Seffner, Florida
Encyclopedia
Seffner is an unincorporated census-designated place
in Hillsborough County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 5,467 at the 2000 census, although its ZIP code
s (33584 & 33583), which boundaries extend beyond the ones given by the census and include the places of Mango
and a portion of Thonotosassa
, have a population of around 35,000.
Approximately 15 miles east of downtown Tampa
, Seffner serves as a suburban haven for commuters. Characterized by towering live oak
trees, strawberry
farms and pristine lakes, this small town has been growing rapidly. Upscale, gated subdivisions now dot the once rural landscape.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the community has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²), of which, 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.95%) is water.
of 2000, there were 5,467 people, 2,075 households, and 1,520 families residing in the community. The population density
was 1,512.2 people per square mile (583.1/km²). There were 2,168 housing units at an average density of 599.7/sq mi (231.2/km²). The racial makeup of the community was 91.35% White, 3.26% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 2.71% from other races
, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.21% of the population.
There were 2,075 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples
living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the community the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $42,614, and the median income for a family was $49,152. Males had a median income of $32,266 versus $26,328 for females. The per capita income
for the community was $19,888. About 3.2% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
and Dover
) served as the three primary towns along the South Florida Railroad right-of-way between Tampa
and Plant City
. These towns owe their existence and prosperity to the railroad, each becoming an important shipping center.
According to Ernest Robinson, County Historian, Seffner quickly became a prosperous little place with prosperous people, groves, a hotel (later destroyed by fire), one drug store, several dry goods stores and a livery stable. Early pioneer families included the Hookers, Weeks (after whom Lake Weeks was named), Simmons, Mitchells, (their son became Governor of Florida in the early 1900s) Pembertons, Hendersons, Wheelers, Tomberlins, Morris, Harvey, Littles, O'Briens, Beaty, Baucom, Gray and Spencer.
When the yellow fever
epidemic hit Tampa in the fall of 1887 and in 1888, many Tampa refugees fled in panic to Seffner for temporary shelter in the hotel there (non-extant). However, as refugees and mail arrived in Seffner, they were fumigated as protection from the epidemic. Among the refugees was T.C. Taliaferro of the First National Bank of Tampa, who operated a branch banking business from Seffner during the epidemic
.
First Baptist Church of Seffner founded in 1888.
Bevs Drive Thru is a historic Seffner landmark.
The freeze of 1894 and '95 brought disaster to Seffner. Many citizens left, while others remained to rebuild their losses once more. Yet, Seffner survived and regained its affluence. Attractive subdivisions were built to accommodate the influx of desirable residents. The beauty and popularity of the area, including Lakes Hooker, Locarno and Weeks, prompted others to relocate to the area. By 1925, Seffner was the fourth largest town in Hillsborough County, Florida
.
After the Second World War, Seffner became a sleepy Florida town with many residents relocating to Tampa. Today, visitors can still see vestiges of older buildings and farms along the backroads of Seffner. As Tampa and neighboring Brandon expand eastward, Seffner is expected to benefit from a boom in commerce and further residential development.
in captivity was reported in the press.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,467 at the 2000 census, although its ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s (33584 & 33583), which boundaries extend beyond the ones given by the census and include the places of Mango
Mango, Florida
Mango is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,842 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mango is located at ....
and a portion of Thonotosassa
Thonotosassa, Florida
Thonotosassa is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,091 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, have a population of around 35,000.
Approximately 15 miles east of downtown Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Seffner serves as a suburban haven for commuters. Characterized by towering live oak
Live oak
Live oak , also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States...
trees, strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
farms and pristine lakes, this small town has been growing rapidly. Upscale, gated subdivisions now dot the once rural landscape.
Geography
Seffner is located at 27.992299°N 82.276692°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the community has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²), of which, 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.95%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,467 people, 2,075 households, and 1,520 families residing in the community. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,512.2 people per square mile (583.1/km²). There were 2,168 housing units at an average density of 599.7/sq mi (231.2/km²). The racial makeup of the community was 91.35% White, 3.26% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 2.71% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.21% of the population.
There were 2,075 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the community the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $42,614, and the median income for a family was $49,152. Males had a median income of $32,266 versus $26,328 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the community was $19,888. About 3.2% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
History
According to the Seffner Chamber of Commerce, the exact date of Seffner's founding is unknown. Some historians claim that Seffner's streets were originally laid out in 1862, but not recorded as a plat formally until 1885. Seffner's post office was opened in 1884, once a new railroad line in the area had been planned. The community was in fact named for its first postmaster, F.P. Seffner. That same year, Seffner's first school and store were opened. The main thoroughfare leading north and south was Lenna Avenue and leading east and west was Highway Number 23, renamed Buffalo Avenue because of its erstwhile use as a buffalo trail, and then renamed again in 1989 to its current name, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd (Hwy 574). Seffner (and neighboring MangoMango, Florida
Mango is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,842 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mango is located at ....
and Dover
Dover, Florida
Dover is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,702 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dover is located at ....
) served as the three primary towns along the South Florida Railroad right-of-way between Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
and Plant City
Plant City, Florida
Plant City is a city in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. The population was 34,721 at the 2010 census....
. These towns owe their existence and prosperity to the railroad, each becoming an important shipping center.
According to Ernest Robinson, County Historian, Seffner quickly became a prosperous little place with prosperous people, groves, a hotel (later destroyed by fire), one drug store, several dry goods stores and a livery stable. Early pioneer families included the Hookers, Weeks (after whom Lake Weeks was named), Simmons, Mitchells, (their son became Governor of Florida in the early 1900s) Pembertons, Hendersons, Wheelers, Tomberlins, Morris, Harvey, Littles, O'Briens, Beaty, Baucom, Gray and Spencer.
When the yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epidemic hit Tampa in the fall of 1887 and in 1888, many Tampa refugees fled in panic to Seffner for temporary shelter in the hotel there (non-extant). However, as refugees and mail arrived in Seffner, they were fumigated as protection from the epidemic. Among the refugees was T.C. Taliaferro of the First National Bank of Tampa, who operated a branch banking business from Seffner during the epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
.
First Baptist Church of Seffner founded in 1888.
Bevs Drive Thru is a historic Seffner landmark.
The freeze of 1894 and '95 brought disaster to Seffner. Many citizens left, while others remained to rebuild their losses once more. Yet, Seffner survived and regained its affluence. Attractive subdivisions were built to accommodate the influx of desirable residents. The beauty and popularity of the area, including Lakes Hooker, Locarno and Weeks, prompted others to relocate to the area. By 1925, Seffner was the fourth largest town in Hillsborough County, Florida
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
.
After the Second World War, Seffner became a sleepy Florida town with many residents relocating to Tampa. Today, visitors can still see vestiges of older buildings and farms along the backroads of Seffner. As Tampa and neighboring Brandon expand eastward, Seffner is expected to benefit from a boom in commerce and further residential development.
Wildlife conservation
Of some international renown is the Life Fellowship Bird Sanctuary, affiliated with a local church. Both birds and reptiles are kept there, and the facility's success in breeding rock iguanasCyclura
Cyclura is a genus of lizards from the family Iguanidae. Members of this genus are known as "cyclurids" or more commonly as rock iguanas and only occur on islands in the West Indies...
in captivity was reported in the press.