Hillsborough County

C OUNTY SEAT: Tampa

\, P OPULATION : 355,500 } 11>"" ! ~ I • 'III> • I NCOIIPOIIAT ED CITIES: Plant '""'~''' ~~ I City, ,-~" + MULL~ r- ~Yl7l -, - .--- Port Tampa City, Tampa, IDC. ./ K ~yD- · Temple Terrace. ' EGMONT ,/ '0lIl".",1Clt..,r ", ,*,'"

ILLSBOROUGH COUNTY is situated eggplant, tomatoes, beans, squash, potatoes, H on the western coast of near cabbage, cucumbers, spinach, and water­ the center of the State's length. Its 679,680 melons. Native grass hays are grown in con­ acres are bordered by Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, siderable quantity. In 1954 th ere were 4,492 and Manatee counties; Tampa Bay and Hills­ farms in the county comprising 863,243 borou gh Bay form a deep indentation in its acres. Winter truck crops are a specialty of shoreline, giving the county an extended the county. Plant City is considered the "win­ water frontage.Tampa , the county seat an d ter strawberry capital of the world:' pro­ principal city, is 20 miles from St. Peters­ ducing an average of 20,000,000 pints of burg, 33 miles from Lakeland, 97 miles from strawberries per season. Ruskin is noted as Orlando, and 98 miles from Ocala. the center of tomato production. One of the largest mechanized farms in the coun try is Annual average temp erature is 72.42 de­ located here. In 1955-56 there were 19,850 grees; average high 81.5 degrees in August, acres planted to vegetables and small fruits. average low 60.4 degrees in January. Aver­ Th e State Farmers' Market in Plant City is age annual rainfall is 48.48 inches, the heavi­ the largest market of its kind in the nation; est in June, July, August, and September. other large produce markets are located at Eleva tion above sea level is 15 feet at Tampa, Tampa . Grapes, figs, avocad os, guavas, and 121 feet at Plant City. mangoes are grown in considerable quantity. Hillsborough County, one of the major met­ Pecans also grow well here. ropolitan areas in Florida, has a widely diver­ Citrus fruit is a major crop and the pri nci­ sified economy, and agriculture, timber, pal source of income for many communities commercial fishing, dairying, and poultry in th e county. Th ere were 1,783,000 citrus-­ raising, shipping, phosphate mining, cattle bearin g trees in 1955-56, and the fruit is of raising, large industries, and tourists are all high quality.Citrus canning and concentrate important sources of income. plants are located here. Commercial fishing Th e prin cipal farm and vegeta ble crops is an important source of income. During are corn, field peas, strawberr ies, peppers, 1956, 2,156,599 pounds of food fish and 18,-

109 992,525 pounds of crabs, crayfis h, shrimp, carried on, including the manufacture of and other miscellaneous seafoods were caught crates and boxes, novelties, furniture, elec­ and marketed. Purebred beef and dairy cattle trical appliances, pine products, candy, medi­ and poultry are raised extensively. In 1954 cines, chemicals, and other products. The there were 715,083 acres of pasture land to railroad shops of the Atlantic Coast Line are meet the needs of the cattle industry. Hills­ located here. Hillsborough County bas a total borough County ranks fi rst in the State in of 652 manufacturing plants, with an annual dairying and poultry raising. Tampa has an payroll of $66,800,000. Two of th e nation's independent livestock market. major breweries are locating here. Tampa is the west coast's principal trade With 415,500 acres in commercia l forest and distribution center. Modern depa rtment lands, 63.2 per cent of the total county area, stores and hotels, a variety of retail establish­ the timber and naval stores industr ies are ments, and diversified recreational activi ties important county activities. Nurseries for the attract visitors from throughout the State. propagation of plants and shrubs, particu­ Tampa is one of Florida's principal conven­ larly citrus, are located here.Hog raising is tion centers, and many southern-region and on the increase. Mineral resources include statewide meetings arc held here each year. limestone, marl, sand, and mineral water. Th e federal and state governments maintain Th e location of a deep-water port at district and regional offices in the city. In ad­ Tampa, with excellent docking, ware hous­ dition to this "permanent" tourist trade, in­ ing, and transportat ion facilities, is increas­ come from winter visitors and vacationers is ing the impor tance of the county as an in­ a major source of income. dustrial center. Fifteen steamship lines An annual Strawberr y Festival is held at maintain offices in Tampa, providing regular Plant City, a Tomato Festiva l is held at Rus­ service to all important United States ports, kin, and the Gasparilla pirate "invasion" of the West Ind ies, Central and South America, Tampa is held concurrently with the Florida and principal ports throughout the world. State Fair in February at Tampa. Th e Fair In 1956, 12,904 ships visited the port of is the largest ann ual winter exposition in the Tampa and transported 12,498,500 tons of nation. Horse races are held at Sunshine cargo. Shipbuilding flourishes here. In freight Park, greyhound races at , car unloadings, the port of Tampa ranks and a jai-alai Ironton. Th e Cincinnati Red­ among the first six ports in the United States. legs and the Chicago Wh ite Sox hold spring Tampa and Hillsborough County form one training here, and an annual baseball dinn er of the most industrialized areas in the State, for visiting players, owne rs, and sports with a large labor force and excellent motor, writers is held each winter in Tampa, a tra­ sea, rail, and air transportation facilities. Th e diti onal affair atte nded by the Governor of county's phosphate mines are a major in­ Florida and many high State officials. A dustry, and Tampa ships some 70 per cent Latin-American Fiesta is held in March, a of the world's phosphate rock from this and seven-day festival in the tradi tional Spanish adjoining counties each year. Tampa is one manner. The Florida Music Festival is held of the largest cigar manu facturing centers in in Tampa.Tampa's , with Spanish the nation, and the 81 factories in the city clubs and world-famous Spanish restaurants, had an output of 731,916,324 cigars in 1956. ' attracts many visitors; this section offers a Th e nation's largest manufacturer of alum­ glimpse of life in old Spain, and plans are inum casement windows has a plant here. heing made to preserve the many early Span­ Sixty-seven per cent of Florida's citrus can­ ning plants and vegetable processing plants ish architectura l influences in this part of the are located in the county. Road material is city. AU. S. Air Force Base, MacDiII Field, manufactured , as are building materials, in­ is located at Tampa. HilIsborougb River State cluding concre te blocks and milling sup plies. Park is situated in the r nrtheast sect ion of Many smaller mannfacturing enterprises are the county.

