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Magazine Told of Gregg County's 1910 CharmsBy Van Craddock
More than a century ago, Gregg County was between a rock and a hard place when it came to promoting itself. The result was the local chamber of commerce's 84-page Longview and Gregg County Industrial magazine.
"We invite you - if you are of good morals - to join us and enjoy life with us here," said the magazine, a joint project of the chamber and the Industrial Publishing Company.
When the magazine came out in 1910, Longview had 5,100 residents. The town was competing for business and new residents against the older, larger communities of Marshall (11,500 residents) and Tyler (10,000).
"All Gregg County is a peace-loving, law-abiding community, where crime is a thing seldom heard of … We believe that we have as near a perfectly happy county for all who live within our boundaries as can be found anywhere," wrote Carlos Campana, magazine editor and chamber secretary.
To be sure, Longview had some assets. It was a railroad center with 18 daily trains from the Texas and Pacific, International and Great Northern, and the Texas and Gulf railroads.
Then there were Gregg County's five banks, up from one bank in 1900. "Many a worthy poor man and widow have emerged from their doors with the feeling that they still had friends left," said the magazine, liberally illustrated with photos by early local photographer Cody Culpepper. Featured were pictures of county officials, churches, homes, social leaders, businesses and industries.
On Page 8 of the magazine is nattily dressed Mayor G.A. Bodenheim. "Longview's prosperity and rapid growth are due more to the efforts and energy of Mayor Bodenheim than all the other conditions combined," said the magazine.
According to the publication, the city had recently completed "a handsome city hall and uptown fire station," a modern sewer system and major street improvements. "A $35,000 water works plant has been installed and is furnishing high pressure of water from the large standpipe, giving excellent fire protection."
During the past four years the city had seen "over 300 residences being erected, many of which are very handsome. A dozen business houses have been built and many remodeled."
Under "OUR SOCIAL LIFE" were listed several fraternal and social groups. "We have many beautiful homes with well kept lawns … In the home, music and reading are the principal forms of pleasure and diversions." Central to county life were the many churches, including the Methodists' Baracca Hall annex with "harmless amusement rooms and gymnasium."
County schools included Longview (with 1,300 pupils), Kilgore (125), Danville (75), Judson (75), Harmony Grove (75), Elderville (70), Gladewater (70), Pine Tree (65), Spring Hill (60), White Oak (60), Sabine (40), and Peatown (40). The magazine said Gregg County had "the largest per capita free school endowment in the world."
As for agriculture, "Thousands of acres of fertile lands furnish soil for the main crops of cotton and corn," said the magazine. "The one great drawback with East Texas is the ease with which one can get a living out of the soil. Our farmers work seven months on the farm and rest and hunt and fish the balance of the year."
Said the chamber's Campana, "We are just a county of good, honest, charitable folks, interested in each other's welfare. Every statement made in this magazine has been read and re-read by the editor and submitted to other competent men to prevent one mis-statement entering these pages."