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109-495: There were a number of different Native American peoples living in southwestern Florida in the late 18th century and early 19th centuries. It was reported in 1823 that there were Seminoles, as well as small numbers of Muscogees, Alabamas, Choctaws, and other tribes, living near Tampa Bay and Charlotte Habor , with some living in the Cape Sable region, and "not more than 50" on the east coast near Cape Florida . People living in

218-640: A Higher Learning Commission regionally accredited post secondary institution. Webster University offers on-site, regionally accredited graduate degree programs in business and counseling at their Ocala Metropolitan Campus. Three of the eight libraries in the Marion County Public Library System are located in Ocala. Those three libraries are: Several major highways pass through Ocala, including Interstate 75 , U.S. Highway 27 , U.S. Route 301 , and U.S. Highway 441 . Ocala

327-680: A hammock in the Everglades to Sturtevant as Chakaika's island. The hammock, south of the Tamiami Trail in the Shark River Slough, has been given the archaeological site identifier of 8DA69. Spanish Indians disappeared from Florida after 1840. Some Seminole families in Oklahoma claimed Spanish ancestry in 1932, but it is unclear whether they derived from Chakaika's band or from rancho Indians. Tampa Bay Tampa Bay

436-465: A "Spanish Indian" guide at the St. Lucie River in 1769. As Romans elsewhere reported the departure of all Calusa from Florida by 1763, this Spanish Indian was likely a Muscogulge rather than a Calusa. Spanish records include lists of names of Florida Indians, eventually including hundreds each year, that visited Cuba between 1771 and 1823. Sturtevant notes that most of the names of chiefs and towns recorded by

545-640: A Spanish father or grandfather. He was described as being more than 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighing more than 200 pounds (91 kg). While Judge William Marvin of Key West blamed Chakaika for leading the attack on the settlements in the area of the Miami River in January 1836 and for an attack on Charlotte Harbor in April 1836 in which Henry Crews, customs collector for Charlotte Harbor, had been killed, other sources say that Chakaika's band stayed out of

654-508: A breach of the Seminoles' understanding of the agreement. On the morning of July 23, 1839, about 160 Indians attacked the trading post and Army camp in the Battle of Caloosahatchee . Colonel Harney escaped in his nightclothes, but half of the soldiers and some civilians were killed, either immediately or after being captured. The attack on the army camp was led by Chakaika, while Hospetarke led

763-738: A common ancestry. Neill notes that the Spanish Indians were generally considered to be Calusa until Sturtevant's 1953 paper. Sturtevant stated that there were probably Calusa remnants in Southwest Florida in the early 19th century, and Neill stated it is possible that a few Calusa or Muspa remained in Florida and amalgamated with the Seminoles after the Spanish left. Neill also notes that no 19th century primary source identifies Spanish Indians as Calusa. In 1822, Jedidiah Morse , in

872-580: A graduated income tax , and direct election of United States senators. Most of the "Ocala Demands" were to become part of the Populist Party platform. In the last decades of the twentieth century, the greater Ocala area had one of the highest growth rates in the country for a city its size. Many historic homes are preserved in Ocala's large residential Historic District , designated in 1984. East Fort King Street features many excellent examples of Victorian architecture . Ocala structures listed on

981-400: A household in the city was $ 30,888, and the median income for a family was $ 38,190. Males had a median income of $ 29,739 versus $ 24,367 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,021. About 13.2% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over. Ocala is the headquarters of Emergency One,

1090-548: A large watershed area . The shores of Tampa Bay were home to the Weeden Island Culture and then the Safety Harbor culture for thousands of years. These cultures relied heavily on Tampa Bay for food, and the waters were rich enough that they were one of the few Native American cultures that did not have to farm. The Tocobaga was likely the dominant chiefdom in the area when Spanish explorers arrived in

1199-466: A leak of 65 million gallons of acidic water from a Cargill phosphate plant on the bay's southern shore severely impacted wetlands in the vicinity of the spill. And in April 2021, a breach of a wastewater reservoir at the long-closed Piney Point phosphate plant sent over 200 millions gallons of nutrient-rich mine tailings streaming into lower Tampa Bay. The resulting growth of red tide algae led to an ecocide and killed over 1000 tons of fish in

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1308-399: A letter to Thompson that the Seminoles did not claim the Spanish Indians as members because they did not want to share the annuities they received from the government. Thompson's reply to Steele ruled that the Spanish Indians were bound by communication and family relationships to the Seminoles, and had to join the Seminoles on the reservation. John Worth has stated that the Spanish Indians of

1417-611: A location. A Spanish mission named San Luis de Eloquale was established by 1630. Milanich believes the mission was near the Withlacoochee River. Eloquale is not named in a 1655 list of missions, and Ocale (and its variants) disappears from history. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Creek people and other Native Americans, and free and fugitive African Americans sought refuge in Florida. The Seminole people formed. After foreign colonial rule shifted between Spain and Great Britain and back again, in 1821

1526-446: A mayor, all of which are elected on a nonpartisan basis. It has a council-manager form of government, relying on a manager hired by the city. The mayor sets policy but has few powers other than vetoing legislation passed by the council and tending to some duties involving the police department. The current mayor is Ben Marciano. The city manager handles most administrative and financial matters. A number of county offices are housed at

