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Montague County TX
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SAINT JO, TEXAS

Montague County, North Central Texas

33°41'41"N 97°31'25"W (33.694829, -97.523488)

Highways 82 and 59
12 Miles NE of Montague the county seat
23 Miles NE of Bowie
22 miles W of Gainsville
55 miles NW of Denton via I-35
93 miles NW of Dallas | Fort Worth
Zip Code 76265
Population: 1,030 Est. (2019)
1,043 (2010) 977 (2000) 1,048 (1990)

Saint Jo Area Hotels › Gainsville Hotels | Bowie Hotels

SaintJo downtown, Texas
Saint Jo Downtown
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2007

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 Texas 1889 building
1889 Building in Saint Jo
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2007

See Pitted Dates | Texas Towns

Saint Jo Methodist Church, Saint Jo Texas
Saint Jo Methodist Church
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2007

See Texas Churches | Texas Towns

Saint Jo Tx Wall Mural Sign
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2009

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

Saint Jo Tx 1939 Stone Arch Bridge
The 1939 Stone Arch Bridge in Saint Jo
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2009
See Texas Bridges | Texas Towns

Saint Jo Pioneer Cemetery, Saint Jo Texas
Saint Jo Pioneer Cemetery
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2007

See Texas Cemeteries | Texas Towns



Saint Jo Personalities

  • Donna Howell-Sickles - Cowgirl art



  • 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


    Take a road trip

    North Central Texas Towns

    Saint Jo, Texas Nearby Towns:
    Montague the county seat
    Muenster
    Bowie
    Gainsville
    Denton
    See Montague County

    Book Hotel Here:
    Bowie Hotels | Gainsville Hotels | More Hotels
    Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


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