Bealsville, originally named Howell's Creek, is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in southeastern Hillsborough County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, United States, between Plant City and Lithia near the intersection of Horton Road and

Florida State Road 60 State Road 60 (SR 60) is an east–west route transversing Florida from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. The western terminus of SR 60 is at the ''Sunsets at Pier 60'' site in Clearwater Beach. The eastern terminus is in Vero Beach n ...

History

Bealsville was founded after the civil war by freed slaves from surrounding communities including

Knights A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

, Plant City, Hopewell, and others. The 1866 Southern Homestead Act provided a means for freed slaves to obtain tracts of property ranging from 40 to 160 acres. To retain title, the new owners had to develop homes, clear land, and demonstrate that they possessed the equipment to farm it.

Education

The community of Bealsville is served by

Hillsborough County Schools Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is a school district that runs the public school system of Hillsborough County in west central Florida and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It is frequently referred to as the School District of Hillsb ...

References

Unincorporated communities in Hillsborough County, Florida Unincorporated communities in Florida {{HillsboroughCountyFL-geo-stub