Lithia, Florida

Lithia
Unincorporated community

Lithia Springs, Florida canoe launch January 4, 2015
Lithia
Lithia

Location within the state of Florida

Coordinates: 27°51′01″N 82°10′29″W / 27.85028°N 82.17472°W / 27.85028; -82.17472Coordinates: 27°51′01″N 82°10′29″W / 27.85028°N 82.17472°W / 27.85028; -82.17472
Country United States
State Florida
County Hillsborough
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 33547
Area code(s) 813

Lithia is an unincorporated community in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of Tampa and has a population of 8,527. The zip code is 33547. The area code is 813. The area includes the Census-designated place (CDP) of Fish Hawk.[1] Lithia is home to the 2,963 acre Alafia River Corridor and 5,515 acre Chito Branch Reserve.

Description

The swimming area at Lithia Springs Park, Florida January 4, 2015
Lithia, Florida Post Office May 7, 2016

Lithia is a small unincorporated community and home to Lithia Springs Regional Park, Alderman's Ford Park and the C.W. Bill Young Reservoir. The elevation ranges from less than 8 feet at Lithia Springs to 105 feet south of the post office.

The community has a rich history in agriculture, saw mills, and phosphate mining. In the late 1990s, Newland Communities purchased 3,000 acres (12 km2) to develop Fishhawk Ranch, Fishhawk Trails was developed by another company, more public works and retail stores are currently in the development.[2] The international headquarters of The Mosaic Company's phosphate division is located in Lithia.

Education

Schools

History

Prior to the advent of white settlers in 1846, Lithia had been variously inhabited by Native American tribes, such as the Tocobaga, Muskogan (Creek), Tomokan, Caloosa and later the Seminole, some of whom were mentioned by the Spanish in the 1600s.[3] Settlers from Georgia arrived in 1847. In 1848, James Alderman created a ford on the Alafia River at the site of present-day Alderman's Ford Park. By the time of the civil war, Alderman's cattle ranching operation ran to around 30,000 head of cattle.[4] Around 1900, Lithium was discovered in the waters of a spring (now known as Lithia Spring Major), which resulted in the naming of the community to Lithia.[5] Lithia is the closest community to the coordinates listed as the launch site by Jules Verne in his 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon.

Geography

Lithia is located at (27.85, -82.19);[6] or about 18 miles (29 km) ESE of Tampa.[7][8]

Schools

Lithia is home to several schools including Bevis Elementary,Fishhawk Creek Elementary, Lithia Springs Elementary, Pinecrest Elementary, Barrington Middle School,Randall Middle School, and Newsome High School.

Economy

Lithia is headquarters for The Mosaic Company's international phosphate division.[9]

Notable person

References

  1. ↑ Fish Hawk Community website. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  2. ↑ Tbo.com, Jan 11, 2012
  3. ↑ http://www.ospreyobserver.com/local-history/history-of-lithia/
  4. ↑ http://www.alderman.50megs.com/rich_text.html
  5. ↑ http://www.hillsborough.wateratlas.usf.edu/upload/documents/HILLSBOROUGH_COUNTY_Historic_Resources_Excerpts_Lithia.pdf
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. ↑ Distance Between Places
  8. ↑ Populated Places Search Results - Multiple Matches
  9. ↑ "Mosaic breaks ground on phosphate headquarters in Lithia". Tampa Bay Times. 11 March 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  10. ↑ Fox, Scarlett (22 October 2012). "Newsome Coach Orlando Greene: From Caribbean To Olympian". Retrieved 24 March 2016.
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