Lithia, Florida

File:The swimming area at Lithia Springs Park, Florida January 4, 2015.jpg

File:Lithia, Florida Post Office May 7, 2016.png

Lithia is a small unincorporated community and home to Lithia Springs Regional Park, Alderman's Ford Regional Park, and the C.W. Bill Young Reservoir. The elevation ranges from less than {{convert|8|ft}} above sea level at Lithia Springs to {{convert|105|ft}} 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 {{convert|3000|acre|km2}} to develop Fishhawk Ranch. Fishhawk Trails was developed by another company, and more public works and retail stores are currently in development.Tbo.com, Jan 11, 2012

Prior to the advent of European settlers in 1846, Lithia had been variously inhabited by Native American tribes, such as the Tocobaga, Muskogan (Creek), Tomokan, Caloosa, some of whom were mentioned by the Spanish in the 1600s,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ospreyobserver.com/local-history/history-of-lithia/|title=History of Lithia|first=Kate|last=Quesada|date=September 15, 2010 |accessdate=Jan 5, 2020}} and later the Seminole. 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.alderman.50megs.com/rich_text.html|title=An American Saga - The Alderman Family in America|website=www.alderman.50megs.com|accessdate=Jan 5, 2020}} 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".http://www.hillsborough.wateratlas.usf.edu/upload/documents/HILLSBOROUGH_COUNTY_Historic_Resources_Excerpts_Lithia.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}

On February 21, 2017, United Parcel Service tested a vehicle-launched drone delivery in Lithia.{{cite web|title=UPS Is Already Testing Drone Deliveries in Florida|url=http://fortune.com/2017/02/21/ups-drone-delivery-florida/|accessdate=21 August 2017}}

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.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

Lithia is located at (27.85, -82.19);{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} or about {{convert|18|mi|km}} ESE of Tampa.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hometownlocator.com/|title=US Gazetteer: Boundary Maps, Data, Photos, etc. for 100,485 Locations|website=www.hometownlocator.com|accessdate=Jan 5, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hometownlocator.com/|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130126102031/http://www.hometownlocator.com/City/Lithia-Florida.cfm|url-status=dead|title=US Gazetteer: Boundary Maps, Data, Photos, etc. for 100,485 Locations|archivedate=January 26, 2013|website=www.hometownlocator.com|accessdate=Jan 5, 2020}}

Public schools:

• Barrington Middle School (6–8)
• Bevis Elementary (K-5)
• FishHawk Creek Elementary (K-5)
• Lithia Springs Elementary (K-5)
• Newsome High School (9–12)
• Pinecrest Elementary (K-5)
• Randall Middle School (6–8)
• Stowers Elementary (K-5)

Private schools:

• Foundation Christian Academy (Churches of Christ, K-12)
• St Stephen's Catholic School (Catholic, K-8)

Lithia is headquarters for The Mosaic Company's international phosphate division.{{cite news| title=Mosaic breaks ground on phosphate headquarters in Lithia| url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/agriculture/mosaic-breaks-ground-on-phosphate-headquarters-in-lithia/983203| accessdate=1 August 2016| work=Tampa Bay Times| date=11 March 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818180654/http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/agriculture/mosaic-breaks-ground-on-phosphate-headquarters-in-lithia/983203| archive-date=2016-08-18| url-status=dead}} While most of the community consists of commuters to jobs at MacDill Air Force Base and elsewhere, there is still a large agricultural component with strawberry growers, citrus, tropical fish,{{cite web| last1=Wilmath| first1=Kim| title=Love is in the water at Rawlins Tropical Fish farm in Lithia| url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/love-is-in-the-water-at-rawlins-tropical-fish-farm-in-lithia/1150590| work=Tampa Bay Times| accessdate=5 January 2017| date=10 February 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106101815/http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/love-is-in-the-water-at-rawlins-tropical-fish-farm-in-lithia/1150590| archive-date=2017-01-06| url-status=dead}} blueberries and other crops. Lithia has also become a shooting destination, with one public and several private shooting ranges, as well as a sporting clays range.{{cite web| last1=Aber| first1=Lisa| title=FishHawk Sporting Clays - Charity Event| url=http://patch.com/florida/brandon/fishhawk-sporting-clays--charity-event| accessdate=5 January 2017| date=2014-05-29}}

• Mike Beltran, politician
• Orlando Greene, Olympic runner{{cite web|last1=Fox|first1=Scarlett|title=Newsome Coach Orlando Greene: From Caribbean to Olympian|url=http://fl.milesplit.com/articles/94526/newsome-coach-orlando-greene-from-caribbean-to-olympian|accessdate=24 March 2016|date=22 October 2012}}
• Will Worth, football player

{{portal-inline|Florida}}

{{commons category|Lithia, Florida}}

• [http://www.floridasprings.org/visit/map/lithia-springs/ Lithia Springs Regional Park]

{{Hillsborough County, Florida}}

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Category:Unincorporated communities in Hillsborough County, Florida

Category:Unincorporated communities in Florida