The Pasco County area was inhabited from prehistoric times
and contains a large number of archaeological sites showing
human occupation as early as 9000 B.C. When Spanish explorers
passed through the area in the sixteenth century, it was
inhabited by Indians of the Muskegan language group.
Pasco County was created by the Florida Legislature on May
12, 1887. Previously it had been the southern end of Hernando
County, commonly called the “clabber end” by
early settlers. The new county was named in honor of U.S.
Senator Samuel Pasco. A referendum held in 1889 named Dade
City as the county seat.
In 1941, brothers J.W. and Cole Conner buy 10,000 acres
of land in Pasco County and start a successful cattle ranch.
By the early 50s, Pasco County became favored as a retirement
area and growth began. In 2002, The Conner family sold the
majority of the ranch to Terrabrook for its new community
to be known as Connerton. The remainder of the ranch was
conveyed to the state a year later for a nature preserve.