1635-665: A report to the U.S. secretary of war , said that the Calusa were extinct. The Calusa and other Pre-Columbian era Indigenous peoples of Florida, with the possible exception of those called "Spanish Indians", were gone by 1800. By 1829 Whites in south Florida referred only to Seminoles as being present. Sturtevant concludes that there were several different Indian groups in Southwest florida in early 19th century: Seminoles, persons of mixed Indian and Spanish ancestry, Choctaws (probably), and Calusa (probably). There are Seminole traditions of

1744-700: A story from a Cow Creek Seminole informant relating how a people called imá:la , who were big and ferocious, fought with the ko:ico:bî (Mikasuki for the Florida panther , possibly meaning the Panther or Tiger clan of the Miccosukee). The imá:la were driven away, but a few returned after the Second Seminole War and took refuge with the Miccosukee. Neill notes that imá:la resembles "Emola",

1853-466: A white attorney working for the Creek (Muscogee) nation, was in Florida in 1833 tracking slaves who had escaped from Muscogee owners. He stated in an affidavit that he had been advised that it was unsafe to travel south of Tampa Bay in pursuit of runaway slaves because there were bands of "desperadoes, runaways, murderers, and thieves" between there and Charlotte Harbor, composed of Indians and Blacks, most of

1962-530: A wide mouth connecting it to the Gulf of Mexico . Prior to that time, it was a large fresh water lake, possibly fed by the Floridan Aquifer through natural springs . Though the exact process of the lake-to-bay transformation is not completely understood, the leading theory is that rising sea levels following the last ice age coupled with the formation of a massive sink hole near the current mouth of

2071-571: A worldwide designer and manufacturer of fire rescue vehicles. According to the City's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are: Horses have a prominent role in Ocala's cultural makeup. The first thoroughbred horse farm in Florida was developed in Marion County in 1943 by Carl G. Rose . Other farms were developed, making Ocala the center of a horse-breeding area. Local horses have won individual races of

2180-510: Is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida , United States. Located in North Central Florida , the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 census , up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making it the 43rd-most populated city in Florida. Ocala is the principal city of the Ocala metropolitan area , which had a population of 375,908 in 2020. Home to over 400 thoroughbred farms and training centers, Ocala

2289-491: Is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida , comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay , Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater inflow into the bay is the Hillsborough River , which flows into Hillsborough Bay in downtown Tampa . Many other smaller rivers and streams also flow into Tampa Bay, resulting in

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2398-679: Is considered the "Horse Capital of the World". Notable attractions include the Ocala National Forest , Silver Springs State Park , Rainbow Springs State Park , the College of Central Florida , and the World Equestrian Center . Ocala is named after Ocale (also Cale, Etocale, and other variants) a Timucua village and chiefdom recorded in the 16th century, the name of which is believed to mean "Big Hammock" in

2507-459: Is extremely vulnerable to sea level rise caused by climate change. The sea level has risen 8 inches (200 mm) since 1946. Tampa Bay is also one of the areas in the US most at risk when hurricanes arrive because of its location, growing population, and the geography of the bay. The Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition coordinates the region's response to climate change. Communities throughout

2616-502: The Alafia , Manatee , and Little Manatee rivers the next largest sources. Because of these many flows into the bay, its large watershed covers portions of five Florida counties and approximately 2,200 square miles (5,700 km ). The bottom of Tampa Bay is silty and sandy, with an average water depth of only about 12 feet (3.7 m). The relatively shallow water and tidal mud flats allow for large sea grass beds, and along with

2725-626: The American Quarter Horse . Other equine events in the area include mounted shooting by the Florida Outlaws, as well as endurance rides, barrel races, extreme cowboy events, jumper shows, trick shows, parades, draft pulls, rodeo events and more. In 2022, Ocala was the site of the inaugural point-to-point Florida Steeplechase at the Florida Horse Park. Ocala is governed by a five-member board of councillors and

2834-520: The Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union , a forerunner of the Populist Party , held its national convention in Ocala. At the convention, the Alliance adopted a platform that would become known as the " Ocala Demands ". This platform included abolition of national banks, promoting low-interest government loans, free and unlimited coinage of silver, reclamation of excess railroad lands by the government,

2943-655: The McPherson Governmental Complex . As of 2020, Republicans outnumber Democrats in Marion County, 112,000 to 80,000. In the 2008 presidential election , John McCain carried both the city and the county, the latter by a landslide, although Florida as a whole voted for Democrat Barack Obama by a narrow margin. The public schools in Ocala are run by the Marion County School Board . There are 30 elementary, ten middle and ten public high schools in Marion County, which include

3052-778: The National Register of Historic Places include the Coca-Cola Building , the E. C. Smith House , East Hall , the Marion Hotel , Mount Zion A.M.E. Church , the Ritz Historic Inn , and Union Train Station . The original Fort King site was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2004. Ocala is located at 29°11′16″N 82°07′50″W  /  29.187704°N 82.130613°W  / 29.187704; -82.130613 . According to

3161-554: The Silver Springs attraction to spare it from development. The state took over Silver Springs itself in 1993 and incorporated it into the park in 2013. Ocala has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ), with hot, humid summers and mild winters. Ocala first appeared in the 1850 U.S. Census, with a total recorded population of 243. Ocala did not report separately in 1860. As of the 2020 census , there were 63,591 people, 23,893 households, and 13,239 families residing in

