Austin, Mississippi | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 34°38′26″N 90°26′57″W / 34.64056°N 90.44917°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 |
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]
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]
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]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 51 | — | |
U.S. Decennial Census
[8] 2020 [9] |
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | 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 or Multi-Racial (NH) | 3 | 5.88% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1 | 1.96% |
Total | 51 | 100.00% |
Residents are in the Tunica County School District. [10] Rosa Fort High School is the district's comprehensive high school.