PS Joe
The Glory Days of Port St. Joe: In 1838, St. Joseph, now called Port St. Joe, was the largest city in Florida. With a population of over 12,000. Wow! Of course the Florida State Constitution was drafted and signed in St. Joseph from 1838 - 1839. It goes like this: We, the People of the Territory of Florida, by our Delegates in Convention, assembled at the City of St. Joseph, on Monday the 3rd day of December, A.D. 1838, and of the Independence of the United States... more - Wikipedia
Port St. Joe Tragedy: Then after a yellow fever outbreak a fire destroyed the town and forest, then a few years later a powerful hurricane wiped out what remained of St. Joseph. In 1842 all that was left was a fishing village with a handful of residents.
Port St. Joe Industrial Powerhouse: In the early 1900s with the deep water port and the establishment of the railroad Port St. Joe began to thrive again. In 1909 work was began on the 2,500 foot railroad pier into St. Joseph Bay, complete with wharf facilities. With numerous saw mills in the area the port traffic was active. First lumber, turpentine, then cotton. Then a paper mill. Port St. Joe became an industrial giant from 1910 to the late 1960s. The paper mill was booming in the late 1960s and closed in 1998. So much for the industrial side of Port St. Joe.
Port St. Joe, a Paradise Adventure: Today Port St. Joe is mostly a retirement and tourist community. Although the port and shipyard are once again operational.
read the port history
Meanwhile Cape San Blas has become a vacation mecca. Currently population of Port St. Joe is 3,500 more or less. It's located in an unpopulated area along the Gulf Coast. About a half hour from Mexico Beach to the North and Apalachicola to the South East. So unpopulated is this area that it refers to itself as The Forgotten Coast.
What's nice about this is the laid back culture, lack of traffic, and the abundant natural beauty. The way Florida was before air conditioning and super highways. This area offers nice accommodations and a variety of high quality dining. Tourists love it here, and so do we. Fishing, bird watching, water sports activities are among the more popular adventures.