 The town of St. Joseph dates to the 1830s, actually serving as the town where Florida’s constitution was drafted in 1838 and 1839. In 1841, three-fourths of the population succumbed to yellow fever that arrived on a Spanish freighter. The few remaining residents were killed or fled after a hurricane and tidal wave literally washed the town away in 1844.
Re-established in the 1920s, the resurrected city went industrial with the opening of the St. Joe Co.’s paper mill in 1938. Workers were well paid and easily employed at the mill, in related forestry industries or in maritime trades. Despite comparative prosperity from union wages and job security, the consistent paper mill stench sent most passers-by out of town quickly. The mill closed in 1999 bringing on a new era.
A gift of geography, Port St. Joe faces west, bringing stunning sunsets over Cape San Blas and part of St. Joseph Bay. Restaurants and a revamped hotel take advantage of this, setting up tables and rocking chairs that are as comfortable for dining, sitting and talking as they are ideal for photographers. Now the St. Joe Company has plans to revamp Port St. Joe and to establish high-end developments and to build a larger marina. Currently in the works is WindMark Beach which will include over 1500 homesites.
Port St. Joe is well known for its fishing and has a state-of-the-art marina with covered slips, boat rentals, tour boat guides and fishing tournaments galore. Visitors enjoy offshore, freshwater or bay fishing for speckled trout, redfish and tarpon. Eco-tours are available, as are sunset cruises, charters for snorkeling and diving with the dolphins, and pontoon rentals. Nearby St. Joseph’s State Park Beach has been rated the #1 beach in the country for three years in a row, and offers plenty of opportunities for swimming, relaxing on soft, white sands, surfing, shelling, jet skiing, water skiing and more. Historic downtown Port St. Joe has unique shops to explore, as do many of the other quaint seacoast towns along Florida’s northwest panhandle.
St. Joe is a friendly town with good people and high values and a great sense of community. The school system is very good and there are many fine churches here. People care about you and look out for their neighbors. It is a great place to live, work and play.
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