Tampa celebrates its 137th birthday

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — From military fort to thriving city, Tampa has seen a lot of changes throughout the years.

Monday marks the 137th anniversary of Tampa becoming incorporated as a city for the second time, following the abolishment of the Town of Tampa and the Town of North Tampa.

Initially inhabited by the Calusa and Timucua people, the Tampa Bay region later became inhabited by the Seminole tribe following their migration into Florida in the 18th Century, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica . However, the city’s name is believed to be Calusa — although the meaning and origin is disputed by different accounts .

The first Europeans to come to the Tampa Bay region were the Spanish explorers Ponce De Leon in 1513, Pánfilo de Narváez in 1528 and Hernando de Soto in 1539.

However, the City of Tampa’s history states that the Spaniards left the western coast of Florida alone, preferring to settle along the east coast. This led to the founding of the United States’ oldest city, Augustine.

The area that would later become the city of Tampa was eventually settled by Americans in 1824 when the U.S. Army established Fort Brooke to establish military presence along Tampa Bay’s harbor.

About 25 years after the founding of Fort Brooke, 14 men voted to establish Tampa Village, which later became the Town of Tampa in 1853.

Tampa would continue develop and actually became a city for the first time in 1855. However, the city government was later suspended by the Confederacy in 1862, which led to the founding of the Town of Tampa.

On July 15, 1887, the Florida Legislature established the current charter for the city of Tampa, combining Tampa and North Tampa under one government.

The latter half of the 19th Century saw a boom in Tampa’s economic status, with the Hillsborough River and Tampa Bay turning it into a key trading point. In 1886, Vicente Martinez Ybor, the namesake of Ybor City, established Sanchez y Haya cigar company, beginning the city’s identity as a cigar maker.

Tampa’s history also marked it as a key location for the United States Military, with it now the home of U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base.

Today, Tampa boasts a population of 398,173 and has greatly expanded from its days as a simple village, with it now containing the largest port in the state of Florida.

Do you know of something newsworthy happening in your community? Report It! Send in tips, photos videos and other information here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.