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The recent housing boom in Riverview is not the area’s first boom. The area southeast of Tampa was a hot spot for phosphate mining in the mid-1880s.
The first phosphate mining company was the Peruvian Mining Company, named for the town of Peru on the Alafia River’s south bank. However, the town of Riverview on the north bank was more popular because the river could only be crossed by ferry.
A wooden bridge was built in 1900 to connect the two towns. Over time, people called the area Riverview. Today, the community spans both banks of the Alafia River.
– Olivia Kresic, B2 Communications