3270-493: The St. Johns River near Palatka . Marion County is also home to the Ocala National Forest which was established in 1908 and is now the second largest national forest in the state. The Florida Trail , also known as the Florida National Scenic Trail , cuts through Ocala National Forest. Silver Springs State Park was formed as Silver River State Park in 1987, out of land the state purchased around

3379-632: The Timucua language . Another possible meaning of the name is "song or singer of admiration or glorification". The Spaniard Hernando de Soto 's expedition recorded Ocale in 1539 during his exploration through what is today the southeastern United States. The site of Ocale has not been found, but historians believe it was located in southwestern Marion County, near the Withlacoochee River . References to Ocale, Olagale, and Etoquale occur in 16th and early 17th century sources, but do not specify

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3488-658: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 47.79 square miles (123.8 km ), all land. The surrounding farms are famous for their thoroughbred horses , in terrain similar to Kentucky bluegrass . Ocala is also known for nearby Silver Springs , site of one of the largest artesian spring formations in the world and Silver Springs Nature Theme Park , one of the earliest tourist attractions in Florida. The 110-mile (180 km) long Ocklawaha River passes 10 miles (16 km) east of Ocala, flowing north from Central Florida until it joins

3597-428: The yathâmpa:Lî . At first, Seminoles also traded and intermarried with the yathâmpa:Lî . The Spanish later incited the yathâmpa:Lî to attack the Seminoles. The Seminoles defeated the yathâmpa:Lî and Spanish in a multi-day battle. (Sturtevant notes that there are similarities in the story of this battle with the 1702 Battle of Flint River , in which Muscogulges defeated an Apalachee -Spanish force.) Neill collected

3706-489: The "Alachua Seminoles". People speaking Muskogean languages may have settled in southern Florida before all of the Calusa left. In the 1950s, Miccosukees living west of Miami told William C. Sturtevant that they remembered the kalasa:Lî (Calusa people), but regarded them as Spanish. They did not remember any Painted people, Bat necks, or Muspas. Frances Densmore recorded 17 songs from a Cow Creek (Muscogee-speaking) Seminole in 1932 that were said to be Calusa. According to

3815-415: The "Spanish Indians" led by Chakaika. The band of Spanish Indians that were led by Chakaika, including about 100 men of fighting age, lived in the Everglades in 1839–1840. They were said to speak their own language, a mixture of "Indian" and Spanish. Sturtevant allows that the language may have been Calusa, but he found no evidence to support that. Sturtevant notes that Hospetarke, a Seminole chief whose wife

3924-403: The 1950s. However, industrial and agricultural runoff along with runoff from developed areas pose a continuing threat to marine ecosystems in the bay, particularly by clouding the water with sediments and algae blooms, and seagrass coverage declined slightly in the late 2010s. Wastewater pollution from old phosphate plants near the shoreline has been a particular problem. For example, in 2004,

4033-575: The 19th century, most of those people were descendants of Muscogulges, who elsewhere in Florida became known as Seminoles. One component of the Spanish Indians was "rancho Indians". Spanish fishing vessels from Cuba began fishing along the southwest Florida coast by the 1680s. By the 1740s, Cuban fishermen were employing guides and fishermen from the remaining Indigenous people in the Florida Keys . Many Spanish Indians worked at Spanish fishing stations, known as ranchos , from Jupiter Inlet south on

4142-472: The 20th century. Today, the area is home to about 4 million residents, making Tampa Bay a heavily used commercial and recreational waterway and subjecting it to increasing amounts of pollutants from industry, agriculture, sewage, and surface runoff . The bay's water quality was seriously degraded by the early 1980s, resulting in a sharp decline in sea life and decreased availability for recreational use. Greater care has been taken in recent decades to mitigate

4251-583: The Battle of Caloosahatchee, organized an expedition in December 1840 into the Everglades in search of Chakaika. He was guided by John, a former slave who said he had been captured by Chakaika when his master Henry Crews was killed in 1836 at Charlotte Harbor. John had surrendered to the Army at Fort Dallas in early 1840. He reported that Chakaika was planning to attack Indian Key, but he was not deemed credible, and

4360-546: The Bay, including St. Petersburg and Tampa are adapting infrastructure and buildings to face changes in sea level. Humans have lived in Florida for millennia, at least 14,000 years. Due to worldwide glaciation, sea levels were much lower at the time, and Florida's peninsula extended almost 60 miles west of today's coastline. Paleo-Indian sites have been found near rivers and lakes in northern Florida, leading to speculation that these first Floridians also lived on Tampa Bay when it

4469-642: The Charlotte Harbor area then fled to William Bunce's rancho on Tampa Bay. Later that year, the "old" ranchos in the vicinity of Sanibel Island were reported to be deserted and mostly destroyed. Other Spanish Indians still remained on the mainland. An 1837 Army excursion from the Caloosahatchee River to Cape Sable captured 243 prisoners. Thomas Lawson , then Surgeon General of the United States Army , led an expedition along

