O. H. Methvin, Sr., Founder of Longview
Longview, Gregg County, Texas
Marker Inscription
About 1848, O. H. Methvin (1815-1882) and his father Richard came to Texas from Georgia. O. H. Methvin bought about 1,200 acres in East Texas, including this site, which was his cornfield. He built a home on nearby Rock Hill for his wife Margaret and their children. In 1870 Methvin deeded 100 acres of his land to the Southern Pacific Railroad. The town that developed on the rail line was named Longview when surveyors were impressed with the long-range view afforded them from Rock Hill. With the formation of Gregg County, Longview became the county seat in 1873. Incise on back: Sponsors - Great and Great, Great Grandchildren
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
O. H. Methvin (1815â1882) came to Texas from Georgia around 1848 and bought some 1,200 acres of East Texas, including a cornfield on this site. In 1870 he deeded 100 acres to the Southern Pacific Railroad, and the town that grew along the line was named Longview for the sweeping view surveyors admired from nearby Rock Hill. When Gregg County formed in 1873, Longview became its county seat, a city born from one landowner's gift to the railroad.
Why it matters
Methvin's donation shows how the arrival of the railroad, and the settlers who courted it, conjured East Texas towns into existence.
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Related people
- ¡ O. H. Methvin
- ¡ Richard Methvin
- ¡ Margaret Methvin
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
O. H. Methvin
Longview, TX
Georgia-born O. H. Methvin came to Texas around 1848 with his wife Margaret and his father, settling on land in what was then Upshur County. In 1870 he gave 100 acres to the Southern Pacific Railroad, an act that founded the city of Longview; three years later it became the seat of the newly organized Gregg County. Methvin's land gift turned a railroad stop into a county town.
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