• Nearly sixty stucco buildings with red tile roofs

• 2,000 Italian workers lived in tents while building the foundations and sewer system

• 1,780 acres

• 7 miles macadamized roads

• 25 miles white wooden fence without nails or bolts

• Mansion just under 22,000 sq. feet

• Chapel with one room schoolroom

• Log Grandstand and Clubhouse

• 3 large horse barns

• Power house with underground wiring throughout farm

• Own telephone (underground wiring) and water systems

• Hotel/Boarding House

• Summer Camp for inner-city women and children called “baby camp” or “tent city”

• 61 Saddle Horses

• 44 Harness Horses

• 16 Percheron horses

• 29 colts

• 29 Mules

• 232 Jersey milk cows

• 375 Duroc Jersey hogs

• 175+ employees

          In early 1941, my father was hired by a gentleman named Mr. Roy Buel, who was the head foreman at Longview Farm, to work at the dairy barn #1.  My father was a “true to life” cowboy.  His duties included herding cattle from the pasture on horseback to the main dairy barn where they were prepared for milking.  The pasture where the cattle grazed is now known to many as Longview College.  Once the cows were in the dairy barn, they were hooked up to Surge automatic milking machines, technology uncommon to that period of time.  The milk was then processed, bottled and transported by truck to Kansas City where it was sold.

          My father worked there approximately two months when my mother, brother and myself moved to Longview Farm to be with my father.  We lived in an apartment building (Boarding House), which was built on the farm specifically for Longview Farm employees.  My father was paid $2.50 per day which was considered to be fair wage for that period of time.  The apartment building where we lived was built on a large oval and in the center was a beautiful landscaping consisting of grass, shrubs and flower beds with a large flag pole in the middle.  My family felt very fortunate to live in such a beautiful place.

          Longview Farm had approximately 800 head of cattle and actively milked 500 head, which necessitated an additional two milking barns designated as building #2 and #3, which were also used in the milking process on a smaller scale.  The farm had several buildings related to the dairy operations as well as single family homes occupied by management and their families.  Also located on the farm was a blacksmith shop, a calf barn, a greenhouse and Mrs. Loula Long Combs’ horse barn, which housed her horses, carriages, show harnesses and trophies for the many horse shows which she participated in and in many cases won.  Last but not least, there was the grandest of all, “THE LONGVIEW MANSION.”  The Mansion was a sight to behold with its beautiful fountains, shrubs and flowers maintained to perfection.  It has since been restored so everyone might have an idea of what a beautiful place this once was.

          One of my fondest memories of living on the farm was the Christmas program held at the Longview Chapel, which all the Longview Farm employees and their families attended.  After the program was over, Mrs. Loula Long Combs (in the tradition of Mrs. Claus) would hand out Christmas gifts to all the children.  The Longs were kind, compassionate people who truly cared about their employees and their families.  In my heart and the hearts of many, the Long family legacy will forever live on.