Juan Ponce de Leon and his ship's crew spotted the future Sunshine State in 1513. It was during the religious Easter season; in Spanish, that season was called "Pascua Florida." Ponce de Leon also took note that the land seemed full of plant life -- or floral life -- so that may have also factored into the name Florida. "'Flores' is flowers, but 'Pascua Florida' -- that phrase -- means Easter," said Rodney Kite-Powell, the curator of history at the Tampa Bay History Center. And Kite-Powell adds it may not be fitting to say Ponce de Leon "discovered" Florida. Thousands of Indians already lived here. Plus, there were signs other folks from Spain had already been here, too. "When Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida, some of the native people he encountered understood Spanish," Kite-Powell said. "Saying Ponce de Leon is first -- eh -- it's doubtful. But he is the one who named it, and so that's why he gets the distinction." Why do they call it Homosassa Springs? This state wildlife park in Citrus County draws thousands of visitors to see manatees each year. Underwater windows offer an incredible view. Up on the surface, kayakers paddle past the plants that give this place its name. They're rare -- but here and there, you can still spot wild pepper plants. In the Seminole Indians' Creek language, "homo" means "pepper," and "sasi" means "is there." Homosassa earned its name -- "the place where wild peppers grow" -- centuries ago. Lu the Hippo, the park's most famous character, isn't centuries old -- but he has lived here for decades. When the State of Florida took over the wildlife park in 1989, plans were made to kick Lu out. See, hippos are from Africa, but the plan for the park was to show off only animals from Florida. Well, Lu's fans got together and protested. And in 1991, Governor Lawton Chiles made Lu an honorary citizen of Florida, so he could stay in his happy home. Lu celebrated his 50th birthday with a big party in Homosassa Springs, complete with a big ol' cake he swallowed in one bite, in January of 2010. Why do they call it that? Now you know.There are a lot more places out there with names that could use explaining. If you want to ask "Why do they call it that?" send an e-mail with a name that has you curious to Grayson Kamm using this link. We'll be featuring new places and stories each Wednesday on The Morning Show from 5-7 a.m. on 10 Connects.Connect with 10 Connects multi-media journalist Grayson Kamm on Twitter as @graysonkamm, on his Facebook page, or by e-mail at this link./>
Why do they call it that? Florida and Homosassa Springs
Florida was claimed for Spain and given its name almost 500 years ago, this month. But why call it Florida? Plus, how the home of a happy hippo got its name.
