The need for a school in 1907 was very acute to a number of large families living in this small community.  In that year, Bud and Ola Long moved their family into the neighborhood on their newly purchased farm.  Two of their four children were school age and the local families met right away, agreeing that a school could be built if each family contributed the labor and about $25.00.  Bud Long’s farm was centrally located for all the families, consequently, in addition to his labor and $25.00, he deeded about 10 acres of land for the building, stipulating when and if the property was no longer used as an educational facility the land would revert to him.  This occurred when Longview school consolidated with Buffalo School.

With financing and land available, the men set about building a school house.  Upon its completion, Mrs. Kit Casey, suggested it be named “Longview,” first to honor Bud Long for giving the land; second, the schoolhouse was located on the side of a hill with a long view.  The community became known by the same name.  Some of the participating families were:  the Boardmans, Fox Caseys, Kit Caseys, Cherrys, Jonah Freemans, Bob Goldens, “Uncle” Joe Griffiths, R. L. Hamiters, George Herrings, Hills, Burton Howingtons, Bud Longs, Bob Raineys and Carroll Thames.  Longview School District # 13 was located on the old Coleman to Comanche road, about eight miles from Coleman.

The building was a one-room frame, about 30feet x 50 feet, with “two-seater” desks, a wood burning stove in the center, two “out-houses” on the back property line and a spacious playground.  Jonah Freeman donated the school’s water supply.

Classes came to order for the first time, we believe, in 1908, with Miss Elizabeth Malsby, as the first teacher, in charge of about 70 students.  Although teacher education requirements were comparatively low at the time, she and those who would follow later, taught all the basics:
history, geography, reading, spelling, writing, English and health, and she taught grades one through seven.  Obviously teachers from as far away as Santa Anna or Coleman couldn’t commute so they boarded with various families in the community.  For the most part these early teachers commanded complete respect and discipline from their students, with full support from the parents.  Some of those who taught school at Longview were: C. L. South (who later became a United States Congressman), Jody Franklin, A. J. Beaty, Mr. Sutton, Ida Mae Day, Alice Boardman, Lurleen Todd, Lucile Kirkpatrick, Lurlee Casey, Mable Banister, Glenda Ford, Charlotte Oakes and Druzell Hudler.

Longview schoolhouse served the community in a number of ways.  On Sunday, about twice a month, it became a nondenominational place of worship.  Most families were of Protestant faith and for the most part, the preachers were Baptist or Methodist.  After Sunday school and the morning worship service, he was invited to Sunday dinner by one of the families, then all returned that evening for a Sunday night service.  Summer church revival meetings were held and many children were baptized in a nearby earth dam water tank.  These revivals were circuit type, from one schoolhouse to another, in rural areas, and a preacher who was good might have a following from several communities.

Everyone, especially the young people, enjoyed a get-together known as a “singing.”  When the D. C. Neal family bought a farm in the area (the Bob Golden place), Longview singings really came to life!  Mrs. Neal played the piano and had a good voice, David, too!  He usually lead the singing.

Another occasion for the community to gather at the schoolhouse was a Box Supper.  Enthusiasm permiated entire households as each female member worked her artistic magic in a flurry of brightly colored paper, ribbon bows and flowers, to create an outstandingly pretty box, then spent hours over a hot wood stove baking pastries to fill it.  The single girls were hopeful a certain special fellow would be highest bidder on her box (one of her siblings was usually able to “leak” the box description to the right person) and they might sit together and eat ... she, eating delicately, saying “it didn’t turn out exactly right,” he, stuffing himself (he paid maybe as much as a dollar for the stuff) said it was good.  Proceeds from these box auctions went for good community needs, such as new hymn books.

As time seeped into the twenties, momentum quickly accelerated.  Almost every family became owners of an automobile.  Social life of Longview schoolhouse began to deteriorate; student enrollment dropped to maybe a dozen or so, and the function of the building as an educational facility was eroding away.  An era was coming to a close.

In 1933, Longview school consolidated with the much larger Buffalo School.  Within a year or so the building was torn down and hauled away.  Bud Long rerouted his fence along the original property line.

Some of the families who lived in, and contributed greatly to the life of this community were Boardman, Brannan, Burden, Carter, Casey (several families), Cherry, Copeland, Coppins, Duke, Evans, Freeman, Griffith (several families), Grimes, Golden, Hamiter, Herring, Hill, Horton (several families), Howington, Long, Lovell, McCrary, Mitchell, Moore, Neal, Pettus, Rainey, Shannon, Sharp, Smith, Stevenson, Story, Thames, Watts, Yates.

Marvin Neil, working out of the Santa Anna Post Office, was the mail carrier to this area for many faithful years.  He was an integral part of the community.