Atoka () is a town in Tipton County, Tennessee, United States. In 1888, Atoka was a stop on the Newport News & Mississippi Valley Railroad. Today the City of New Orleans Amtrak passenger train makes its daily route between New Orleans and Chicago, through Atoka. The population was 10,008 at the 2020 census, making the Town of Atoka the largest municipality in Tipton County.

Historians and genealogists can trace Atoka's origins back to the 1838 charter of Portersville. Atoka adopted Portersville's charter as its own. World War I Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Joseph B. Adkison lived in Atoka, and he is buried nearby.

Five public parks exist within the town limits. The town has grown significantly since the 1990 census, at which time the population was only 659. Covington, the county seat, has the second largest population.

History

Origins

From the fiftieth anniversary of the Covington Leader, 1886 to 1936:

<blockquote>The trading center for the Atoka area before the rise of the town was Portersville...

<br><u>With the coming of the railroad in 1872 and opening of stores in Atoka,</u> there grew up an intense rivalry between the two towns, but Atoka's advantage of the railroad proved to be too much, and Portersville gradually died out. Today not a store or store building remains in Portersville and it passes into history... </blockquote>

A peek into the life of John McLaughlin, a citizen of both towns, gives us some idea of what Portersville and Atoka were like:

<blockquote>Our subject received a collegiate education at Bellenyna College, Ireland and in 1852 came to America, landing at Charleston, S. C.; then immediately went to Chester, S. C., and spent three years learning the carriage-maker's trade, when he moved to Aberdeen, Miss., and established a factory of his own, and three years later moved to Portersville, Tipton County, and continued the business five years, then went into merchandising and farming, selling goods at Portersville two years, then moved to Atoka and continued the mercantile business over ten years, and since that time has given his attention exclusively to farming and running a steam cotton-gin, which he owns.</blockquote>

Atoka and Portersville in Tennessee, U.S.A.

:June 1, 1796 - The Southwest Territory was admitted as the 16th state, Tennessee.

<gallery class="center">

United States 1837-03-1838.png|alt=Map of the states and territories of the United States as it was from March 1837 to 1838.|January 17, 1838 - Portersville incorporated.

United States 1868-1876.png|alt=United States 1868-1876|March 24, 1875 - name of Portersville changed to Atoka.

United States 1876-1884.png|alt= United States 1876-1884|March 19, 1883 - corporation of the town of Atoka repealed.

</gallery>

:1911 - Atoka was reincorporated.

Railroad

If the dates are taken into account, "the coming of the railroad in 1872" and "the name of Portersville changed to Atoka in 1875". These two locations, Portersville and Atoka, existed simultaneously. The railroad came to Atoka first. Then the town of Atoka was incorporated. Atoka was an unincorporated location long before it was a chartered town.

<gallery class="center">

1859c-Portersville.PNG|Map published c1859. Shows Porterville on Shelby and Tipton County Lines. Portersville charter was adopted by Atoka in 1875.

1872-Portersville.PNG|Map published 1872. Shows Portersville in Tipton County.

1876-GapBetweenCovington&Dyersburg.jpg|Map published in 1876. Shows gap between Covington and Dyersburg railroad connections.

1888 c1882-NewportNew&MississippiValleyRailroad.jpg|Map published in 1888. Shows Newport News & Mississippi Valley Railroad running through Tipton and Lauderdale Counties in Tennessee.

1893c-enlarged-Atoka.PNG|Map published in c1893, shows Atoka in Tipton County, Tennessee.

</gallery>

United States Postal Service, Rural Free Delivery in Atoka

The official stance of the United States Postal Service, according to an article published by the Historian of the United States Postal Service in April 2008, is that Atoka was the first post office with rural free delivery in Tennessee starting on January 11, 1897. But according to an article in Tipton County's local newspaper, published in 1936:

<blockquote>ATOKA ROUTE ONE IS THIRD IN UNITED STATES

June 24, 1911 - Atoka reincorporated

1911 Charter with amendments from 2006, 1977, 1973, and 1969.

August 17, 2012 - AN ACT to amend Chapter 373, of the Private Acts of 1911.

Current Charter Information - Town of Atoka, Tennessee.

April 21st, 1928 Tornado

thumb|The wreckage of the Atoka, TN Post Office and General Merchandising store after the events of the April 21 1928 tornado.

On the morning of April 21st, 1928, Atoka would be struck by a tornado, causing extensive damage to the town and damaging many buildings in the business district as well as the local post office. It would subject the town to heavy costs in repair and reconstruction due to the damage.

Geography

The town of Atoka is located at (35.424740, -89.782652). According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2010 the municipality had a total area of . The total area of land was and the total of water was .

alt= Atoka, Tennessee within Tipton County|left|286x286px|Atoka, Tennessee within Tipton County|thumbAtoka, Tennessee is located in Tipton County, Tennessee. The County south of Tipton County is Shelby County where the city of Memphis, Tennessee is located. Tipton County is located in the Tennessee Grand Division of West Tennessee. The map of the United States gives a view of where Tennessee is located within the contiguous United States.

alt=Map of West Tennessee counties|thumb|Map of West Tennessee counties The Mississippi River defines the western border of the state of Tennessee. The Tennessee counties that have the Mississippi River as their western boundary are Shelby, Tipton, Lauderdale, Dyer, and Lake Counties. Atoka is located just east of the Mississippi River.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Atoka had a population of 10,008, with 3,392 households and 2,395 families residing in the town.

The median age was 37.1 years. 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.4 males age 18 and over.

Of the 3,392 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. 65.1% were married-couple households, 12.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 18.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

!Race

!Num.

!Perc.

|-

|White (non-Hispanic)

|7,731

|77.25%

|-

|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

|1,189

|11.88%

|-

|Native American

|33

|0.33%

|-

|Asian

|118

|1.18%

|-

|Pacific Islander

|16

|0.16%

|-

|Other/Mixed

|594

|5.94%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino

|327

|3.27%

|}

2000 census

As of the census To visitors, the railroad in Atoka may seem inactive, but the rail system is busy with regular traffic in 2019.

Highways

U.S. Route 51 passes through the western edge of the Town of Atoka, from Shelby County to the south and the town of Brighton to the north. The City of Munford meets the Town of Atoka city limits to the west and in the center of Highway 51. Highway 51 is the route south to Millington, the downtown area of Memphis. and north through Covington, Ripley, and Dyersburg.Randolph

Tennessee State Route 14 or Highway 14 or Austin Peay Highway is west of Atoka. Highway 14 goes south into the Raleigh area where Methodist North is located. It runs north to help drivers get to Brownsville.

South of Millington, or about a twenty-minute drive, is Tennessee State Route 385. Many of the areas in Shelby County can be reached from 385.

Mississippi River

Although Atoka is only about 19 minutes away from the Mississippi River at Randolph, the closest bridge that allows a car to travel to Arkansas is almost 40 minutes away - the Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis. The next closest bridge is located in Dyersburg.

Education

Atoka Public Schools are part of Tipton County Schools. The Tipton County School District has eight elementary schools, five middle schools and four high schools. Atoka Elementary School, opened in 2008, is located in Atoka. Younger students in the Atoka area may attend any of various public schools. Dr. John Combs is the Director of Schools.

References

  • Official site
  • Parks