Communities of Tunica County, Mississippi

TUNICA

Tunica was the name of a small tribe of Indians who, at one time, occupied the southwest corner of the county, and the county and town were named for them. The town of Tunica was laid out in 1884, on land owned by Edwin L. HARRIS who agreed to donate alternate lots to the railroad company in exchange for a depot. In deeding the land, HARRIS made the stipulation that trains should always stop here, and that Tunica should never be a flag stop. The deal was confirmed and the depot erected. Years later, the railroad officials decided to abolish the station but could not do so under the conditions of the old deed. Tunica was incorporated on 03 Mar 1888 by law enacted in 1888 pg 408.

AUSTIN

Austin was incorporated on 24 Jan 1871 by Laws enacted in 1871 p 353. Located about five miles southwest of Tunica, the town of Austin was founded in 1847. It was named for Austin MILLER who made a donation of land for the courthouse and town proper. The county seat was moved from Commerce to Austin. The new town became a place of commercial importance, but in 1863, it was burned by Union soldiers under the command of Colonel ELLIOT. The courthouse was destroyed, but the records were saved. The town was rebuilt and incorporated in 1871. In time, the ill fortune that followed many of the river towns overtook the town of Austin. In 1884, the levee suddenly broke in front of the town, spreading devastation over the surrounding region. When the water receded, it was found that a great sand bar had been left that continued to form until steamboats could no longer land within a mile of the town's former boundaries. This was followed a short time later by the construction of the Louisville, New Orleans, and Texas Railroad, three miles to the east, so the once-prosperous town soon became isolated and inaccessible. Public sentiment then demanded the removal of the county seat to a more convenient location, and in 1888, the town of Tunica was chosen, Austin continued to decline toward a memory.

BANKS

A small community located six miles northeast of Bowdre, Banks was formed in 1900 and was named for its founder, Richard McPherson BANKS. The land was first owned by Ransom BYRNES in 1877.

BAYLEY

Located between Hollywood and Lost Lake.

BEAVER DAM

Located three miles south of Tunica.

BLAIR FIELD

Blair Field, eighteen miles southwest of Tunica, was established in1870 on the Blair Plantation, and in the 1930s, became locally known as the Brand Place.

BOTHWELL

Located on County Line east of Lula

BOWDRE

Located four miles northeast of Hollywood, this site was first bought from the Indians by Richard E. ORNE who sold it to Archibald WRIGHT in 1854. With various transfers occurring, the land was later owned by J.P. NORFLEET of Memphis.

The village was named for the BOWDRE brothers of Memphis who owned the place when the railroad was built in 1884. Bowdre was a flag stop on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad but ceased to be that in 1889.

CLACK

Clack, two miles north of Robinsonville, was established as a flag stop on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad in 1885. It was named for Phil CLACK who owned the land where the stop was located.

CLAYTON

In 1884, Clayton was a railroad station located seven miles south west of Tunica on a part of a large plantation once owned by Judge Alexander H. CLAYTON, one of the foremost figures in the early history of the county. Judge CLAYTON moved to Mississippi from Virginia in 1837 and practiced law in the state for many years. At the time of his death in 1868, he was Circuit Judge of his district.

COMMERCE

Commerce was incorporated 15 Feb 1839 by Laws enacted in 1839 pg 398. Commerce, nine miles north of Tunica, was the first town in Tunica County. It was founded in 1834 and became the county seat in 1836. Thomas FLETCHER and a Choctaw Indian, who had been adopted by the Chickasaw, founded the town and named it Commerce because they expected it to become a great city. It was also known as the Metropolis of the Chickasaw Cession. With a population of 7000, 3000 of which being slaves, Commerce was larger than the city of Memphis in 1839. The construction of a railroad was started; the rails were laid, and the road almost complete, when in 1840 the Administration of Governor McNUTT took the charter away from the Hernando Bank, causing both the bank and the railroad to go bankrupt. In 1841, the Mississippi River changed its course, cutting into the city and slicing off the banks into the river. After the river had taken a large portion of the town, the Board of Supervisors decided to move the county seat to Austin. Thomas FLETCHER sold all he owned of Commerce to Colonel Ransom BYRNES of Georgia. Colonel BYRNES wrecked the town, planted cotton and eventually Commerce was added to the list of extinct towns in the state.

