Austin, Mississippi
| Austin, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated community | |
  Austin, Mississippi | |
| Coordinates: 34°38′26″N 90°26′57″W / 34.64056°N 90.44917°WCoordinates: 34°38′26″N 90°26′57″W / 34.64056°N 90.44917°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Tunica |
| Elevation | 197 ft (60 m) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 38676 |
| GNIS feature ID | 666428 |
Austin is an unincorporated community in Tunica County, Mississippi.[1]
Once a thriving shipping port on the Mississippi River, Austin served as county seat from 1847 to 1888. Earlier county seats were Commerce and Peyton.[2][3]
History
Austin was founded in 1847 and named for Austin Miller, who donation land on which the town and a courthouse were built.[3]
Austin was burned in 1863 by Union soldiers of the Mississippi Marine Brigade under the command of Alfred W. Ellet. Two houses were spared.[4]
The town rebuilt and was incorporated in 1871, though it is no longer incorporated.[3]
In 1884, the area was flooded when a nearby levee broke. When waters receded, a large sandbar had been left between the town and the Mississippi River, and steamboats could no longer land. The completion of the Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railway 3 mi (4.8 km) east of Austin in the late 1880s further contributed to its isolation.
In 1888, the county seat was moved to Tunica, a more accessible location.[3]
The construction of the Hardin Cutoff in 1942, which created Tunica Lake, moved the Mississippi River an additional 7 mi (11 km) west of Austin.[5]
Notable person
- Sport McAllister (1874-1962), professional baseball player.[6]
References
- ↑ "Austin". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ Ensign, Bridgman & Fanning's Lake and River Guide: Being a Traveler's Companion to the Cities, Towns, and Villages on the Western Waters of the United States. Ensign, Bridgman & Fanning. 1856.
- 1 2 3 4 "Communities of Tunica County, Mississippi". MSGenWeb. Retrieved December 2013.
- ↑ Jones, Terry L. (2002). Historical Dictionary of the Civil War. Scarecrow Press.
- ↑ Bragg, Marion (1977). "Historic Names and Places on the Lower Mississippi River" (PDF). Mississippi River Commission.
- ↑ "Sport McAllister". BaseballReference.com. Retrieved December 2013.
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