Saint Jo, Texas, Montague County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

First named Head of Elm for it being near the headwaters of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, the community was visited by various Army expeditions, including Captain Marcy (1848) and Col. Albert Sydney Johnston (1855).

The town was considered briefly as the county seat, but lost out to Montague. By the early 1870s, Head of Elm was thriving � partially due to it�s location on the Chisholm Trail. In 1872 a group of investors purchased a section of land that included the community. A plat was made and the town was renamed St. Jo after investor Joseph A. Howell. The following year a post office was granted as St. Jo, Texas and by the mid 1880s the community had a respectable population estimated at 500, doubling that figure by 1890. Ten years later it had decreased to 825. For the rest of the 20th Century and into the 21st, St. Jo�s population has hovered around 1000 residents.

	Saint Jo's street scene with water tower TE photo, 2000

Saint Jo, Texa Forum

The main trail to Red River Station passed near Saint Jo where there were 7 saloons to serve the cowboy's needs. One saloon, The Stonewall, has been restored and serves as a museum. Much of the Saint Jo Square has been preserved by John Sickles, whose wife, Donna Howell Sickles, a descendent of Joe Howell for whom Saint Jo was named, notably The Cowgirl Artist, has a studio and art gallery. Saint Jo is truly a destination town for those interested in the Trail Drive Days. - Martha Thompson, October 07, 2014

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