COON BAYOU

Located in southeast Tunica County.

CREWS

Established in 1855, located seven miles west of Dundee and named for the CREWS family who owned much of the land. About 1890, most of the settlement caved into the river.

DENMARK

Located about two miles East of Stirling Seabrook.

DOOLEY

Established in 1902, Dooley is seven miles southeast of Tunica. It was a logging camp for the Dooley Lumber Company. In 1904, the Russe and Burgis Lumber Company took over operation of the camp. The camp became extinct after the timber had all been cut.

DOOLEY WOODS

Located about nine miles east of Tunica and between Prichard and Savage.

DUBBS

Dubbs, founded in 1873, is located four miles southeast of Clayton, and was first known as Slabtown because the buildings were made of slabs from the nearby sawmills. Dubbs was incorporated on 12 Feb 1890 by laws enacted in 1890 pg 487. It was later named Dubbs short for the word Doubles because to the twin nuts produced by the scaly-barked hickory in the area.

DUNDEE

Dundee, founded in 1884 after the Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railroad was built, is located three miles southwest of Maud. Dundee was incorporated on 06 Apr 1920 by Gubernatorial Proclamation. It was first known as Carnesville and named for Captain J.B. CARNES who was one of the principal landowners in the county. In 1887, the Post Office Department objected to the name because of a similar named town and selected from a list of suitable names, Dundee.

EAGLE LANDING

Eagle Landing is the name of an extinct boat landing founded in 1870. It is located three miles southwest of Tunica, named for the many nesting eagles near the site. The site of the landing was later known as the Hood Plantation for the HOOD family who settled there in 1885.

EVANSVILLE

Located three miles south of Tunica, Evansville was a small village named for Clayton EVANS, an early settler. The coming of the Railroad in 1885 marked the beginning of Evansville with it being discontinued later. The Evans brothers moved across the river after the county boundaries were fixed in order to remain citizens of Tunica county, so the folklore says.

FABER

Located seven miles southwest of Tunica, Faber was a plantation store owned by a man named FABER in 1825. It was an early post office but became extinct when most of the village caved into the river.

FOX ISLAND

This island was important to the steamboats from before 1860 to 1875 and located one mile west of Austin. Steamboats took on wood as fuel. Only woodcutters and their families lived there; their children were taught by a governess. One part of the island was known as McCann's Woodyard and the other as Frederick Field.

FREDERICK'S LANDING

This is an extinct boat landing located two miles northwest of Austin, which was owned by a man named FREDERICK who operated a ferry on the river in 1865. It became extinct when it caved into the river in 1876.

GAY'S

L.W. GAY settled about eight miles west of Tunica just after the Civil War. In 1924, the post office and a small store were in operation but now the settlement is extinct.

GREEN RIVER

Located eight miles northeast of Tunica.

HAMLIN

Hamlin, established as a flag stop on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad in 1885, was located three miles south of Dundee. It was named for a local landowner and discontinued in 1897.

HARBERT BEND

Located sixteen miles southwest of Tunica, established in 1841 and named for Crockett HARBERT who brought the land 06 Dec 1841. It is located on a bend in the river and became extinct in 1927.

HOLLYWOOD

Hollywood, formerly known as Holly Grove because of a large grove of Holly trees, is located four miles north of Tunica. In 1855, the railroad was built through the county and the name changed from Holly Grove to Hollywood. Two black merchants were the first settlers, BELLE and RAMSEY. A forest fire destroyed the town and Holly grove, the town was never rebuilt to its former size.

INDIAN CREEK

Located about one mile west of Robinsonville.

