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STEP BACK … in time to become acquainted with
Longview Farm and Loula Long Combs by way of personal
interviews with 47 employees, relatives and friends. A map
of the farm, floor plans of the Mansion and Corinthian Hall,
133 pictures, poems and recipes help fill the 316 pages of
the book that
re-create the feeling of Longview Farm in its “heyday.” |
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“The Longview We Remember”
Longview, known as
“The World’s Most Beautiful Farm,” once consisted of nearly
sixty buildings covering 1,600 acres of land southeast of
Kansas City, Missouri. Seventeen of those buildings, built
beginning in 1914 by lumber baron and philanthropist R. A.
Long, are now historical landmarks.
Long’s daughter, Loula
Long Combs, a nationally known horsewoman, made Longview her
home until her death in 1971. The farm served as a model
farm, a home for show horses and a site for charity horse
shows, picnics and conventions.
Loula Long Combs was a
loving person with a spirited sense of humor. It was said
that her philosophy of life was to respect your fellow man,
hold God in reverence, and be kind to animals. Be a good
sport, a humble and generous winner, a brave and cheerful
loser, follow the rules and play a clean game. She
knew that it takes sorrow to make people really appreciate
happiness and that faith shouldn’t be lessened when a prayer
isn’t answered, because you might be praying for the wrong
thing.
The interviews in this
book reveal memories of farm life, both work and play, as
well as Mrs. Combs’ relationship with her employees.
Through these interviews, many colorful pictures have been
painted of Mrs. Combs … “driving a horse as good as any man”
… “yelling with excitement at the farm volleyball games” …
and “coming across the lawn to the barn with as many as
twelve dogs with her.” You can almost see her coming now …
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Linda Mason
I came from a farm in Iowa to
Independence, Missouri in the winter of 1984. I first saw Longview Farm
in the spring of 1985. It was love at first sight. I wanted to
learn all I could about the farm and the Long history. I had never seen
a farm of this magnitude ... even in my dreams.
Mom (Barb Newcom) went with me to the
Kansas City Library to research this legendary farm. The only book we
could find was “My Revelation” which couldn’t even be checked out
because all their other copies had “disappeared.” I spoke to the
Longview Farm groundskeeper who had worked for the farm for fifty
years. He gave me names of several people to talk to and one name led
to another. I started interviewing people who lived and worked on the
farm. It was all to satisfy my own desire to learn but the Kansas City
librarian suggested I put the interviews into a book to help preserve
the farm’s history. A good idea, but at the time I wasn’t sure anyone
else was interested in the farm but I decided to pursue it.
Forty-seven interviews later, in
1990, I self-published and self-marketed “The Longview We Remember.”
The book is in their own words and covers all facets of the farm life
including recipes, poems and 133 original pictures. More than one
employee has said living on Longview was like living in Paradise. It
was also Paradise for Mr. and Mrs. Combs. Longview Farm was the
fulfillment of many people’s dreams ... Mr. Long’s, Mrs. Combs’ and the
employees’. And now, once again, it is only a dream.
I have talked
to many people that have the “Long Connection.” I am still learning and
want to do all I can to educate and inform. This history should NEVER
be lost.
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