Fontana, one of the oldest towns in Miami county, is situated on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R. about 10 miles south of Paola, the county seat. It was laid out in Sept., 1869, and took its name from "Old Fontana," which had been laid out about a half mile west of the present town in 1858, at what was called the cross-roads. The old town had a postoffice and one store, but when the railroad was built the new town was surveyed and the old town abandoned. At the present time Fontana contains several general stores, a drug store, grocery, implement house, lumber yard, grain dealer and a small mill. It has a money order postoffice, telegraph and express offices and in 1910 had a population of 300.