Citrus County was first occupied about 10,000 years ago and settled about 2,500 years ago by mound-building Native Americans who built the complex that now forms the Crystal River Archeological Site.
After the Big Freeze the next major industry was phosphate mining, which continued until World War I. Planned industrial development surrounding the construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal never came to fruition when the partially-built canal was terminated after environmental opposition [REF].