Bell (Florida)

Bell is a town in Gilchrist County, Florida, United States. The population was 456 at the 2010 census, up from 349 in 2000. It is situated in the northern part of the county. The middle/high school is home to approximately 750 students.HistoryThe town was founded in the 1890s, named after a beauty contest winner, Bell Fletcher. In the early 1900s, a railway was built, passing through the town on its route between Starke and Wannee. A train depot was built circa 1905, and the restored depot building is now the Town Hall.On September 18, 2014, a man, identified as 51-year-old ex-convict Don Charles Spirit, shot dead his daughter Sarah and her six children. He then committed suicide after police officers responded to the scene of the mass shooting.GeographyBell is located at . U.S. Route 129 is the town's Main Street; it leads north to Branford and south 10mi to Trenton, the Gilchrist County seat.According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6sqmi, all land.DemographicsAs of the census of 2000, there were 349 people, 125 households, and 91 families residing in the town. The population density was 213.5 people per square mile (82.7/km²). There were 149 housing units at an average density of 91.2 per square mile (35.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.99% White, 2.01% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.43% from other races, and 0.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.43% of the population.