Thonotosassa

Thonotosassa is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 13,014 at the 2010 census, up from 6,091 at the 2000 census.HistoryThe name "Thonotosassa" comes from the Seminole-Creek words thlonto and sasse, meaning the place was a source of valuable flint. Following the establishment of Fort Brooke in 1824 in what is now Tampa, a road that ran northwest of Lake Thonotosassa was built between Fort Brooke and Fort King in Ocala. This road became known as the Fort King Road, which today is crossed in several locations by U.S. Route 301. Nevertheless, the presence of a Seminole village largely discouraged whites from moving into the area. After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, whites began to settle.In 1893, the Tampa and Thonotosassa Railroad opened a 13mi route between the two growing communities. This line today no longer extends into Thonotosassa, its northern tracks having been removed along with the town depot by the 1980s, but its southern portion remains a busy industrial spur, joining with the CSX main line at Neve Wye.