The
first settlement in the area now known as Lutz was a mission started by Catholic
priest Francis E. Stemper. The area and a lake was named for him and in
1893 a post office was was established with Stemper being the
postmaster.
The
first settlement in the area now known as Lutz was a mission started by Catholic
priest Francis E. Stemper. The area and a lake was named for him and in
1893 a post office was was established with Stemper being the
postmaster.
William P. Lutz was a young engineer from West Virginia who built a sawmill in the area and later connected two railroad lines at what became known as "Lutz Junction."
The old Lutz train depot at US 41 on the north side of Lutz Lake Fern Road, is a replica of the original which was built on the south side of Lutz Lake Fern Road.
The area actually began blossoming around 1911 as a planned community called "North Tampa" when the North Tampa Land Company purchased 32,000 acres in the area. President C. E. Thomas had in mind a vast settlement where folks could buy tracts of land to farm and raise orange groves. In return, Thomas gave the settlers a tract of land on which to build their home.
The post office was named Lutz, borrowing from Lutz Junction, the name that brothers William and Charles Lutz had given to the rail depot they had established there. Lutz was established when the name changed from "North Tampa" in January 1913.
Three miles south of the train depot, this welcome sign is placed where Florida Avenue (US 41) and Nebraska Avenue come together. The area is known as "The Apex" and in the 1800's was a stage coach stop.
Just south of this sign was a popular steak restaurant called "Blaikies." The restaurant closed in the early 1990's and the location became a fruit & vegetable stand for a short time, then was demolished in the mid 1990's when US 41 was to be widened from a two-lane road to the six-lane highway you see here. Now there is a spiffy new Publix supermarket there. (Southbound traffic lanes are off camera to the left.) During the "two-lane" years, it was not uncommon for farmers to drive their tractors on US 41, crawling along while leading a mile-long parade of commuter traffic behind them.
Read some surprising facts about the new signs and the original signs which were removed during the road construction. The D.O.T. was NOT going to allow them because "Welcome" signs can only be placed for incorporated areas. Read how Grandpa got around this!
These tracks run alongside US 41 through Lutz.
The lonely wail of the frequent night trains can be heard all throughout Lutz.
A local hot-air balloon club often launches on clear, calm Sunday mornings and float over Lutz.
This pond on Livingston Rd. is actually a large puddle formed due to heavy rains. The low level field floods so often that now the pond has become permanent.
Lutz has many lakes which offer amateur anglers an opportunity to practice their skill.
(photo by Nick Perez)
Quick as a wink, the weather can turn on you.
(photo by Nick Perez)
This beautiful home is located on Florida Avenue, not too far south of the Lutz apex.
Note the miniature stagecoach on the left.
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