Every city has its story about how it came to be. Longview, Texas could well be called the "Gold Dollar City."  This is not because of any typical discovery of gold but because of a land transaction for the sum of one gold dollar and which resulted in the founding of Longview.

After the Civil War the railroad resumed its westward progress and was looking for a place to build its next station. O. H. Methvin, a farmer offered 100 acres of land to the railroad for one gold dollar. The condition placed on the deal was that the railroad platt and build a town on those 100 acres. Mr. Methvin did well in the deal by selling the next 50 acres for $500.

The naming of the new city came about when railroad surveyors, admiring the view from the Methvin home on top of Rock Hill, supposedly said, "You have a good long view from here Mr. Methvin, I think that what we should name this town Long View."  The original 100 acres have been designated as Longview's One Hundred Acres of Heritage. In the heart of this historical district is Heritage Plaza dedicated to the first 100 years of Longview's history, the Gregg County Historical Museum, Longview Museum of Fine Arts and the Gregg County Courthouse.

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