Thomas K. Spencer was born July 1, 1846 in what is now Pasco County.

By the time of the War, his father had moved the family to  Hillsborough County.

At 15, Thomas enlisted in the 4th Florida Infantry Regiment, Co K, as a bugler but was discharged for being under age.

With Martial spirit he re-enlisted, this time as a blockade-runner.  He was captured by the enemy and languished in a military prison for seven months.  As soon as he was released, he was off again in Capt. John T. Lesley's Company of the Cow Cavalry.

He was the last man in the Confederate service of the State of Florida, having been sent with dispatches and not returning until twenty days after the surrender.  Mr. Spencer  was founder of the Tampa Tribune newspaper, which originated as the Sunland Tribune.  He was Hillsborough County Sheriff from 1893 - 1901.  He passed  away May 6,  1901 and is interred at Tampa's historic Oaklawn Cemetery. 

As Sheriff, Spencer planned and began the work that stands as one of the monuments of his official career - a system of good roads.  Spencer named the first black deputy sheriff, Levin Armwood.  (Armwood High School was named after Levin's daughter, Blanche).   Under President Cleveland's first administration, Spencer was Collector of Customs.

Because of illness, Spencer retired from public life on January 1, 1901, and was in fact, seriously ill with LaGrippe, which developed into pneumonia. He died on May 6 at the age of 56. In accounts from his obituary, it was noted that "no citizen had done more for the upbuilding of Tampa as he, and he gained the respect and love of its citizens."  Thomas K. Spencer was married and descendants of his reside in the Tampa Bay area to this day.