11 0 Assessed valuation of Hillsborough County , occupying large and in 1956 was $558,757,761, and banking re­ historic buildings, is located at Tampa, and sources totalled $288,309,000. Effective buy­ a new, four-year State University is scheduled ing income was $1,372 per capita and $467,­ to open in 1960. The Tampa Museum, housed 835,000 for the coun ty in 1956. Retail sales in part of the University, contains treasures totalled $407,781,000 in 1956. in art and furni shings from all parts of the world. Florida Christian College is located Quail, dove, rabbit, turkey, and squirrel at Temple Terrace. There are 1,779 hospital are caught in this section . Salt-wa ter trout , beds in the county, of which 600 are in the sheepshead, mackeral, tarpon, and redfish municipal hospital operated by the city of are caught in Tampa Bay. Fresh-water bream, Tamp a. Th ree daily newspapers, Tampa perch, bass, and catfish are caught in the Times, Tamp a Tr ibun e, and the La Traduc­ man y lakes and streams in the area. Both cion-Presna, and eleven weekly papers, Plant salt-water and fresh-water fish are caught City Courier, Port Tampa City Beacon , Rus­ in Mana tee River. kin Planter, Sulphur Springs Post, Tampa U. S. highways 41, 92, and 541 and Florida Labor Advocate, Hyd e Park News, Tampa highways 39, 41, 43, 60, 575, 600, and 676 en­ Free Press, Tampa Record, Ybor City Sun­ ter the county. The famous Gandy Bridge day News, La Gaceta, and Gadsden News, crosses Tampa Bay, a short route to St. are published in the county. Petersburg, and the Courtney Campbell Hillsborough County, formed in 1834, was causeway connects Tampa and Clearwater. name d for Wills Hill, second Viscount Hills­ Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Seaboard borough, who received a large grant of Flor­ Airline Railway provide rail service, and bus ida land during the English occupation. This transportation is provided by Greyhound scction of Florida was first visited in 1528 by Lines and Tamiami Tr ailways. Air transpor­ the Spanish explorer Panfilo de Narvaez, who tation is provided by National Air Lines, discovered the Indian villages of Ucita and Eastern Airlines, Northeast Airlines, Mackey Mucoso, Hernando De Soto followed in 1539, Airlines, and Trans-Canada. Tampa's muni ­ and the De Soto Oak, standing today in cipally owned airport is one of the largest in Plant Park, commemorates the explorer's visit the nation, with 7,OOO-foot runways and the of over four cen turies ago. Tampa Bay was latest type radar landing system. once a rendezvous for pirate hordes, of whom Jose Cas parilla is the most celebrated. Mod­ There are ninety-nine elementary and sec­ ern settlement of this section began in 1823 ondary schools in the county, with an en­ by an American military force from Pensa­ rollment of 67,173 pupils in 1956-57. TIle cola.

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