Terra Ceia is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Manatee County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

that includes the Terra Ceia Preserve. It is located on Terra Ceia Island on the Southern shore of Tampa Bay near the intersection of

US 19 U.S. Route 19 (US 19) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie. The highway's souther ...

and

I-275 Interstate 275 (I-275) may refer to: *Interstate 275 (Florida), a loop through Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Bradenton in Florida *Interstate 275 (Michigan), a western bypass of Detroit, Michigan * Interstate 275 (Ohio–Indiana–Kentucky), a full bel ...

, at the southern end of the

Sunshine Skyway Bridge The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, often referred to as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge or the Sunshine Skyway, consists of a pair of long beam bridges with a central cable-stayed bridge that spans Lower Tampa Bay to connect St. Petersburg, ...

Geography

The community is part of the

Bradenton Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698. History Late 18th and early 19th centuries A settlement established by Maroons or escaped sl ...

–

Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

–

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. The Terra Ceia Preserve is also located in the area and protected by the

Southwest Florida Water Management District The Southwest Florida Water Management District (or SWFWMD, pronounced as "swiftmud" based on the word acronym), is one of five regional agencies directed by Florida state law to protect and preserve water resources. Established in 1961 the agenc ...

and

Florida Department of Environmental Protection The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the Florida government agency responsible for environmental protection. History By the mid-1960s, when the federal government was becoming increasingly involved in initiatives desig ...

. It offers fishing and hiking.

History

Early Inhabitants and Origins of Name

The first known inhabitants of Terra Ceia were the Timucuan Indians. These people lived quietly on the western shore of Terra Ceia. Proof of their existence can be seen in the shell mounds that dot the area. In 1539, Hernando De Soto and his men established a camp at the indian mounds of Terra Ceia and rested there for six weeks before continuing their exploration of the southeastern United States. By the late 1700s, Terra Ceia became a temporary home to Cuban and Spanish fishermen who set up temporary camps and homes during their seasonal fishing expeditions. Records show that Spanish cartographers labeled the island Terra Ceia. One version of the origin story of the name says that this meant ‘Land of Rosia,’ a reference to Ranchero de Rosie, a Cuban fishing rancho located there at the time. Cuban fishermen utilized the ranchero to meet with native people for trading and to catch and prepare fish for shipment to Cuba. An alternative name explanation in the 1930s is that Terra Ceia is a misinterpretation of ‘terra cielo’ meaning heavenly land. A subsequent 1970 explanation stated that Terra Ceia is a possible misspelling of ‘terra ceja’ which would translate to ‘land’s summit.’

19th Century Settlers

In 1843, Joseph and Julia Atzeroth became the first permanent settlers on the island. Originally from Bavaria, Germany, the Atzeroth family came to Terra Ceia seeking a warm, southern climate that would improve Julia’s liver disease. The Atzeroths built a small cabin on the north shore of Terra Ceia Bay and applied for 160 acres of land under the federal government’s Armed Occupation Act of 1842. Other families began homesteading on Terra Ceia shortly after. A post office would open in Terra Ceia on February 11, 1891. By 1897, 127 households resided in Terra Ceia, most of them growing citrus, vegetables (celery in particular) and flowers. Unidentified woman holding gladiolus at Terra Ceia Island Farms, Florida

Unidentified woman holding gladiolus at Terra Ceia Island Farms, Florida

20th Century

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

45 residents of the town would serve in the military. Of those who served: 23 were in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

, 17 in the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

, 3 in the

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

and two in other branches. One resident would notably serve as an early aviator in the US military.

Interwar Era

In 1926, a storm surge washed over the island and made it hard to grow crops there. The Seaboard Airline railroad soon no longer provided service and the rail line and the depot was abandoned. The Great Depression caused the Bank of Terra Ceia to

fail Failure is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. The criteria for failure depends on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. One ...

in 1931. The former bank building currently houses a post office, which has been operating since 1891.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Manatee County, Florida Sarasota metropolitan area Unincorporated communities in Florida Populated places on Tampa Bay 1840s establishments in Florida Territory Populated places established in the 1840s