Traditional land use around Lake Thonotosassa following Native American inhabitation was primarily orange groves planted by settlers. Local stories tell of the first citrus groves near Thonotosassa being inadvertently planted by troops from the Second Seminole War who once rested near the lake. Some of the soldiers had oranges from Cuba. After eating these oranges, they dropped the seeds on the ground accidentally starting the first citrus trees in the area1 . Horse ranching was also prevalent and Michael reported still spotting someone horseback riding occasionally. According to the “Hillsborough Historic Resources Report,” after the Second Seminole War in the mid 19th Century, white settlers began moving to the lake. One of these early settlers was a wealthy man from Ohio named W.P. Hazen, who purchased 2,000 acres along Lake Thonotosassa’s lakeshore in 1881, on which he planted orange trees. Also due to his presence, a windmill and sawmill were erected. The Cooper family was also prominent in the early history of settlement on Lake Thonotosassa, between 1882 and 1900, having built 32 structures that included a hotel, citrus packing plants, a store, and over twenty houses1 . By the 1890s, there were 150 people in the Lake Thonotosassa community1 . Soon after there was a decline in the once bustling lake community, which can be attributed to the Tampa and Thonotosassa Railroad built in 1893. According to some, this caused many residents to relocate to the urban north of Tampa. Adding to the desire to move to more urban areas were the Great Freezes of 1894 and 1895, which destroyed citrus throughout the state. However, the community of Thonotosassa recovered as the citrus industry returned and the 1920s brought more people and more development. After yet another decline during WW II, the Lake Thonotosassa community slowly turned suburban as lake quality deteriorated and the population grew1 . The majority of development on Lake Thonotosassa today is on the north, west, and south shores, mostly residential. Along the eastern shore is seawall built by the now defunct Hendry Corporation
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 18:15:39 +0000
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