Atoka, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Atoka, Tennessee
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Location of Atoka in Tipton County, Tennessee.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| County | Tipton |
| Incorporated | 1838 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.13 sq mi (31.40 km2) |
| • Land | 12.09 sq mi (31.31 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2) |
| Elevation | 433 ft (132 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 8,387 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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9,517 |
| • Density | 787.37/sq mi (304.00/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
38004
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| Area code(s) | 901 |
| FIPS code | 47-02340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1275973 |
Atoka is a local government area with a town charter 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.
Historians and genealogists can trace the Town of 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 population was 8,387 at the 2010 census, making the Town of Atoka the second largest municipality in Tipton County. The town has grown significantly since the 1990 census, at which time the population was only 659. Covington, the county seat, has the largest population.
Contents
History
Origins
From the fiftieth anniversary of the Covington Leader, 1886 to 1936:
The trading center for the Atoka area before the rise of the town was Portersville...
With the coming of the railroad in 1872 and opening of stores in Atoka, 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...
A peek into the life of John McLaughlin, a citizen of both towns, gives us some idea of what Portersville and Atoka were like:
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.
Town charter
Town of Atoka, Tennessee, current charter information
- August 17, 2012 - AN ACT to amend Chapter 373, of the Private Acts of 1911
- 1911 Charter with amendments from 2006, 1977, 1973, and 1969
Private Acts of the State of Tennessee Passed by the General Assembly, 1911
- June 24, 1911 - Atoka reincorporated
Acts of the State of Tennessee Passed at the General Assembly, 1883
- March 19, 1883 - corporation of the town of Atoka repealed
- March 24, 1875 - name of Portersville changed to Atoka
- January 17, 1838 - Portersville incorporated
- June 1, 1796 - The Southwest Territory was admitted as the 16th state, Tennessee.
Parks, greenway, and recreational facilities
Atoka has five city parks: Adkison Park, Atoka Greenway Trail, Nancy Lane Park, Pioneer Park, and Walker Park. Each park has its own history and distinctive recreational facilities.
Adkison Park
Atoka's first park, Adkison Park, was established as a project for the Tennessee Homecoming '86 celebration. It is just over an acre in size. It has a 1/8th mile asphalt lighted walking track, a playground feature shaped like a train, picnic tables, benches, and a memorial plaza area. The memorial plaza area is a memorial area dedicated to the memory of Seargent Joseph B. Adkison. The Bobby McDill Scout Hut, home base of Boy Scouts of America Troop 60 of Atoka, is located within Adkison Park.
Atoka Greenway Trail
The Atoka Greenway Trail is a planned connection between Walker Park and Pioneer Park. "On June 25, 2013, Governor Bill Haslam announced that Atoka had received a $400,000 Transportation Alternatives grant to fund Phase I of the Atoka Greenway Trail project."
Nancy Lane Park
Nancy Lane Park is nearly 42 acres in size. It is named in honor of long-time Atoka resident, Alderman, and dedicated park supporter Nancy Lane. It has a full size caboose, a wooded nature trail, a large playground, pavilions, picnic tables, an 18-hole disc golf course, a 4 diamond softball complex with a concession stand, and restrooms. Nancy Lane Park is the home of the Atoka Dixie Youth Softball program and served as host for the 2014 Dixie Youth Softball World Series.
Pioneer Park
Pioneer park is more than 6.5 acres. It has a 1/3 mile lighted walking track, a playground, picnic tables, and a fishing pond with a fountain. "A nearly 2 acre pond with fountain feature is the central focus of the park, with the walking trail ringing the pond."
Walker Park
Walker Park is more than 60 acres. It is named in honor of long-time Mayor Charles Walker. It has restrooms, a 1.15 mile walking track, a playground, pavilions, picnic tables, concession stand, splash pad, lighted athletic field, and sand volleyball courts.
Geography
The town of Atoka is located at 35°25′29″N 89°46′58″W / 35.42472°N 89.78278°W (35.424740, -89.782652). According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2010 the municipality had a total area of 12.36 square miles (32.0 km2). The total area of land was 12.33 square miles (31.9 km2) and the total of water was .03 square miles (0.078 km2).
Atoka, 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.
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
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 245 | — | |
| 1930 | 222 | −9.4% | |
| 1940 | 255 | 14.9% | |
| 1950 | 334 | 31.0% | |
| 1960 | 357 | 6.9% | |
| 1970 | 446 | 24.9% | |
| 1980 | 691 | 54.9% | |
| 1990 | 659 | −4.6% | |
| 2000 | 3,235 | 390.9% | |
| 2010 | 8,387 | 159.3% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 9,517 | 13.5% | |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| 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% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,008 people, 2,942 households, and 2,395 families residing in the town.
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.
Transportation routes
Railroad
The Canadian National Railway is the current railroad company that owns the rails going through Atoka. This railroad runs from New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A., to Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., and into Canada. The City of New Orleans, an Amtrak passenger train, still makes one trip to Illinois and another trip back to New Orleans each day, through Atoka. The previous railway owner was Illinois Central Railroad. 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.
Images for kids
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From 1883: Portersville Charter - 1838 -- Atoka Charter - 1875
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January 17, 1838 - Portersville incorporated.
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March 24, 1875 - name of Portersville changed to Atoka.
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March 19, 1883 - corporation of the town of Atoka repealed.
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Map published c1859. Shows Porterville on Shelby and Tipton County Lines. Portersville charter was adopted by Atoka in 1875.
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Map published 1872. Shows Portersville in Tipton County.
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Map published in 1888. Shows Newport News & Mississippi Valley Railroad running through Tipton and Lauderdale Counties in Tennessee.
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Map published in c1893, shows Atoka in Tipton County, Tennessee.
See also
In Spanish: Atoka (Tennessee) para niños
