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CHRISTOVAL,
TEXAS
Tom Green County,
Texas Panhandle/West Texas
Loop 110, Highway 277 and FM 2084
20 Miles S of San
Angelo
Population:
422 (2000)
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Downtown
Christoval
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2006 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
The community, which has also been known as South Concho and Delong,
Texas, is said to be named after early settler Christopher Columbus
Doty. The town was granted a post office in 1889 and by 1914 there
were 200 people living here, shopping at two stores and reading their
news from the Christoval Observer.
You would never know it today but tiny Christoval once hosted an annual
Baptist encampment (into the 1930s) that attracted 10,000 people.
Mineral waters helped keep attendance up and most of them arrived
on the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railroad. The population peaked in the
1930s when 544 people call Christoval home.
After WWII the population dropped to just 400 and by 1973 it had declined
to just over 200, remaining there through the 1980s. In 1987 highway
277 was rerouted, bypassing Christoval and it was thought by some
that the community was finished. But both business and population
has increased and it's unusual terrain and abundance of trees has
attracted people looking for a tranquil life. |
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| Christoval
Baptist Church |
Christoval
Historical Marker
Photos courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2006 |
| Christoval
was recommended for inclusion by native son Doug Roberts who wrote:
"Hope you can include my old hometown soon - Christoval. Located on
the Concho River south of San
Angelo . Lots of history there with its old Baptist camp grounds,
its ranching history &, of course, its six man football dominance
in the 50's & 60's." |
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