Visitors Guide to Atoka, Tennessee
First Monument to the Unknown Confederate Dead
Atoka was founded in 1872 along the newly constructed tracks of the Memphis and Paducah Railroad upon the land owned by Hugh Thompson. The founders of the new town selected the Native American word "Atoka" meaning ball ground as the name of their new community. Located half-way between the towns of Mt. Zion and Portersville on the new railroad, Atoka soon became the shipping point for lumber and cotton from the surrounding area. As the retail establishments in the town multiplied, the population grew accordingly. By the late 1870's the population had grown to approximately 500.
In 1895 the U.S. Post Office experimenting with rural routes Rural Free Delivery routes. Three initial routes were chosen - one in the north, one in the east, and the one in the south was located in the Atoka region. This first route, Atoka Route 1, was 16 and a half miles long and was later combined with RFD route 2, which then covered the territory from Atoka to the Mississippi River. The town was first incorporated in the nineteenth century but the town leaders allowed the charter to lapse. Atoka was reincorporated in 1911 and continues to operate under this charter. Today, Atoka is a growing bedroom community for Memphis and Shelby County. Atoka town is Tipton County's third largest municipality and its population grew from 659 in 1990 to 8,387 in 2010.
www.townofatoka.com - The official website of Atoka.
