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27. Old Iola (Iola Landing)off of CR 22A
Today nothing remains of the town of Iola, once the terminus of the St. Joseph and Iola Railroad. All that’s there is a boat landing and an overgrown tram road over which cypress was hauled from the river swamp. Once a bustling town with a wharf, a hotel, brick streets, a saw mill, and a post office, Iola flourished and died along with the city of St. Joseph. Iola was the home of the Stone family, prominent throughout the history of Jackson, Calhoun, and Gulf counties.
Before the town of Iola was established, the site had been a Seminole Indian settlement. In 1823 it was occupied by the famous Indian chief John Blount (originally Blunt), a friend and guide to Andrew Jackson. Blount and his group were removed to the present site of Blountstown and were the source of the town’s name. Steamboats continued to ply the Apalachicola and during the heyday of the “New” Iola (1904-1922) brought wealthy men seeking rest and relaxation to the landing at Iola.
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