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4578-608: The Corps of Engineers dredged another channel from the mouth of Tampa Bay to the Port of Tampa, instantly making the city an important shipping center. The Corps of Engineers currently maintains more than 80 miles of deep-water channels in Tampa Bay up to a depth of 47 feet. These must be continuously re-dredged and deepened due to the sandy nature of the bay bottom. While dredging has enabled seaborne commerce to become an important part of

4687-417: The Everglades". An 1837 report stated that Indians living on the coast south of Charlotte Harbor never went to the reservation agency, but traded produce, skins, and small live animals at the Spanish ranchos for guns, ammunition, and clothing. They may have also sometimes worked at the ranchos. Some bands were also in contact with Bahamian wreckers . They had not been represented at the treaty conferences with

4796-414: The Florida peninsula, killing many of the Florida natives, and capturing others for sale as slaves. Continued raiding by Muscogulges pushed the last Calusas and other peoples into extreme southern Florida. The last 60 Calusas on Key West were evacuated to Cuba in 1760. Bernard Romans reported that the coast between Cape Sable and Cape Romano was the last refuge of the Calusa before they were driven off

4905-522: The Floridian leg of the Trail of Tears . For the next 100 years, many new communities were founded around the bay. Fort Brooke begat Tampa on the northeast shore, Fort Harrison (a minor military outpost on Florida's west coast) begat Clearwater , the trading post of "Braden's Town" developed into Bradenton on the south, and St. Petersburg grew quickly after its founding in the late 19th century, on

5014-584: The Indian Territory from Florida. Seven Spaniards were allowed to stay in New Orleans when they promised not to return to Florida. A newspaper in Arkansas reported that one group of captives being taken to the Indian Territory included 150 Spanish Indians and Spaniards who had married Seminoles. In May 1839, General Alexander Macomb arranged a truce with the Seminoles. The Seminoles regarded

5123-488: The Interbay peninsula and Hillsboro Bay on the east with an overall name of Bay of Spiritu Santo . At other times, the entire bay was identified as The Bay of Tocobaga. The United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1821. The name Spirito Santo seems to have disappeared from maps of the region in favor of "Tampa Bay" (sometimes divided into Tampa and Hillsboro Bays) soon after the US established Fort Brooke at

5232-488: The Second Seminole War until 1839. The start of the Second Seminole War at the end of 1835 brought trouble to southwest Florida. Rumors spread that Seminoles were planning to attack establishments around Tampa Bay. In April, customs inspector Henry Crews was murdered at Charlotte Harbor, and a party of 25 Seminoles led by Wyhokee raided the Useppa Island fishing rancho. Approximately 200 residents of fishing ranchos in

5341-513: The Spaniards. William Bunce, who owned a fishing rancho in Tampa Bay, stated in 1838 that he had 10 Spaniards and 20 Spanish Indians working for him, and that most of the Spanish Indians had been born at the rancho, spoke Spanish, and "had never been in the country ten miles in their lives". He said that they worked for the Cuban fishermen from August until March, cultivated small plots and fished in

5450-601: The Spanish Indian wives and children at Bunce's rancho, and even some of the Spaniards, were forced to emigrate to Indian Territory with the Seminoles. That year, 21 men who had been rounded up from Charlotte Harbor ranchos to be shipped to Indian Territory petitioned to be released on the grounds that they were Spanish, not Indians. Two of the men complained that their wives had been claimed by Holata Emathla as part of his band being sent to Indian Territory. In 1838, 80 Spaniards were reported to be among captives being sent to

5559-556: The Spanish Indians led by Chakaika. Only Chitto Tustenuggee (war chief under Arpieka) had met with General Macomb. As the other leaders had not participated in the agreement for the truce, they may not have felt bound by it. As part of the truce agreement, a trading post was established on the Caloosahatchee River, guarded by 25 soldiers under Colonel William S. Harney . In the meantime, the Seminoles learned that American officials still intended to remove them from Florida,

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5668-570: The Spanish Indians with salt and ammunition, and that one of the Spaniards had advised the Spanish Indians to attack Indian Key. It is believed that the Indians understood Henry Perrine when he spoke to them in Spanish during the attack. The attackers were also heard speaking English. Goods from the store in Indian Key were found at the Spanish Indian camp later that year. Colonel Harney, who had been surprised and humiliated by Chakaika's band in

5777-430: The Spanish appear to be Muscogee. While the remaining names may be Calusa, they may also be Muscogee names distorted by poor transcription and copying errors. In 1952–1953, Miccosukees living west of Miami told Sturtevant that yathâmpa:Lî ("bad people") had also lived in Florida. The yathâmpa:Lî were said to have been found by the Spanish living south of present-day Ocala . The Spanish traded with and intermarried with

5886-513: The Spanish first reached Florida, southwest Florida was the home of the Calusa and other peoples who were closely associated with and dominated by them. Spanish presence in the Calusa domain was sporadic and limited, with the last Spanish attempt to place a mission with the Calusa failing in 1697. After the destruction of the Spanish mission system in northern Florida at the beginning of the 18th century, Yamassees and Muscogulges raided far into

5995-495: The Tampa Bay area's economy, it has also damaged the bay's water quality and ecology. More care has been taken in recent decades to lessen the environmental impact of dredging. Dredged material has also been used to create several spoil islands on the eastern side of Hillsboro Bay. These islands have become important nesting sites for many seabirds, including threatened species such as oystercatchers , and have been designated as "sanctuary islands" that are off-limits to boaters. In

