Longview is known for its long view west toward the first range of the Rocky Mountains, its cattle ranching heritage and its natural resources (principally oil), but more importantly the open spaces, rivers (the Highwood) and some of the finest beef by most standards.

Longview is also known as the home of late Canadian Country Music star Ian Tyson.

Then, in 1937, oil was discovered at the 6,828-foot (2,081 m) level and people, most of them long out of work because of the great depression, came flocking and Little Chicago and Little New York were born.

For the first time in years, men who without so much as a coat on their backs or a nickel in their pockets had the first money they had earned since the depression began.

Today Little Chicago is gone and except a monument near the Cowboy Trail to the north of the village, little remains to show it ever existed.