
riders and clubs from across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and
Oklahoma. Begun in 2006, the event is adding attractions, exhibits
and attendees each year.
Rally website
AlleyFest is held on the first weekend of June every year. Begun in
1978 as a one day Alley Art show, today AlleyFest includes Alley
Art, Alley Run (10K, 5K and 1Mile runs), Music Fest, Kids Fest and
a Chili Cook off. AlleyFest is a street festival in held in
Longview's historic "One Hundred Acres of Heritage" downtown. It is
a celebration to the arts and heritage of Longview.
AlleyFest
website.
Turnip Green Festival is alternative festival held
the same weekend as Alley Fest in the cities Extened south. The
festival consists of softball games, Concerts, Dances and cooking.
Its held in easton which is across the Sabine river in the City's
Riverside.
The popular Balloon Glow was first
performed in Longview
The
Great Texas Balloon
Race is held each July at the East Texas Regional Airport.
Begun as a celebration for the new Longview Mall in 1978, it has
grown to become a world-class competitive event that attracts the
best hot air balloon pilots in the world. Balloon flights begin the
event on Friday morning with a flight over the City of Longview.
Launch and landing sites change each year as they are always
determined by wind and the weather. Balloon Glows on Friday and
Saturday night entertain crowds with an awesome display of color
and excitement. One of the most popular things to do at the event
is to be able to get up close and watch how balloons are inflated
and operate. It should be noted that the city's previous logo
depicted a hot air balloon. Many of them can still be seen on area
water towers and city vehicles.
The Great
Texas Balloon Race
Transportation
Longview from above.
Airport
East Texas
Regional Airport
( website) offers service to Dallas-Fort
Worth International Airport
via American
Eagle. The airport continues to grow. In 2007 it was
designated a foreign trade zone.
The airport is known by pilots around the region for its large
10,000 ft. long runway, which purportedly allows it to serve
as a backup landing site for U.S. space shuttles.
Public Transportation
The city's public transit system, Longview Transit, runs daily
routes, excluding Sundays and holidays. The fixed routes of
Longview Transit provide transportation to key districts throughout
the city.
City of Longview also operates C.O.L.T. (City of Longview Transit)
which provides transportation to eligible passengers as a demand
response transportation service. This service is provided for those
who are unable to utilize the regular Longview Transit fixed route
service.
Rail Service
Amtrak passenger rail service is available on the
Texas Eagle through a downtown
terminal
. Longview's
Amtrak
rail station is the second busiest in the state of Texas and the
fourth busiest station along the Texas Eagle route.
The Longview Amtrak station is a connection stop where passengers
can connect to the Texas cities of
Nacogdoches
, Houston
and Galveston
, as well as Shreveport
, Louisiana
by motorcoach. Daily trains between
Chicago
, Illinois
and San
Antonio
stop each morning (Chicago-San Antonio) and each
evening (San Antonio-Chicago). Monday, Wednesday and
Friday, the Longview Amtrak station serves
Chicago to Los Angeles
trains. The return train, Los Angeles to Chicago stop in
Longview on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. It serves about
20-50 passengers per day.
A proposal is in the works for a high-speed
rail system from Dallas
/ Ft.
Worth to Shreveport along the I-20 corridor.
Longview is served by two freight railroad lines.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad operates two trains
daily through Longview. The
Union
Pacific Railroad has 25 daily trains through Longview's
facilities.
The
Longview
Economic Development Corporation website provides more details
about the transportation infrastructure including air, rail,
trucking, waterways, and highway information. Many maps are also
available.
[23342]
Roads
One Interstate freeway and two U.S. Highways run through the City
of Longview. Four Texas State highways also run into Longview. Two
Texas State highway Spurs serve to connect highways in
Longview.
♦
Interstate 20 is an east/west freeway that
connects Longview to Dallas, approx. to the west and to Shreveport,
Louisiana, approx. to the east.
♦
U.S. Highway 80, runs through
the central district of Longview. U.S. Hwy 80 was once a coast to
coast highway from Tybee Beach near Savannah, Georgia and ran
continuously across the southern part of the United States to San
Diego, California. Today its western terminus is in Dallas, Texas
making the length only .
♦
U.S. Highway 259 is a
north/south spur route connecting U.S. 59 from Nacogdoches, Texas
and U.S. 59 near the Oklahoma/Arkansas border just south of Forth
Smith, AR. Before Interstate 20, US 259 went through the center of
Longview on a route that now is designated Texas State Highway 31
and Spur 502
♦
Texas Highway 31 runs east/west between Longview
and Waco, Texas.
♦
Texas Highway 149 is a north/south highway
connecting Longview with Carthage, Texas.