6104-462: The Tampa Bay region would be virtually uninhabited for almost 200 years. Tampa Bay was given different names by early mapmakers. Spanish maps dated from 1584 identifies Tampa Bay as Baya de Spirito Santo ("Bay of the Holy Spirit "). A map dated 1695 identifies the area as Bahia Tampa . Later maps dated 1794 and 1800 show the bay divided with three different names, Tampa Bay west of

6213-560: The Triple Crown series; in 1978, Affirmed , who was bred and trained in Marion County, won all three races, boosting interest in the industry there. Ocala is one of only five cities (four in the US and one in France) permitted under Chamber of Commerce guidelines to use the title, "Horse Capital of the World", based on annual revenue produced by the horse industry. 44,000 jobs are sustained by breeding, training, and related support of

6322-505: The U.S., and never agreed to leave Florida. There is evidence that at least some of those Indians spoke Muscogee. There were four Seminole bands reported in southwest Florida in May 1839; one led by Arpieka (known as Sam Jones to English-speakers) with war chiefs Chitto Tustenuggee and Holata Mico , one led by Hospetarke with Passacka as war chief, one led by Otalke Thlocco (the Prophet), and

6431-619: The United States acquired the territory of Florida. After warfare to the north, in 1827 the U.S. Army built Fort King near the present site of Ocala as a buffer between the Seminole , who had long occupied the area, and white settlers moving into the region. The fort was an important base during the Second Seminole War and later served in 1844 as the first courthouse for Marion County . The modern city of Ocala, which

6540-509: The area of Charlotte Harbor were called both "Spanish Indians" and "Muspas", and it was long assumed later in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century that the Spanish Indians and Muspas were remnants of the Calusa. The Spanish Indians lived in palmetto thatched huts, raised food in mainland farms, spoke Spanish, dealt with Spanish-Cuban fishermen, visited and traded with Havana, and were in communication with other Indian bands in Florida, but had no contact with English-speakers. When

6649-538: The attack on the trading post. Holatter Micco (war-chief of Arpeika's band) and Shonockhadjo (war-chief of Otalke-Thlocko's band) were other leaders in the attack. Worth states that Chakaika's entry into the war was a response to the destruction of the Spanish rancho system by the US Army in 1836–1839. The next year, on August 7, 1840, Chakaika's band raided Indian Key , killing 13 residents. Chakaika's sister later told her American captors that three Spaniards had supplied

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6758-483: The band was wiped out. Some Spanish Indians were reported to have attended a great council meeting (led by Arpieka, Hospetarke, and the Prophet) in the Big Cypress Swamp in April 1841, and several man from Chakaika's band attended the Miccosukee green corn dance in 1841. Twenty-four surviving women and children from Chakaika's band had been sent to Indian Territory by 1841. In 1952, the Miccosukee identified

6867-534: The bay and along the nearby gulf coast and may lead to further damage to seagrass beds. The effects of Hurricane Milton in October 2024 caused polluted waste from the fertilizer industry including products from Mosaic , which were retained after the production of phosphate, to enter into Tampa Bay. Both Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene caused disruption in the production of phosphate fertilizers from Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay, like other parts of Florida ,

6976-427: The bay created a connection between the lake and the gulf. Tampa Bay is Florida's largest open-water estuary, extending over 400 square miles (1,000 km ) and forming coastlines of Hillsborough , Manatee and Pinellas counties. The freshwater sources of the bay are distributed among over a hundred small tributaries, rather than a single river. The Hillsborough River is the largest such freshwater source, with

7085-507: The bay was connected to the Gulf of Mexico. This culture, which relied almost exclusively on the bay for food and other resources, was in turn replaced by the similar Safety Harbor culture by approximately 800 AD. The pre-contact Indigenous nation most associated with the Tampa Bay are the historic Tocobaga nation, who are known to be among the ancestors of the contemporary Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes of Florida. The Safety Harbor culture

7194-433: The bay. Not finding gold or silver in the vicinity and unable to convert the native inhabitants to Christianity, the Spanish did not remain in the Tampa Bay area for long. However, diseases they introduced decimated the native population over the ensuing decades, leading to the near-total collapse of every established culture across peninsular Florida. Between this depopulation and the indifference of its colonial owners,

7303-591: The century and severely impacting the marine ecosystem. Many previously common species became scarce, and bay beaches were regularly closed due to unsafe levels of bacteria and pollutants. Beginning in the early 1980s after federal and state legislation to improve water quality, authorities installed improved water treatment plants and tightened regulation of industrial discharge , leading to slow but steady improvement in water quality and general ecological health. By 2010, measures of sea grass coverage, water clarity, and biodiversity had improved to levels last seen in

7412-478: The city of Tampa's downtown wharves on Hillsboro Bay. Most ships would anchor well out from shore and transfer cargo and passengers to and from the city in smaller boats. Henry B. Plant 's railroad line reached the area in 1884 and ran across the Interbay Peninsula to Old Tampa Bay, where he built the town and shipping facility of Port Tampa at its terminus. In 1898, Plant used his connections in

