Austin, Mississippi
Austin is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Tunica County, Mississippi, United States.[2] Per the 2020 Census, the population was 51.[3]
Austin, Mississippi | |
---|---|
Austin, Mississippi Austin, Mississippi | |
Coordinates: 34°38′26″N 90°26′57″W | |
Country | United States |
State | Mississippi |
County | Tunica |
Area | |
• Total | 0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2) |
• Land | 0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2) |
• Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
Elevation | 197 ft (60 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 51 |
• Density | 504.95/sq mi (195.89/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP code | 38676 |
GNIS feature ID | 666428 |
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.[4][5]
History
Austin was founded in 1847 and named for Austin Miller, who donated the land on which the town and a courthouse were built.[5]
Austin was burned in 1863 by Union soldiers of the Mississippi Marine Brigade under the command of Alfred W. Ellet. Two houses were spared.[6]
The town rebuilt and was incorporated in 1871, though it is no longer incorporated.[5]
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.[5]
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.[7]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 51 | — | |
U.S. Decennial Census[8] 2020[9] |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2020[9] | % 2020 |
---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 3 | 5.88% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 44 | 86.27% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
Asian alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 3 | 5.88% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1 | 1.96% |
Total | 51 | 100.00% |
Notable person
- Sport McAllister (1874–1962), professional baseball player.[10]
References
- "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- "Austin". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- "Austin CDP, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- 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.
- "Communities of Tunica County, Mississippi". MSGenWeb. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
- Jones, Terry L. (2002). Historical Dictionary of the Civil War. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810866119.
- Bragg, Marion (1977). "Historic Names and Places on the Lower Mississippi River" (PDF). Mississippi River Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2013.
- "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
- "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Austin CDP, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
- "Sport McAllister". BaseballReference.com. Retrieved December 21, 2016.