♦
Texas Highway 300 is a short highway connecting
Longview to U.S. 271 in Gilmer, Texas.
♦
Texas Highway 281 is a loop highway that
circumnavigates much of Longview from its east connection at I-20
east of the Gregg/Harrison county line to I-20 in Longview. It runs
northward, westward, southward and eastward around the city.
♦
Spur 502 connects north/south traffic between
U.S. Hwy 80 in central Longview and U.S. Hwy 259 north of
Longview.
♦
Spur 63 runs north/south through Longview
connecting TX Hwy 31 at its Longview terminus with Spur 502 north
of TX Loop 281.
Longview is accessed easily by I-20. New construction has prompted
some major upgrades to the city’s system of roads. Medians have
been added to Loop 281 as Phase I of the project is nearing
completion. Phase II of the project will upgrade the road to a six
lane parkway. Slated to start in 2009 TxDOT has informed Longview
officials that the funds have been withdrawn placing Phase II on
indefinite hold. TxDOT is researching an outer loop around the
north side of Longview to complete the East Texas Hourglass. The
road will loop around Longview and Tyler and is slated to start in
2012.
The new I-69, part of the Trans-Texas Corridor
TransTex
Website Will be passing just east of the Longview area between
Longview and Marshall. There has been a huge local oppisition to
the 1/2 mile wide corridor that will include 6 lanes of traffic,
along with rail lines and truck-only lanes. The planned I-69
highway will run near or over the current US 59 highway.
Economy
Looking west on Tyler St. in downtown
Longview
The economy in Longview is healthy. Despite a national downturn in
the housing market, Longview has been growing and home prices
continue to rise.
Some major sectors of the Longview economy
include the East
Texas Oil Field
, services, technology, such as Exponential
Networks, and manufacturing. In 2007, Longview added some
major chains to the areas north side.
The addition of
Kohl's, two more Starbucks, a new Target, a third Wal-Mart
supercenter on the south side and a handful of
hotels means Longview is becoming a regional hub for
shopping. Keeping shoppers in Longview and away from Tyler,
Dallas and Shreveport has been an important strategy for the city.
Most new construction has been located on the north side around
Hawkins Pkwy. and US 259, with lesser development on the south side
near Estes Pkwy.
In 2007, Longview received two important certifications and one
very prestigious award. In October 2007 Longview was re-certified
as a Texas Urban Main Street City. Currently, there are 89 cities
in the Texas Main Street Program, 10 of them are Urban Main Street
Cities. In December 2007 Longview was awarded the Certified
Retirement Community by the Texas Department of Agriculture through
their Go Texan initiative. Longview was also declared a winner in
the top 100 Best Cities for Young People award.
According to the City's 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
the top employers in the city are:
Other large private-sector employers
Source: Uniquely Longview Magazine 2008 Edition
|
|
|
| Diagnostic Clinic of Longview |
515 |
Medical |
| SITEL |
250 |
Telecommunications |
| Neiman Marcus National Service
Ctr. |
452 |
Distribution |
| STEMCO |
385 |
Truck Equipment |
| TCIM |
375 |
Telecommunications |
| LeTourneau University |
365 |
University |
Education
Higher Education
The city of Longview is home to four institutions of higher
learning and one trade (cosmetology) school:
Public Schools
Longview is one of a few in Texas that is served by four school
districts.
Longview
Independent School District Enrollment 8,150. 16 Schools. Home
of the Lobos. Serves south and northeast Longview.
Pine Tree
Independent School District Enrollment 4,631. 7 Schools. Home
of the Pirates. Serves west Longview including Pine Tree and
Greggton.
Spring Hill
Independent School District Enrollment 1,862. 5 Schools. Home
of the Panthers. Serves north Longview in the Spring Hill
area.
Hallsville
Independent School District Enrollment 4,037. 6 Schools. Home
of the Bobcats. Serves far east Longview around Harrison
county.
Libraries
Longview operates two libraries.
- Longview Public Library [23343]
- Broughton Branch Library
Media
TV Stations
Longview and Gregg County are part of the
Tyler-Longview-Lufkin-Nacogdoches DMA (Designated Market Area), DMA
#110. The following in-market television stations are available
over the air.
The 5 major network stations in the market have local newscasts
which all originate from Tyler. KYTX carries a special
Longview/Kilgore edition at 6:30 PM weekdays, with news targeted to
Gregg, Upshur, and Wood Counties. The once-daily KFXK newscast is
at 9:00 PM weekdays.
The market does not have a dedicated
PBS
affiliate.
The acting PBS affiliate is KERA-TV
Dallas, and is available on cable and Dish Network. KLTS,
the
PBS affiliate from Shreveport, LA, is
available on digital cable and over the air in many parts of the
city.