7521-504: The city was 72.9% White , 22.1% African American , 0.4% Native American , 1.2% Asian , <0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.8% from other races , and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population. In 2000, there were 18,646 households. 40.9% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who

7630-428: The city. As of the 2010 census , there were 56,315 people, 21,722 households, and 12,945 families residing in the city. As of the 2000 census , there were 45,943 people, 18,646 households, and 11,280 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,189.2 inhabitants per square mile (459.2/km ). There were 20,501 housing units at an average density of 530.7 per square mile (204.9/km ). The racial makeup of

7739-399: The clearing of mangroves for shoreline development were important factors. Most damaging was the discharge of waste water and other pollutants into the bay, which drastically degraded water quality. The bay's health reached a low point in the 1970s. The water was so murky that sunlight could not reach the shallow bottom, reducing sea grass coverage by more than 80% compared to earlier in

7848-715: The continent by the Muscogulges, and that the last 80 families of Calusa left Florida for Havana in 1763, when Florida was ceded to the British by the Spanish. There are some reports of possible remnants of Calusas remaining in Florida. William Bartram reported that in 1774 an old Muscogee told him about a town called "Calusahatche" on the "Bay of Carlos" (Charlotte Habor), occupied by Calosulges (Calusa people) which included ancient residents of Florida called "Painted people" and "Bat necks". However, Benjamin Hawkins mentioned

7957-549: The early 1500s, but there were likely smaller chiefdoms on the eastern side of the bay which were not well documented. The indigenous population had been decimated by disease and warfare by the late 1600s, and there were no permanent human settlements in the area for over a century. The United States took possession of Florida in 1821 and established Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in 1824. The communities surrounding Tampa Bay grew tremendously during

8066-408: The early 20th century, traveling overland between the growing communities around Tampa Bay was an arduous process. The trip between Tampa and St. Petersburg was almost 50 miles (80 km) around the north end of Old Tampa Bay and took up to 12 hours by train and over a full day over uncertain roads by car. The trip between St. Petersburg and Bradenton was even longer – over 70 miles (110 km) all

8175-440: The east coast and from Tampa Bay south on the west coast, and some intermarried with Spaniards. By the beginning of the 19th century, year-round fishing ranchos were established along the Florida coast between Tampa Bay and Estero Bay , and much of the fishing community resided there year-round. Other Seminoles also worked at the ranchos during the fishing season and left during the off-season. In 1831, by one account, four ranchos in

8284-534: The effects of human habitation on Tampa Bay, most notably upgraded sewage treatment facilities and several sea grass restoration projects, resulting in improved water quality over time. However, occasional red tide and other algae blooms have caused concern about the ongoing health of the estuary. The term "Tampa Bay" is often used as shorthand to refer to all or parts of the Tampa Bay area , which comprises many towns and cities in several counties surrounding

8393-528: The equine industry, which generates over $ 2.2 billion in annual revenue. Postime Farms and Ocala serve as host to one of the largest horse shows in the country: H.I.T.S or "Horses in the Sun", a Dressage /Jumper event lasting about two months. It generates some 6 to 7 million dollars for the local Marion County economy each year. The show features classes for over 100 different breeds, including Tennessee Walker , Paso Fino , Morgan horse , Saddlebred , Draft horse and

8502-564: The federal government to make Port Tampa a major embarkation point for the U.S. Army during the Spanish–American War , leading to the U.S. Congress appropriating funds for the United States Army Corps of Engineers to begin the first large dredging operation in Tampa Bay. A deep shipping channel was created which linked Port Tampa to the mouth of the bay, enabling Plant to greatly expand his steamship line. In 1917,

8611-807: The following schools in Ocala: Ocala is home to the College of Central Florida , a member of the Florida College System, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. CF offers bachelor's degrees in Business and Organizational Management, Early Childhood Education, and Nursing, as well as associate degrees and certificates. The college offers specialty programs in equine studies, agribusiness , and logistics and supply chain management. It also has one of 21 campuses of Rasmussen College ,

8720-551: The informant, the Seminole and Calusa had lived peaceably near each other for a while, and learned songs from each other. The two peoples later fought, and the Seminoles defeated the Calusa. Muscogulges dominated all of Florida after the departure of the Calusa in the 1760s, even attacking Spanish fishing vessels along the Florida coast (including at Key West) during the Seven Years' War (1756–1763). Bernard Romans reported using

8829-401: The large body of water. Local marketing and branding efforts (including several professional sports teams, tourist boards, and chambers of commerce) commonly use the moniker "Tampa Bay", furthering the misconception that it is the name of a particular municipality when this is not the case. Tampa Bay formed approximately 6,000 years ago as a brackish drowned river valley type estuary with

8938-484: The latter being runaway slaves. Wiley Thompson wrote to Florida governor William Pope Duval at the beginning of 1834 about a settlement of "negroes, Indians, and Spaniards", southeast of Charlotte Harbor, "a lawless, motley crew". Wiley Thompson wrote in 1835 of unauthorized settlements of Blacks, Indians, and Spaniards in peninsular Florida, and stated that the Indians were descended from Seminoles. He also stated that there were "roving bands of Seminole Indians on and about

