SIMMONS, TEXAS

Texas Ghost Town
Live Oak County, South Texas

FM 1042
8 Miles SW of Three Rivers (via FM 1545)
10 Miles W of Oakville
14 Miles NW of George West the county seat
On the Nueces River
Just S of the Choke Canyon Reservoir
Population: 65 (2000)

Simmons Area Hotels
Three Rivers Hotels | George West Hotels

Simmons Community Church.
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, May 2007
More Texas Churches

History in a Pecan Shell

Dr. Charles F. Simmons of St. Louis is the town's namesake. Dr. Simmons, who had made a fortune in the patent medicine business, originally had a huge ranch here. In 1906 Simmons decided on splitting up his 60,000 spread and selling it off to farmers.

First known as Simmons City, the future looked bright. All plots were sold in just over six months. The 1907 population was just 75 and a post office was granted that same year with a school and church built the year after. An one-story brick school was constructed in the late 1930s, only to close in 1946. Local students were sent to Three Rivers.

By 1940 the population had shrunk to a mere 35 and all of the town's businesses had closed their doors by the end of that decade, including the post office. About all that is left of Simmons is what is shown here from Terry Jeanson's visit in May of 2007.

See Simmons, Texas Historical Marker

Simmons Schoolhouse

"I was in third grade in the Simmons school in 1945-1946. It closed that year. The school was brick but it was one story, not two. The previous school was of wood and had two stories. It burned and, after that, the new school was built. My mother attended the old school. As a teen I helped tear down the brick school building. We salvaged the bricks. My dad and I expanded our farm house with some of these bricks. The Methodist parsonage in George West, Texas was built from some of these bricks. - Philip Hudson, September 24, 2009

Simmons, Texas historical marker
in front of the Community Church.
Photos courtesy Terry Jeanson, 2007

Historical Marker:

Simmons, Texas

Originally ranch land, bought in 1900 by Dr. C.F. Simmons (Wealthy St. Louis manufacturer of "Liver Regulator"), who also built this all-faiths church, 1908.

After Simmon's son and heir died of snake bite, he sold 60,000--acre ranch to 4,200 small farmers and provided buildings for this rural community.

Entrance to Simmons cemetery from the road.
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, 2007

Simmons cemetery turnstile, Simmons Texas

Cemetery in Simmons.
The turnstile keeps the wandering cows from entering the cemetery and eating the grass (or anything else.)
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, 2007.
More Texas Cemeteries

Cows grazing in front of the cemetery in Simmons Texas

Cows grazing in front of the cemetery in Simmons
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, 2007
More Texas Animals | Cows

Old bridge over the Nueces River, just north of Simmons, TX.

Old bridge over the Nueces River, just north of Simmons
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, 2007
More Texas Bridges

Simmons, TX, Live oak County, 1922 post office info

Simmons, TX, Live oak County, 1922 Postmark

Cover canceled with Simmons, TX 1922 postmark
Courtesy The John J. Germann Collection

Live Oak County 1940s map showing Simmons
On the Nueces River
SW of Three Rivers
NW of George West
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Take a road trip

Simmons , Texas Nearby Towns:
George West the county seat
Three Rivers
Oakville
See Live Oak County | South Texas

Book Hotel Here:
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