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In the 1920s Christoval was
a thriving little town nestled along the banks of
the Concho River. Located about 20 miles south of San Angelo, it
boasted
two hotels, mineral baths and the Baptist Encampment Grounds, which
sometimes hosted over 8000 worshipers in a single summer. This
camp-
ground, with its rustic cabins, showers and recreational amenities
housed
the Texas Artists Camp from 1921 until 1927. Frances Fisk in A
History
of Texas Artists and Sculptors described the setting in this way:
"Here on the Concho
with its emerald green water and the abundant foliage
of numerous trees, at an altitude of 2000 feet, with breezes and cool
nights,
an ideal site is offered the artists where several weeks can be spent
each
summer; and where the advantage of varied outdoor sports can be enjoyed
with comfortable living quarters nearby...The pecan-shaded Concho, the
big
groves, the hills, and the winding roads through fields of wildflowers
have
been the subject of many splendid sketches."
Founded in 1921 by Mrs. Sam
(Mollie) Crowther of San Angelo, the Camp
grew in its seven years of existence, from a local gathering to one of
the
leading institutions of its kind in the Southwest. In its final
year 62 men and
women from 22 different places attended. The Camp emphasized the
opportunities of the West as a new field for art, with this work
becoming more
and more appreciated and in demand. - Mary Chatfield, Museum
Researcher
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Concho River by Helen King Kendall - 1937
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