9047-517: The legal status of those Spanish Indians. Steele declared that while the Indians and "half-bloods" were descended from Seminoles, they did not claim affiliation with the Seminoles, and were not claimed by the Seminoles. He also stated that they spoke Spanish, and that some had been baptised in Havana, and described them as "Spanish fishermen under the Spanish government", and "incapable of supporting themselves by ordinary Indian means". Steele indicated in

9156-457: The local level. Rail service reached Ocala in June 1881, encouraging economic development with greater access to markets for produce. Two years later, much of the Ocala downtown area was destroyed by fire on Thanksgiving Day, 1883. The city encouraged rebuilding with brick , granite and steel rather than lumber . By 1888, Ocala was known statewide as "The Brick City". In December 1890,

9265-524: The mouth of the Hillsborough River in 1824. For the next several decades, during the Seminole Wars , the Tampa Bay would be a primary point of confrontation, detention, and forced expulsion of the Seminole & Miccosukee people of Florida. Fort Brooke, Fort Dade, and the American military's miscellaneous Egmont Key facilities were the primary sites associated with the removal of the Seminole in

9374-639: The name of a Timucuan town in northeastern Florida mentioned by René Goulaine de Laudonnière . In 1952–1953, William Sturtevant interviewed Miccosukees in Florida about the presence of non-Seminole people in Florida. The Florida Miccosukees did not remember any "Bat Necks", "Painted People", or "Muspa" in Florida. The Miccosukee oral history did include the presence of kalasa:Lî (Calusa people), who were generally viewed as being Spanish. The Miccosukees identified § Chakaika's band of Spanish Indians as Mikasuki-speaking Seminoles. The Miccosukees believed that Chakaika's band, while long separated from them, shared

9483-548: The off-season, but did not hunt. He also said that many of the Spaniards working for him had Indian wives, and several had children and grand-children. Baptismal records from between 1807 and 1827 at a church in Regla (home port of the Spanish fishermen) include 20 children born to Spanish fathers and their Indian wives, 5 born to Indian women with no recorded father, and 3 with Indian parents. Augustus Steele wrote to Wiley Thompson ( Indian agent at Fort King ) in 1835 concerning

9592-486: The presence of other non-Seminoles ("Bad People", Yuchi , and possibly, Koasati ). The various Indians bands were at first very loosely associated, but later amalgamated into the Seminole tribe. The Spanish Indians were possibly Mikasuki-speakers who arrived in Florida earlier than other predecessors of Seminoles, and became closely associated with the Spanish. While some of the Spanish Indians may have been descended from Calusas, historians have now concluded that, at least in

9701-502: The ranchos were neither Seminole nor Calusas, but a creole community that emerged in the 18th and early 19th centuries, consisting of Spanish Cuban fishermen and people predominantly descended from Muskogean-speaking people who were present in southwest Florida decades before the Seminoles. Various people, including bands of Native Americans who were not closely tied to the Spanish fishing ranchos, also lived in southern Florida, and may have been thought of as "Spanish Indians". John Winslett,

9810-510: The refuge on Egmont Key . Most of the islands (including several man-made islands built from dredge spoil ) and sandbars are off-limits to the public, due to their fragile ecology and their use as nesting sites by many species of birds. The Tampa Bay Estuary Program keeps watch over the Bay's health. Tampa Bay was once teeming with fish and wildlife. People of the Safety Harbor culture lived almost entirely from mullet, shellfish, sea turtles, manatees, crabs, and other bounties harvested from

9919-408: The sea. As late as the early 20th century, visitors still reported huge schools of mullet swimming across the bay in such numbers that they "impeded the passage of boats". The establishment and rapid growth of surrounding communities during the 20th century caused serious damage to the bay's natural environment. Heavy harvesting of fish and other sea life, constant dredging of shipping channels, and

10028-533: The shoreline. Albert Whitted Airport on the St. Petersburg waterfront and Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Island near downtown Tampa were both established in the 1930s. Later, Tampa International Airport and St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport were established on opposite sides of Old Tampa Bay, and MacDill Air Force Base opened on the southern tip of Tampa's Interbay Peninsula. Ocala, Florida Ocala ( / oʊ ˈ k æ l ə / oh- KAL -ə )

10137-406: The southwest coast of Florida in 1838, looking for Indian settlements. He found cleared fields and abandoned village sites, but no Indians. The Army seized all persons with any Indian ancestry that they found at the ranchos. General Thomas Jesup , Army commander in Florida, stated that if he let any Spanish Indians stay in Florida, other Seminoles would refuse to go to the Indian Territory. In 1838,

10246-602: The surrounding mangrove -dominated wetlands, the bay provides habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. More than 200 species of fish are found in the waters of the bay, along with bottlenose dolphins and manatees , plus many types of marine invertebrates including oysters , scallops , clams , shrimp and crab . More than two dozen species of birds, including brown pelicans , several types of heron and egret , Roseate spoonbills , cormorants , and laughing gulls make their year-round home along its shores and small islands, with several other migratory species joining them in

10355-455: The surrounding communities much faster and furthering the economic development of the Tampa Bay area. The difficulty of traveling between Tampa and St. Petersburg in the early 20th century inspired the world's first scheduled air service, the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line , which operated during the tourist season of 1914. While the construction of bridges made air travel across Tampa Bay unnecessary, several airports have been built along

