Editing Thonotosassa, Florida (section)

==History==
[[File:Black bear at Nature’s Classroom.jpg|thumb|A black bear at Nature's Classroom; October 2013]]
The name "Thonotosassa" comes from the [[Muscogee language|Seminole-Creek]] words ''{{lang|mus|ronoto}}'' "flint" and ''{{lang|mus|sasv}}'' "some", meaning the place was a source of valuable [[flint]].<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0qDkYfyX010C&q=ronoto+sasv&pg=PA181 |title = A Dictionary of Creek/Muskogee|isbn = 0803283024|last1 = Martin|first1 = Jack B.|last2 = Mauldin|first2 = Margaret Mckane|date = December 2004}}</ref> Following the establishment of [[Fort Brooke]] in 1824 in what is now [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]], a road that ran northwest of [[Lake Thonotosassa]] was built between Fort Brooke and [[Fort King]] in [[Ocala, Florida|Ocala]]. This road became known as the Fort King Road, which today is crossed in several locations by [[U.S. Route 301 in Florida|U.S. Route 301]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fivay.org/king.html|publisher=fivay.org|access-date=2016-09-15|title=History of Pasco County - Fort King Road}}</ref> 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 {{convert|13|mi|adj=on}} route between the two growing communities.<ref>Turner, G. ''A Short History of Florida Railroads'', page 65. Arcadia Publishing, 2003.</ref> This line today no longer extends into Thonotosassa, its northern tracks having been removed along with the town depot by the 1980s,<ref>Mulligan, M. ''Railroad Depots of Central Florida'', page 53. Arcadia Publishing, 2008.</ref> but its southern portion remains a busy [[industrial spur]], joining with the [[CSX]] main line at Neve Wye.

Among other areas for recreation for the youth is the Morris Bridge Road area and its Nature's Classroom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naturesclassroom.net/ |title=N Nature's Classroom |publisher=Naturesclassroom.net |access-date=2017-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418015438/http://www.naturesclassroom.net/ |archive-date=18 April 2007 |url-status=usurped}}</ref>