Numerous settlers came to this area from the Upper South of Tennessee and Kentucky, attracted to new opportunities in Texas.

Howell was said to have opposed alcoholic beverage sales, and was given the pejorative nickname "Saint Jo."

Eventually railroads were constructed into Texas, ending the cattle drives to Kansas, and drawing off business along the trail.

After the United States' 20th-century Prohibition era, from 1920 to 1933, Saint Jo voted to remain a "dry" city.

For instance, the Stonewall Saloon has been preserved for use as a museum, and the main street has retained its late 19th-century character.

Gary and Margaret Kraisinger, the joint authors of the 2004 book The Western: The Greatest Texas Cattle Trail, 1874–1886, also appeared.

[6] The city holds BoHo Saint Jo semiannually, a collaborative event produced with the retail clothing store Panache.

[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all land.