Town in Tennessee, United States
Atoka is a town [Gov 2] in Tipton County, Tennessee. As an incorporated municipality and as of the 2010 census, Atoka has the second largest population in Tipton County, second only to Covington, the county seat. Between 1990 and 2010, Atoka experienced a huge increase in population. In 1990, the population was 659; by 2010, the population had jumped to 8,387.[Gov 3] Atoka's origins, as a municipality in Tennessee, can be traced back to the 1838 charter of Portersville, Tennessee. World War I Medal of Honor recipient Joseph B. Adkison lived in the city limits of Atoka and is buried nearby.
Atoka, Tennessee is also the United States Postal Service mailing address [USPS 1] of an area which includes the city limits, but also extends beyond the city limits. Census information outside the city limits is included in Tipton County census records, but not the town's census records.
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...[Leader50th 1]
Portersville remains relevant today because it appears in United States census data, United States Postal records, Tennessee government records, Tipton County land records, vital records, ancestral records, church records, family histories and anything that relates to the people that lived there and the businesses that existed there.
The Charter
Town of Atoka, Tennessee, current charter information
- August 17, 2012 - AN ACT to amend Chapter 373, of the Private Acts of 1911[Charter 2]
- 1911 Charter with amendments from 2006, 1977, 1973, and 1969[Charter 3]
Private Acts of the State of Tennessee Passed by the General Assembly, 1911[Charter 4]
- Atoka reincorporated - June 24, 1911
Acts of the State of Tennessee Passed at the General Assembly, 1883[Charter 5]
- March 19, 1883 - corporation of the town of Atoka repealed
- March 24, 1875 - name of Portersville changed to Atoka
- January 17, 1838 - Portersville incorporated
World War I Hero
Seargent Joseph B. Adkison of Atoka was a member of Company C. 199th Infantry. 30 Division. during World War I. In 1919, he was presented the Congressional Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the Presbyterian Church in Atoka. In addition to this honor, he also received The Great War of Civilization Medal, the Italian War Cross, and the Republic of Portugal Medal.[Adkison 1] A close inspection of his grave stone shows he was also awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.[Adkison 2] The town of Atoka, Tennessee placed a monument honoring Joseph Adkison on the front lawn of the Presbyterian Church. Between the years 1986, when Atoka celebrated Tennessee Homeocming '86,[Gov 4] and 2011, when Atoka had a Centennial Celebration, land for Adkison Park was donated, the monument was moved to the park, a concrete walkway from the street to the monument was placed, a flagpole was erected, lights were added around the flagpole, a paved walking path was installed, trees, plants, and flowers were added, money was raised to place memorial and honorary brick pavers around the area and a brick sitting wall behind the monument. Adkison Park, located in front of Boy Scout Troop 60's scout hut, became the permanent home of the monument honoring Joseph Adkison. The town had named the street to the west of the park Adkison Circle. In 2013, the town of Atoka placed a commemorative plaque over the face of the monument.
Geography
The town of Atoka is located at 35°25′29″N 89°46′58″W / 35.42472°N 89.78278°W / 35.42472; -89.78278 (35.424740, -89.782652).Template:GR
According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2010[Gov 5] 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).
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 3,235 people, 1,075 households, and 935 families residing in the town. The population density was 485.0 people per square mile (187.3/km²). There were 1,145 housing units at an average density of 171.7 per square mile (66.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.88% White, 9.30% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.10% of the population.
There were 1,075 households out of which 49.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.6% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.0% were non-families. 11.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the town the population was spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,583, and the median income for a family was $61,643. Males had a median income of $38,721 versus $24,487 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,644. About 3.0% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
United States Postal Service
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.[USPS 2] But according to an article in Tipton County's local newspaper, published in 1936:
ATOKA ROUTE ONE IS THIRD IN UNITED STATES[Leader50th 1]
The first rural route established in the South and the third established in the United States was set up at Atoka in 1895.
At that time the United States Post Office Department was experimenting with rural routes. They established one in the North, one in the East, and one in the South at Atoka...
The first route, which was Atoka Route 1, was 16½ miles long...
Route 1 was later combined with route 2, which covers the territory from Atoka to the Mississippi River.
Another article from 1936 describes more about the post office:
Atoka's first postmaster was D. Bowden. With the development of the United States' splendid rural delivery system in her postoffice department, the Atoka postoffice grew in importance. Today there are two rural routes reaching out from the town, serving that section from the Mississippi river on the west to Salem on the east. All mail for Munford, Drummonds, Richatdson's Landing, Randolph and other communities passes through the postoffice at Atoka, whose postmaster is E. M. Quisenberry and whose rural carriers are J. E. McQuiston and R. S. McDill.[Leader50th 1]
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.[2]
Atoka Elementary School is located in Atoka.
Dr. William E. Bibb is the Director of Schools.[3]
