By Jack Smith

Port St. Joe is a riddle wrapped in a strange history. It’s also one of the best-kept secrets in the state and one of the prettiest towns you’ll ever visit. Founded in 1835 as a deep water port and linked to inland destinations by rail, St. Joseph, aka Port St. Joe, became an important commercial hub in the early 1800s, and for a time the largest city in the state of Florida. In 1838, delegates arThe Lost City on the “Forgotten Coast” rived to draw up the first State Constitution in the years leading up to Florida’s admission as a state in 1845. But the town’s boom ended swiftly: yellow fever swept through the town in 1841, and a hurricane storm surge a few years later wiped out what remained.

The once prosperous town of 12,000 was reduced to only 500 residents. By the mid1800s, Port St. Joe was a virtual ghost town. It wasn’t until 1909 when a new rail track was laid and a new town founded that life began to return to the region. When walking down Port St. Joe’s main street these days, one wouldn’t be surprised to run into Barney or Aunt Bee shopping in a local market.

Though there’s plenty of charm in town, the Cape San Blas area boasts one of the most beautiful stretches of beaches in America and shouldn’t be missed.

The “Forgotten Coast” is a name the local chamber of commerce came up with after the paper mill closed to generate some much-needed hype. Many of the permanent residents wish the forgotten coast would remain just that: “forgotten.” But after several visits, I’ve concluded that “Unforgettable Coast” might hit closer to the mark.