INTERSTATE

Founded in 1800 as a commissary and located about one mile East of Austin. Became extinct after the Civil War, as it was burned down. No trace of the place is now visible.

LESSER

Was located on the plantation of Leo Lesser in 1905 and consisted of a small store and post office. After in 1921 Mr. Lesser went bankrupt the town became extinct.

LINWOOD LANDING

A boat landing located three miles West of Commerce named for the Linwood family. By 1877 the Mississippi River had changed its course making the landing useless.

LITTLE TEXAS

This town was founded in 1930 when Clay and Frank Taylor bought stateland eight miles southeast of Tunica, set it up and named it Little Texas.

LOST LAKE

Located nine miles northeast of Tunica.

MARTINDALE

Located two miles south of Banks, Martindale was a spur of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. The spur was about 200 feet long and named by John Martin, a lumberman. The camp ceased operations in 1910.

MAUD

Maud was first called Busby and located four miles west of Dubbs. The name was changed in 1900, when a post office was opened and it was found that another office was already in operation. It is named for Mrs. W. G. Jaquess and remained only a post office on the plantation.

MHOON LANDING

This landing, located four miles west of Tunica, was named for a family of early settlers in 1859. It was one of the last landings in Tunica County and served as Red Cross Headquarters during the 1927 flood.

NASH'S LANDING

Located 18 miles southwest of Tunica, was established in 1855 by Dr. Charles E. Nash of Arkansas as a plantation. Most of the former plantation and landing have been reclaimed by the Mississippi River.

OK LANDING

Located about one and a half miles southwest of Austin.

PAYTON

Located about one and a half miles southwest of Austin.

PINK

On the south end of Walnut Lake in 1900, about 14 miles southeast of Tunica, Pink was founded. Pink Bizzell operated a post office called Pink in his small store. Pink finally became extinct after about 20 years.

POLK

Established in 1847 about two miles north of Commerce and named for President James K. Polk who once owned the land. The land was still in the Polk family in 1930.

PRICHARD

Prichard was founded eight miles northeast of Tunica on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. It was named for an early settler, Joe Prichard. Early settlers listed: Dory Dye and Sam France and Mrs. Jane Prichard.

ROBINSONVILLE

A Chickasaw Indian, Hath Lo TA, sold the land to Jacob Thompson, also an Indian, in 1837. Mr. Caruthers of Marshall County bought part of the land which was five miles west of Banks on which Robinsonville was founded in 1855 by Colonel C.L. and Virginia P. Robinson. The town was destroyed in 1893 by a cyclone.

SHOO FLY BAR

Located west of Austin.

STATE LINE LEVEE

Located in SouthWest Tunica County near Helena, AR.

STUBBS

Located 24 miles southwest of Tunica, in the southwest part of the county near the county line; it was formed from the Clark Plantation in 1880 and named for the man who owned the land, Hugh Stubbs.

TIBBS

Tibbs is located partly in Tunica County and partly in Quitman County with the Coldwater River dividing it, seven miles southeast of Dubbs. It was founded by the Tibbs Family from Indianapolis, IN. and in the early part of the 1930s sold to the U.S. Government.

TROTTER'S LANDING

This is an extinct landing located eight miles southwest of Dundee and was originally called Glendale Landing. C.L. Moore, who operated a ferry to Helena, AR, founded the town in 1820. Captain John Trotter bought the land in 1846, and the name was changed to Trotter's Landing for him. It was never important except as a river landing.

WICKER

Wicker was a spur tack used by the Green Lumber Company in 1820 for shipment of logs to Memphis. It is located ten miles east of Tunica. The spur ran from the Lake Comorant Branch of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad to this site on the Wicker Plantation.

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This page designed and created by the MSGW, ©All rights reserved. This information may be used by libraries, genealogical societies, and other researchers.  Commercial use of this information is strictly prohibited without prior permission of the owner. If copied, this copyright notice must appear with the information.