Crime Scene and Trauma Cleanup in Christoval, TX

Christoval is an unincorporated census-designated place in southern Tom Green County, about 20 miles south of San Angelo, and it is part of the San Angelo metropolitan area.

Christoval is said to be named, in Spanish form, for early settler Christopher Columbus Doty, and the community has also been known as South Concho and Delong.

When storekeeper Christopher C. Doty applied for a post office in 1888, his first choice of name, Alice, was rejected, and the office opened in January 1889 with the spelling changed to Christoval.

The spring-fed South Concho River runs right through Christoval and serves as a water supply for the surrounding area, a rare oasis of water and shade in dry West Texas.

Through the 1930s, Christoval hosted an annual Baptist encampment on the South Concho River that attracted as many as 10,000 people, and its nearby mineral waters drew still more visitors and settlers.

On September 17, 1936, a devastating flood on the South Concho River destroyed the Baptist encampment and parts of Christoval, and the encampment was never rebuilt — its grounds eventually became a public park.

Christoval's population peaked at about 544 people in the 1930s, and the 2020 census counted 482 residents.

The 2000 census counted 167 households in Christoval, with an average household size of about 2.5 people.

Today Pugh River Park gives the public access to about three-quarters of a mile of oak-shaded South Concho riverfront, complete with rope swings, along with the historic low-water crossing on Loop 110.

Playland Park was a beloved local attraction from the 1950s through the 1980s, offering river access, boat rentals, a rope bridge, and at its 1970s peak even amusement rides and a small train.