Texas Kings Hotel occupies two renovated turn-of-the-century buildings on the historic square at the center of the oldest town in Montague County – Saint Jo, Texas – founded in 1854 where the Chisholm Trail and the California Road intersected. Named for the three “kings” of Texas commerce – cattle, cotton, and oil – it was fully restored in 1999 to celebrate the history behind the haunted hotel and pay tribute to its roots as an authentic piece of the Old West.
Welcome to Saint Jo, the oldest town in Montague County, Texas. Situated in the lush, rolling hills of the Red River Valley, Saint Jo boasts some of the most dramatic scenery in north Texas. Founded in 1849, it was also called Head of Elm for a time, in regards to its close proximity to the headwaters of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.
Just like most tales of the Old West, there is debate regarding the local legend about the founder Joseph Howell, and the motives behind naming the town after him. One account is that the promoters laying out the town were so impressed by his abstinence from alcohol that they named the town “Saint Jo.” A more scandalous version is that Joseph’s frequent favoring of alcohol inspired the namesake out of jest. Just one of many chapters in the colorful history of this town.
In the late 1800’s, during a time of frequent Comanche raids and a rapidly settling frontier, Saint Jo was a fort for commerce, supply, and even libation. Cowboys and trail drivers pushing their cattle north up the famed Chisholm Trail could make their last stop in Texas before the Red River to re-supply, or have a drink at the Old Saloon (which still stands today in the form of a museum). It is estimated that between 6 and 10 million cattle came up this well traveled route, trailed by some 35,000 cowboys over the years. As the greatest migration of livestock in world history, it made famous the image of the American cowboy, life on the wide-open range, and is an integral part of Saint Jo’s historic makeup.