Take a Look at This Amazing Video of Longview, Texas From 1939

I have been utterly captivated by this video of Longview, Texas I ran across recently, and I wanted to share it with you. 

The video is just a little over ten minutes and gives us a peek into Longview's past--way back to 1939, 1940, and 1941. In my opinion, this is priceless footage.

The video is a series of cuts made during various events around the city of Longview. I'm not sure if I've ever seen local videos of East Texas earlier than the 50's. Thus having the opportunity to glimpse into the everyday, candid moments of our East Texan forebears is a fascinating experience.

I can't help but adore seeing the clothes, the CARS, and just the smiling faces of Longview residents of the past enjoying the moments of their lives.

In the beginning minutes of the video, you'll see the then-modern citizens of 1939 dressed in costumes from the 1800's. That's a happy irony. :)

The last stretch of video is shocking, though. It shares some of the moments of the Longview Campus Ward School Fire which happened in 1944.

Obviously, some of what you'll see in the video no longer exists or has been altered to the point that it's no longer recognizable. But some of these places you'll likely recognize immediately.

What a captivating watch. I think you may find it as compelling as I did. Enjoy!

This story was updated February 2023.