Riverview--Formerly Peru!

Riverview (originally called Peru) was founded in 1856 on the Alafia River's south shore. It was known as Peru (prounounced Pe-Roo) because peru was an Indian name for straight part of the river. The Peruvian Mining Company, which mined phosphate from the Alafia took it's name from the settlement of Peru. The term Alafia is translated as "River of Fire" due to the phosphorus on the early riverbottom glowing at night. The area's first school was built in 1893, inside the Peru Baptist Church. The area called Riverview began to be populated on the north side of the river. The two communities were connected by a river ferry. Soon after a bridge was constructed from sections of a bridge that once spanned the Hillsborough River downtown Tampa. The Post Office periodically was moved from the Riverview side to the Peru side of the river and back, causing much distress. The Riverview name eventually came into usage in the early 1940's by the post office to relieve just such confusion with the mail. Peru has disappeared from all but the earliest maps, much to pioneer families dismay. Some of Peru's or Riverview's settlers include the Barnes, Bourgees, Boyettes, Buzbees, Hackneys, Mansfields, Moodys, Scotts, Thompsons, Whitts, and the Yeomans.