Bull Creek, Florida
Encyclopedia
Bull Creek, Florida is a small unincorporated community and rural settlement in Osceola County, Florida
. It is located approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Holopaw
and 30 miles (48.3 km) west of Melbourne
.
Bull Creek is part of the Orlando
–Kissimmee
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The latitude of Bull Creek is 28.093N. The longitude is -80.976W.
purchased 104000 acres (420.9 km²) in east-central Florida in 1902, including what would become Bull Creek. Hopkins build a small railroad to move timber, mostly Cypress
to his sawmill in Melbourne, the area was heavily logged from 1912 until 1928.
Cypress is still being harvested from the area surrounding Bull Creek but the trees are smaller and used mostly for mulch.
In 1967 23,350 acres were purchased by the state for flood control, the Bull Creek area feeds the Saint Johns River and a large levee was built to control the water released in to the river. In 1970 the state owned land was leased to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to be used as a Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
In the 1960s corrupt county officials allowed remote swampland bordered on two sides by the WMA to be pre-platted into a paper subdivision (subdivision in name only) it was then mass-marketed nationwide to unsuspecting buyers as an investment.
Many of these buyers becoming aware they had been scammed stopped paying their property taxes and the land was purchased by locals for use as hunting camps or for agricultural use. Over time some owners have become full time residences.
Much of the remaining lots are too small, too wet and too far from the only maintained road to be built on, further growth of this community is unlikely.
Zoning is agricultural with no more than one single-family home per 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) allowed, agricultural land can be used for conservation, cattle, timber and other agricultural uses.
Local residents enjoy ATV
riding, target shooting, hobby farming, gardening
and raising livestock
on their property.
Visitors to the area should keep in mind that with the exception of Bull Creek WMA, Triple-N-Ranch WMA and Crabgrass Road that all other land is private property.
Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
. It is located approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Holopaw
Holopaw, Florida
Holopaw, Florida is a small unincorporated community in Osceola County, Florida, United States. It is located at the eastern end of the multiplex of highways US 192 and US 441. It has a population of fewer than 5,000 people and is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical...
and 30 miles (48.3 km) west of Melbourne
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
.
Bull Creek is part of the Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
–Kissimmee
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee is a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,682. It is the county seat of Osceola County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
The community name derives from Bull Creek and the Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area that borders it. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 65 feet (19.8 m).The latitude of Bull Creek is 28.093N. The longitude is -80.976W.
History
George W. HopkinsGeorge W. Hopkins
George W. Hopkins was a lumberman involved in the removal of tens of thousands of acres of virgin forests in Michigan and Florida.Hopkins was born in 1844 in Virginia. His father soon moved his family to Michigan in search of farm land. Hopkins became a surveyor and map maker at a young age, and...
purchased 104000 acres (420.9 km²) in east-central Florida in 1902, including what would become Bull Creek. Hopkins build a small railroad to move timber, mostly Cypress
Cypress
Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
to his sawmill in Melbourne, the area was heavily logged from 1912 until 1928.
Cypress is still being harvested from the area surrounding Bull Creek but the trees are smaller and used mostly for mulch.
In 1967 23,350 acres were purchased by the state for flood control, the Bull Creek area feeds the Saint Johns River and a large levee was built to control the water released in to the river. In 1970 the state owned land was leased to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to be used as a Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
In the 1960s corrupt county officials allowed remote swampland bordered on two sides by the WMA to be pre-platted into a paper subdivision (subdivision in name only) it was then mass-marketed nationwide to unsuspecting buyers as an investment.
Many of these buyers becoming aware they had been scammed stopped paying their property taxes and the land was purchased by locals for use as hunting camps or for agricultural use. Over time some owners have become full time residences.
Much of the remaining lots are too small, too wet and too far from the only maintained road to be built on, further growth of this community is unlikely.
Demographics
The population of Bull Creek consists of less than 100 mostly working class families who prefer a rural lifestyle.Zoning is agricultural with no more than one single-family home per 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) allowed, agricultural land can be used for conservation, cattle, timber and other agricultural uses.
Recreation
Bull Creek WMA offers more than 23000 acres (93.1 km²) of recreational land, open to the public year round for hiking, horseback riding, and viewing wildlife. Fishing at Billy Lake, Crabgrass Creek and Bull Creek is common and when in season deer, hog, turkey and small game hunting is available.Local residents enjoy ATV
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
riding, target shooting, hobby farming, gardening
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
and raising livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
on their property.
Visitors to the area should keep in mind that with the exception of Bull Creek WMA, Triple-N-Ranch WMA and Crabgrass Road that all other land is private property.