Jessie Hiram Ryals.  This photo, date unknown, shows Jessie Hiram Ryals with several deer from a morning hunting trip.  Jessie H. Ryals was the son of Aaron Ryals who operated and was part owner of a Confederate Salt Works located at Salt Springs.  Jessie H. Ryals was born in 1864 in Hernando County where he lived most of his life.  On August 8th, 1889 Jessie H. Ryals married to newly widowed Margaret Ann Jane Taylor Rewis.  The marriage of Margaret Rewis and Jessie Ryals was conducted in Brooksville and performed by Rev. A.M.C. Russell and with future Florida Governor William Sherman Jennings as witness.   Margaret had been previously married to Randall Daniel Rewis who passed away in 1887.  Margaret and Randall were founders of the Bethlehem School located near the intersection of Hudson and Hays Road, they deeded two acres of school property to the Hernando County School Board in 1885.  After the death of Randall Rewis, Jessie H. Ryals became trustee of the Bethlehem School at which time the name of the school was changed to Bee Tree Pond School.  The newly named school was named for the Bee Tree Pond, which was located on the former homestead of Randall D. Rewis.  After his marriage to Margaret, Jessie took control of the Rewis homestead of 160 acres where the Bethlehem/ Bee Tree Pond was located.  In 1893 Margaret and Jessie had their first child, Horace W. Ryals who was born at the former Rewis homestead in Bethlehem, Pasco County.  Other children born at the former Rewis homestead in Bethlehem were Aaron J. and Robert Maxey Ryals. In 1903 Margaret Ann Jane Taylor Rewis Ryals filed for a divorce from Jessie Hiram Ryals, which was granted to her on February 2, 1903 by Judge Wall of Tampa.  After his divorce from Margaret, Jessie married to Bell Scarborough from Inverness.  Bell and Jessie had six children at their home in Inverness.  (Photo courtesy of Sandra DeLeo, research by Jeff Cannon; both descendants of the Rewis and Ryals Families.  Anyone intersted in copies of research documents please contact Jeff Cannon at the main page.)