A lot of folks called it Gib-Town, but it was really Gibsonton. Once a small town known in west-central Florida as the place where many of the oddest people in the country called home, it was now a medium-sized town still known for the same thing. Over time, the media popularization of the place and its location on US Route 41 in the burgeoning growth area around Tampa made it something of a locally-popular destination, but Gib-Town never really seemed to become what its uniqueness promised.

Carnival and circus workers would winter in the town, the season when the shows weren't touring. It was a good spot for them: warm compared to the freezing temperatures further north, easily accessible and close to the local headquarters for a number of their employers, including the venerable Ringling Bros. organizat...

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