Iola Real Estate

Iola real estate first made the news in 1909 when a team of railroad officials and news reporters took a train from Houston to Iola specifically for real estate purposes. The team set off to photograph and record highlights regarding property for sale in Inola for the March issue of the Southwestern Trail publication. Our community was off and running early in the race!

Iola's Early Days

There is no clear record of how our township obtained its name, and theories range from Indian Maiden to Edward Ariola, a Louisiana transplant whose son fought in the Texas Revolution and War with Mexico.

Native American tribes first inhabited the area, and by unofficial accounts, were friendly with the Europeans who settled here in the early 1800s. As with most towns in this part of Texas, Iola was part of the land grant to Stephen F. Austin after the war with Mexico for Texas independence.

Side note: In the late 1800s and early 1900s all government services shut down for Texas Independence Day.

Iola is near Bryan/College Station in Grimes County, named for Jesse Grimes, one of the original "Austin 300" colonizers. Grimes was a senator in the first Congress held in The Republic of Texas.

Cotton was the primary crop for farmers in the early days, with corn, sorghum, and potatoes following suit in the line of commodity products. With easy access to the railroad, most of Iola's crops ended up as trade or export items. Even though Anderson is the county seat of Grimes County, Iola was the largest settlement at the end of the 1800s thanks to the railroad.

The turn of the century brought with it merchants who opened their doors in Iola to cater to farmers and residents. Feed stores, dry goods, a furniture plus hardware store, and grocery shops sprang up near the railroad lines along the main road through Iola.

Then came the first bank in Iola in 1907 followed by a candy kitchen and barber shop. 1909 brought more train action to the town as the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad extended the existing tracks of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad to Iola and connected it with Navasota.

Iola, The Modern Years

Real estate in Iola, Texas still balances space with community. You'll find ranch-style properties with multiple acres, custom homes with modern conveniences, plus traditional neighborhoods. King Oaks subdivision is a master planned community with ponds for fishing, a nature reserve, walking trails, swimming pool with grilling station and pavilion, tennis courts, and playground.

Children attend schools in the sought-after Iola ISD, continuing a long-standing tradition of formal education, as Iola's first graduation commencement ceremony dates back to 1909. Today the district provides educational and extracurricular opportunities to approximately 450 Iola students. Athletics include baseball, basketball, track, football, softball and volleyball.

Outside In Iola

We are near Gibbons Creek Reservoir and the Navasota River where generations fished and floated the rolling waters. Formed in 1975, Gibbons Creek Steam Electric Station provides power to the nearby cities, while the reservoir cools the plant's generators.

The park at Gibbons Creek Reservoir is open Friday through Sunday and is by far the best-kept secret in the Brazos Valley. Cast your bait and hope to catch anything from largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, and an assortment of bluegills and sunfish. Pack your tackle box full of lures, minnows, or hot dogs and get a line wet on the water or off the 250' fishing pier.

Recreation on the water is plentiful during the summer via swimming, cruising around on a boat or jet ski with access to the lake thanks to the public boat ramp. For those who prefer to sleep near their playground, the park hosts 17 RV sites with water and electric hookups. And for campers who enjoy the ambiance of a tent, there are ten or so spots to pitch a campsite while in proximity to modern conveniences like showers.

Feral hogs that now roam the region are descendants of pigs raised on farms by settlers over a hundred years ago. Hunting expeditions to control the population are prominent in Iola.

Additional Points of Interest

Zion Cemetery is adjacent to the Zion Methodist Church, formed in 1852, and was the first church organized in Iola. The rolling plains and open spaces allow for creativity, evident in our local craftspeople and their wares like hand-crafted candles.

Iola is an easy commute to Bryan/College Station for those of you who work in that area. Contact Myke to arrange your personal tour of Iola.