Christine, Texas

 

Mary Ann Montanez and Amy F.M. Yates

Fall, 2005

U.S. History 1302

R. Hines, Instructor

More Histories of Small Towns in South Texas

 

  

Annotated Bibliography

 

Annotated Bibliography

Atascosa County Centennial, 1856 – 1956.  Sponsored by Atascosa County Centennial Association. 

The Atascosa County Centennial tells of the founding of Christine and how the town was promoted.  This article tells about the new railroad and how it was used for transporting cattle, carrying passengers and shipping other items.  The different businesses that came to prosper in Christine are discussed as well as the opening of a school.

Atascosa History Committee. 1996.  The New Handbook of Texas:  in Six Volumes, Volume 5. Page 1051.  Austin:  The Texas State Historical Association.

            This handbook tells the short story of the life of Charles Simmons.

Carmack, George.  (1974). Simmons Suckers Span the Globe.  San Antonio Express News. Page 5A. 

This is a newspaper article, which tells how Dr. Charles Simmons lured people from all over the world to come and purchase land in Christine, Texas.  Dr. Simmons went to the extent of his imagination and exaggerated the beauty of Atascosa County.  The ignorance of the “Suckers” brought them from all over the United States.

Chalk, S. L., Surveyor.  1908.  Atascosa County, Texas.

            Surveyors map of tracks in New Artesia (Christine), Texas.

            A person can see by looking at this very detailed map, every tract of surveyed land in New Artesia.  Each tract was numbered, each block is numbered, and all the roads are named.  The Avenues are named from A to U.  The streets are named from First Street to Eighteenth Street.

Montanez, Mary Ann and Yates, Amy F. M.  (2005).  Personal interview of Bettie Seiffert about the history of Christine by Mary Ann Montanez and Amy F. M. Yates which takes place in Christine, Texas  78012, on October 1, 2005. 

Mrs. Bettie Seiffert tells of Mr. Charles Simmons founding the town of Christine, the problems of naming the town and who the town was named after.  She also discusses what life was like growing up in Christine, the will of Dr. Charles Simmons and the Massacre at Dead Man’s Tank.

Oppenheimer, Daniel and heirs of Anton Oppenheimer. Dec. 29, 1906.  Deed Record of Atascosa County in Vol. 29, pages 156-158. 

This is the deed of sale showing that Daniel Oppenheimer and the heirs of Anton Oppenheimer have sold their land to Charles F. Simmons for $440,632.80. 

Peterson, Linda.  Handbook of Texas Online:  CHRISTINE, TX.   (October 15, 2005).  <http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/CC/hlc31_print.html>. 

This handbook explains when Christine, Texas was founded by Dr. Charles Simmons and how he was responsible for the building of the Artesian Belt Railroad to Christine from Macdona, Texas.  It states the basis of the town’s economy, the population, water problems and the closing of the high school. 

Sayers, William E. (1914). Off the Beaten Trail.  Dead Man’s Tank.  Pg. 23 – 25. 

William Edwards Sayers was a traveler who wrote true stories about Texas towns.  In this narrative, “Dead Man’s Tank,” a rancher named Dick Wiley decides to dig for a stock tank, and instead encounters human skeletons, an underground fort and a Spanish mining colony.

Seiffert, Bettie.  (1984). Atascosa County History.  (Atascosa History Committee 1984).

This article discusses the founding of the town of Christine, and how the first residents decided to choose to live in Christine.  Different businesses are defined and this article explains where the businesses were located.  The author also tells the story of Dead Man’s Tank.

Simmons, Charles.  (1906). New Home, Sweet Home, A Home in Town and a Farm in Country.  The booklet, which was published February 12, 1906, illustrated and advertised subdivisions and land sales.  Since there was not very much water in Christine, Mr. Simmons had an artist paint water into some of the pictures so as to entice future land owners into purchasing property in Christine.

Simmons, Charles.  Live Oak County Records.  Book 1, page 288. 

This book beginning on page 288 contains the will of Charles Simmons.  He explains in his will, in detail, how and to whom his money was to be distributed upon his death.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERVIEW

Annotated Bibliography

Go to Small Town in South Texas

Interview with Bettie Seiffert

History of Christine, Texas

Pictures of Christine, Texas

 

 

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