Gibsonton, Florida | |
|---|---|
 View of a river in Gibsonton | |
 Location in Hillsborough County and the U.S. state of Florida | |
| Coordinates: 27°50′16″N 82°22′27″W / 27.83778°N 82.37417°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Hillsborough |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.44 sq mi (40.00 km2) |
| • Land | 12.81 sq mi (33.19 km2) |
| • Water | 2.63 sq mi (6.81 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 18,566 |
| • Density | 1,448.88/sq mi (559.42/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 33534 |
| Area code | 813 |
| FIPS code | 12-25900[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0283060[3] |
Gibsonton, sometimes nicknamed Gibtown, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. U.S. Route 41 runs through the center of the community. The population was 18,566 at the 2020 census, up from 14,234 at the 2010 census.[4]
Gibsonton was famous as a sideshow wintering town,[5] where various people in the carnival and circus businesses would spend the off season, placing it near the winter home for the Ringling Brothers Circus at Tampa, Sarasota and Venice in various times.[6] It was home to Percilla the Monkey Girl, the Anatomical Wonder, and the Lobster Boy. Siamese twin sisters ran a fruit stand here. At one time, it was the only post office with a counter for dwarfs. Aside from the agreeable winter climate, Gibsonton offered unique circus zoning laws that allowed residents to keep elephants and circus trailers on their front lawns.
Gibsonton was founded by James Gibson Sr., from Greenville, Alabama, in 1884. He homesteaded 150 acres at the mouth of the Alafia River, stretching to the east for approximately a half a mile along the south bank of the river. Gibson, along with Granville Platt and F.L. Henderson, became trustees of a school erected in 1888.[7]
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Gibsonton CDP, Florida". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 3, 2017.[dead link]
- ^ Clerici, Caterina; Wall, Kim (February 26, 2015). "Welcome to Gibtown, the last 'freakshow' town in America". The Guardian.
- ^ "The circus in Venice, Florida". Archived from the original on October 29, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ "Hillsborough County Historic Resources Survey Report" (PDF).