Between 1559 and 1819, the area now called Florida was under the rule of four nations: Spain, France, Great Britain and the United States. The United States purchased Florida from Spain in 1821 for $5 million. On Jan. 25, 1834, the U. S. Legislative Council for the Territory of Florida approved an act organizing Hillsborough as Florida's 19th county. In 1845, Florida was granted statehood.

At that time, Hillsborough County was a sprawling area that included what is now Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands Counties, most of Glades County, and part of Lee County. Despite its size, Hillsborough's population was only 836, not including soldiers or Native Americans.

Original families shown on the 1840 census include Steele, Cooper, Jackson, Spaulding, Kilgore and Hoffman. After the Civil War, you will find Dickman, Buzbee, Miley, Hewett, Burnett, Alderman and Kicklighter.

I have been researching my family's surnames in the Hillsborough County area since 2004. In the years of researching I found numerous websites that provide information that anyone might be able to use. I decided to teach myself html and developed this website. I am working on learning CSS and have once again revamped this site. I am researching the Buzbee's (Ruskin and Riverview Buzbee's), Swilley, Hewett and Pitts. The Buzbee family came to Hillsborough County around 1867, after the Civil War. Lawrence settled in Ruskin and Oliver in Riverview. Genealogy is my passion and I hope that my website will assist you in your search as it has in mine.

When using the TRAILS link, under USING, make sure to put it on TRAILS before you search. When using JULIUS GORDON database, you have to search for JULIUS GORDON and then click on the links to the different publications; (you will see a small "mets" symbol that should take you to the publication)