Why do they call it that? Wimauma and the Howard Frankland Bridge

They're two names out-of-towners seem to struggle with. Try getting someone to pronounce Wimauma right the first time. And, yes, it's Howard FrankLAND -- with a "D". But where did those two tongue-tangling names come from?

Why do they call it Wimauma?

A lot of people think it's an American Indian name, but that's way off, according to Rodney Kite-Powell, the curator of history at the Tampa Bay History Center.

County records show the Hillsborough County community of tree nurseries, berry patches, and struggling farm workers was built by a man named Captain Davis along a railroad line in 1902.

"And he had three daughters: Willie, Maude, and Mary," Kite-Powell said.

Take the first part of each girl's name, and you get Wimauma.

(Which -- for you out-of-towners -- sounds like "Why Mama".)

Why do they call it the Howard Frankland Bridge?

William Howard Frankland was a banker, the owner of Pioneer Tire Company in Tampa, and a regular ol' rich guy in the 1950's.

He took up a controversial cause: building a third bridge across Tampa Bay between the Gandy Bridge and what's now the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

As a member of the State Road Board, Frankland had the power to pick the route the bridge took as it left Hillsborough County and entered Pinellas County, Kite-Powell said.

The new bridge officially opened in 1960 and quickly nabbed a nickname: the "Howard Frankenstein".

The monstrous name came from the mangled people killed in crashes and the lengthy delays caused by those wrecks on the terribly designed bridge.

In 1975, Frankland told the St. Pete Times, "I don't like to hear on the radio that I killed two people in a four-car wreck."

A new four-lane span built alongside the original bridge and safety improvements to the road cleared up that awful reputation.

The bridge was initially an extension of Interstate 4. Most of what's now called I-275 was still in the planning stages. Eventually, the bridge was renumbered to become part of I-275.

Oh --

Remember how Kite-Powell said Frankland chose the route for the bridge? The Times says it turns out Frankland owned 20 acres of land right at the Hillsborough end of the bridge.

Fifteen years after the bridge opened, Frankland's plot of land was worth eight times as much as before. "He may have made a little money off it. That happened a lot back then," Kite-Powell said.

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.

Check out Grayson's other "Why do they call it that?" stories:
Tampa and Courtney Campbell Causeway
Dale Mabry Highway and Thonotosassa
Hillsborough County and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard

Connect with 10 Connects multi-media journalist Grayson Kamm on Twitter as @graysonkamm, on his Facebook page, by e-mail at this link, or on AOL Instant Messenger as screen name GraysonConnects.