10464-673: The town of Caloosahatchee as being Seminole in 1778-1779. Botanist John C. Gifford found a village on the Shark River in 1904 that he thought was not typically Seminole, but perhaps a mixture of Calusa and Seminole. Muskogean-speakers began settling in the Florida Peninsula by the middle of the 18th century. A band of Hitchiti -speaking Oconees, led by Ahaya , settled on the Alachua Savanna (now called Paynes Prairie ) sometime around 1750. They later became known as

10573-574: The truce as permanent, while American officials regarded it as a pause that would ultimately make it easier to removed the Seminoles west. Macomb thought he had reached agreement with the principal leaders of the Seminoles in south Florida, but the men he met with apparently represented only one of four independent bands in the area. The four bands in southwest Florida in May 1839 were; one led by Arpieka with war chiefs Chitto Tustenuggee and Holata Mico ( Billy Bowlegs ), one led by Hospetarke with Passacka as war chief, one led by Otalke Thlocco (the Prophet), and

10682-504: The vicinity of Charlotte Harbor had as many as 300 residents total. Another account gave the population of ranchos between Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor in that year as 65 Spanish men, 65 Indian men, 30 Indian women, and 50 to 100 children. William Whitehead , customs inspector in Key West, wrote in 1831 that the women at the fishing ranchos were all Indians, and that the color of their children's skins indicated that many were fathered by

10791-632: The way around Tampa Bay, a trip that still took about two hours into the 1950s. In 1924, the Gandy Bridge over Old Tampa Bay reduced the driving distance between Tampa and St. Petersburg to 19 miles (31 km). Ten years later, the Davis Causeway (later renamed the Courtney Campbell Causeway ) was built between Clearwater and Tampa. More bridges criss-crossed Tampa Bay over the ensuing decades, making travel between

10900-550: The western bay shore opposite Tampa. By 2010, the Tampa Bay Area was home to over 4 million residents. As Tampa began to grow in the mid-1800s, roads across central Florida were still just rough trails and rail lines did not yet extend down the Florida peninsula, so the most convenient means of traveling to and from the area was by sea. By the late 19th century, however, the shallow nature of Tampa Bay made it impossible for large modern vessels with deeper drafts to reach

11009-626: The winter. The cooler months are also when warm-water outfalls from power plants bordering the bay draw one out of every six West Indian manatees , an endangered species, to the area. Tampa Bay was designated as an "estuary of national significance" by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1990. Two National Wildlife Refuges are located in Tampa Bay: Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge and

11118-457: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.91. In 2000, in the city the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median income for

11227-445: Was Spanish, and some of his followers lived near Chakaika's band, and Holartoochee, a Seminole banished for adultery, lived with Chakaika's band until the outbreak of the Second Seminole War, when he rejoined his band, which he takes as indicators that Chakaika's band were Seminoles rather than Calusas. Chakaika was reported to have earlier been a fisherman and sailor at a Spanish fishing rancho, known as "Antonio Nikeka". He might have had

11336-433: Was beyond the reach of the Army. Chakaika was away from the camp chopping wood, and started to run when the attack began. He then stopped, turned, and offered his hand to a pursuing soldier, who shot him. Chakaika's corpse was hung beside two of his men who were hanged by Harney. Chakaika's wife, mother, and sister were captured. Four of the Spanish Indians were killed in the battle and five more hanged. Though some men escaped,

11445-413: Was dominant in the area at the time of first contact with Europeans in the mid-1500s. The Tocobaga , who built their principal town near today's Safety Harbor in the northwest corner of Old Tampa Bay, are the most documented group from that era because they had the most interactions with Spanish explorers . However, there were many other coastal villages organized into various small chiefdoms all around

11554-624: Was established in 1849, developed around the fort site. Greater Ocala is known as the "Kingdom of the Sun". Plantations and other agricultural development dependent on slave labor were prevalent in the region. Ocala was an important center of citrus production until the Great Freeze of 1894–1895. During the Reconstruction era Ocala was represented by several African Americans in the Florida House of Representatives and on

11663-599: Was held as a prisoner. Navy Lieutenant John McLaughlin, leader of a force of sailors and marines who had searched the Everglades for Indians, tried to have John released to him as a guide to Chakaika's island, but was refused by the Army. He later complained that if he had been allowed to use John as a guide, the attack on Indian Key might have been prevented. After some problems in finding his way, John led Harney's force to Chakaika's island. Disquised as Indians, Harney's men attacked Chakaika's island shortly after sunrise. No guards had been posted because Chakaika believed his island

11772-409: Was on the western leg of the historic Dixie Highway . Ocala International Airport provides general aviation services to the community. Ocala Suntran provides bus service throughout select parts of the city. One of the major hubs for Suntran is the former Ocala Union Station , which served Amtrak trains until November 2004. Amtrak serves Ocala by bus connection to Jacksonville and Lakeland. Ocala

11881-667: Was still a freshwater lake. Evidence of human habitation from this early period has been found at the Harney Flats site, which is approximately 10 miles east of the current location of Tampa's downtown waterfront. The earliest evidence of human habitation directly on the shores of Tampa Bay comes from the Manasota culture , a variant of the Weeden Island culture , who lived in the area beginning around 5,000–6,000 years ago, after sea levels had risen to near modern levels and

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