Editing Citrus Springs, Florida (section)

==History==
Citrus Springs was developed by the [[Mackle Brothers]], prominent Florida real estate developers working under [https://www.deltona.com/deltona-homes-in-citrus-springs-florida The Deltona Corporation] to be used as a subdivision consisting of over 34,000 homesites. (Elkcam Boulevard, a prominent street in Citrus Springs, is "Mackle" spelled backwards.) The area currently has two elementary schools (Citrus Springs Elementary School and Central Ridge Elementary School, opened fall 2008) and one middle school (Citrus Springs Middle School). There are plans for an {{convert|80|acre|m2|adj=on}} high school campus complete with public park, but construction is not planned in the near future.<ref>http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227033157/http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/ |date=2009-02-27 }}</ref>

[[Phosphate]] mining played a major part in the history of Citrus County until the end of World War II, when phosphate mining largely moved overseas. The first newspaper of Citrus County was called the ''Phosphate Times''. Many abandoned mines exist in the [[Withlacoochee River (Florida)|Withlacoochee River]] basin, with a concentration of those within Citrus Springs. Some of those areas can be seen at one of Citrus Springs' two golf courses, El Diablo. Many of those mines were part of the Dunnellon Phosphate company, headed by Capt John L. Inglis, a veteran of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. Areas in northeastern Citrus Springs were part of a proposed but unbuilt portion of the [[Cross Florida Barge Canal]] to aid the transportation of the mineral.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}

The [[Withlacoochee State Trail]], a {{convert|46|mi|km|adj=on}} bike riding trail which was converted from the railroad lines built in the early 1900s, runs through Citrus Springs, in places parallel to US 41.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abfla.com/parks/Withlacoochee/withlacoochee.html |title=Withlacoochee State Trail |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=Florida State Parks Guide |publisher=Absolutely Florida! |access-date=4 November 2022 |quote=}}</ref>