DirecTV viewers in the market receive
the PBS National feed.
In
addition to the in-market stations, most areas can receive some or
all of the following stations from the Shreveport, LA
- Texarkana, TX
DMA:
Also,
some areas can receive some or all of the following stations from
the Dallas,
TX
- Fort
Worth, TX
DMA:
Cable Television/High-Speed Internet
Newspaper
Radio
Longview and Gregg County are part of the Tyler-Longview Arbitron
Radio Market, market # 145. The following radio stations can be
reliably received in most parts of the city.
FM Stations
AM Stations
Notable people
- Catherine L.
Bowie, One of
the first African American WAC in WWII.
- Dr. Bill
Bussey, US and World record holder of hot air balloon
flights. Dr. Bill Bussey is a practicing dentist in Longview Texas
who founded the Great Texas
Balloon Race and is credited with originating the "Balloon
Glow", a popular event at balloon festivals around the world. He
was one of the founding members and directors of the North American
Balloon Association. Dr. Bussey is also Chairman and CFO of "The
Racing Experience" which bills itself as the original Sprint Cup
stock car racing school. In 2007, The Lone
Star Flight Museum
on Galveston Island
, Texas inducted Dr. Bussey into its Texas
Aviation Hall of Fame
.
- Rodney
Carrington, born in Longview, graduate of Pine Tree
High School, Carrington attended Kilgore College in nearby Kilgore,
Texas and studied acting. He is a popular comedian who mixes his
adult humor with country music. He lives with his wife and family in
Tulsa
, Oklahoma
- Chris
Davis, professional baseball player, first baseman for
the Texas Rangers from 2008-(Present).
- Evonne Hsu,
American-born Taiwanese singer.
- Bill
P. Keith, author and
former member of the Louisiana State Senate
- Malcolm Kelly,
Graduate of Longview High School, Wide Receiver for the Washington
Redskins. Malcolm is involved with Mercy
Ships, a global charity which uses hospital ships to provide
free health care and community development services to developing
nations.
- Lee Lacy, professional
baseball player from 1972-1987 - Lee Lacy was born in Longview,
Texas and played major league baseball with the Los Angeles
Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore
Orioles
- Miranda
Lambert, country music singer-songwriter who gained
fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, was born
in 1983 in Longview, Texas , but was reared in Lindale, Texas about
80 miles east of Dallas. At age sixteen, Lambert began appearing on
the Johnny High Country Music Review in Arlington, Texas, the same
show that helped launch the career of LeAnn Rimes. Signed to
Columbia Records in 2004, Lambert made her debut on the Billboard
country music charts that year with the release of "Me and Charlie
Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut album Kerosene. Her
second album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, was released in 2007.
- Linda Maxey,
musician, first marimbist on the prestigious roster of Columia Artists Management, was
raised in Longview, Texas, and graduated from Longview High School.
Began studying piano at the age of four and marimba at age six. Her
first major performance as a child was in Madison Square Garden in
New York at the age of eleven. Maxey's New York debut was in 1990 at
Carnegie
Hall
. Maxey is a Senior Fulbright Scholor, has held academic appointments
at the University of Missouri Conservatory of Music in Kansas City,
Baylor
University
, Long Beach City College, the University
of Kansas
and the Lithuanian Academy of Music
, which awarded her an honorary doctorate in
2002.
- Matthew
McConaughey, actor, producer and director - Matthew
McConaughey is not from Longview in the sense that it is not his
home town. McConaughey was born in Uvalde, Texas. He moved to
Longview in 1980 and graduated from Longview High School in
1988.
- Neal McCoy, country
singer-songwriter - Neal McCoy was born in Jacksonville, Texas and
makes his home in Longview, Texas. Neal McCoy's first venture as a
professional singer was with a R&B band. He later switched to
country music. After winning a talent contest in 1981, McCoy got
the opportunity to tour with C&W star Charley Pride, performing
as Mr. Pride's opening act. After about six years, McCoy went on
his own and released his first single. At the time he was still
spelling his last name as McGoy which is a phonetic spelling of his
parent's name, McGaughey (Neal was born as Hubert Neal McGaughey
Jr.). By the time he released his first album, he had changed his
last name to McCoy. According to the Official Neal McCoy
website, Neal and his wife Melinda founded and operate the East
Texas Angel Network (ETAN) in 1995. ETAN raises money to help the
families of critically ill children in East Texas. Neal McCoy's
video "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," won the Video of the Year in
1997 from TNN/Music City News County Awards. Neal McCoy was also
twice named the Entertainer of the Year in 1998 & 1999 from the
TNN/Music City News Country Awards. In 2006 he received the
ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian Award. McCoy has 3 platinum albums, and
1 gold album.
- Charlie Neal,
professional baseball player from 1956-1963 - Charlie Neal was born
in Longview and spent eight seasons in the major leagues with the
Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Cincinnati Reds. A
two-time National League All-Star at second base (1959 & 1960),
Charlie led the N.L. in triples and sacrifice hits in 1959.
- Robert
Newhouse, a professional football player in the NFL
for the Dallas Cowboys from 1972-1983
- Robert Newhouse was born in Longview, Texas in 1950 and graduated
from Hallsville,
TX
High School in 1968.
- Josh Scobee,
place-kicker for the Jacksonville
Jaguars - Josh Scobee was born in Longview, Texas and played
football for Longview High School. Scobee began his career as a
kicker during his senior year at Longview High School. He had a
perfect record of 23 for 23 in kicking extra points. Scobee played
for Louisiana Tech University setting the school record for field
goals and total points scored by a kicker. In 2004, Scobee was
drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- John Ben
Shepperd, state attorney
general (1953-1957), native of Gladewater, formerly practiced
law in Longview
- Karen Silkwood,
union activist who discovered while working for Kerr-McGee that
there was evidence of spills, leaks, and missing plutonium. She was
killed in an automobile accident while on her way to meet with an
Atomic Energy Commission official and a New York Times reporter.
Silkwood was the subject of a motion picture, Silkwood,
released in 1983.
- Ben Spies,
professional motorcycle road racer - Ben Spies was born in
Germantown, TN and now lives in Longview. Ben began riding
motorcycles competitively as a teenager and turned pro in 2000 at
age 16. He won his first national championship in 2006 and defended
it successfully in 2007.
- James
Street, University of Texas quarterback from 1966-1969
- Led the Longhorns to the 1969 NCAA National Championship. He is
also the father of Oakland Athletics pitcher Huston Street.
- Bobby
Taylor, Graduate of Longview High School, played
football collegiately at Notre Dame, and professionally for the
Philadelphia Eagles from 1995-2005.
- Jess Todd, St. Louis Cardinals
pitcher.
- José Francisco
Torres, professional soccer player.
- Craig Anthony
Washington, politician,
lawyer - Craig Washington was born in
Longview, Texas. Washington is a former African-American Texas
state representative, Texas state senator and a U.S. Congressman
representing Texas as a Democrat in the United States House of
Representatives. In 1972, the state of Texas began electing members
of the state House of Representatives and State Senate, from
single-member districts. Craig Washington, along with other
minority candidates ran for the House of Representatives in Texas.
Washington's effort was successful, and he served as Texas state
representative, Rep. from District 86, 1973-1982. He then ran for
the Texas state senate and served as a Texas state senator from
Senatorial District 13, from 1983-1989. When a vacancy due to the
death of Congressman Mickey Leland in 1989, Washington ran for and
was elected as a Democrat to the 101st United States Congress for
Texas's 18th congressional district. He successfully ran for
reelection to the 102nd United States Congress and 103rd United
States Congress and served from December 9, 1989, to January 3,
1995.
- David Wesley,
Graduate of Longview High School, professional basketball player
from 1995-2007.
- Sam West, professional
baseball player from 1927-1942.
- Forest
Whitaker, Academy Award winning actor, producer and
director - Forest Whitaker was born in Longview, Texas. His family
moved to Southern California when he was four.
- Dan Wright,
professional baseball player - 2001-2006 - Dan Wright was born in
Longview, Texas. Dan Wright was drafted on June 4, 1996 by the
Cleveland Indians in the 19th round of the 1996 amateur draft but
he did not sign with the Indians. On June 2, 1999 Wright was
drafted again, this time by the Chicago White Sox in the 2nd round
of the 1999 amateur draft and signed with the Sox on July 10, 1999.
He played for the Chicago White Socks from 2001-2004 when he was
released on December 15, 2004. As a free agent, Wright signed with
the Seattle Mariners for the 2005 season and was placed on their
Tacoma Rainiers AAA Club. The Seattle Mariners released Wright on
June 21, 2006 .
Notes
References
- City of Longview 2007-08 CAFR Retrieved
2009-06-07
- City of Longview, retrieved 2009-06-03
- Source: City of Longview website
- Source: City of Longview website
- City of Longview CAFR Retrieved 2009-07-20
- Black WAC Joined to Be What She Wanted to
Be
- The Racing Experience
- Texas Aviation Hall of Fame
- Rodney Carrington - CMT website bio page
- " Malcolm's Mission of Mercy". Retrieved
2009-11-24.
-
http://www.activemusician.com/Miranda-Lambert-Biography--t8i3655
- [1]
External links
, Longview University Center ( website)
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