Tunica, Ms 07/97

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Austin, MS	Willie Mae Powell, Robert Johnson’s girlfriend lived here until early 1990’s
Bonnie Blue, MS	Robert Johnson lived here Is considered one of the crossroad sites
Clack, MS	"Son House" recorded live at the Clack Store, 1941 Clack Store served as a store, farm commissary and train station Store torn down 1993 Store sign on display at the Delta Blues Museum
Clayton, MS	Birthplace of James Cotton Cotton lived here until age 9 when he ran away from home He was seeking Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) Cotton had heard Sonny Boy on radio and wanted to play harp like him
Commerce, MS	Robert Johnson’s home place in his youth
Dooley Spur, MS	Willie Johnson was a Memphis guitarist playing with Son House and Willie Brown A popular juke joint was one of the "happening spots" in the area Johnson met Howlin’ Wolf at the juke joint, early 1940’s
Dubbs, MS	Home of Skip James when he was rediscovered, 1963
Kirby Plantation, MS	Home to Willie Brown during the 1930’s and ‘40’s Also home of Louise Johnson, a singer and mistress to Charlie Patton When Johnson "did Patton wrong", Patton wrote song "Joe Kirby Blues"
Lake Cormorant, MS	Willie Johnson born and lived here
Lula, MS	Charlie Patton lived here with vocalist Bertha Lee for a while
Penton, MS	Howlin’ Wolf’s home located near this railroad community
Prichard, MS	Willie Brown buried in the Good Shepherd Church cemetery
Robinsonville, MS	Juke joints were "shakin" with live blues music Son House, Charlie Patton, Howlin’ Wolf and others frequented area
Tunica, MS	Many juke joints playing blues music survived in and around city into the 1970’s
Walls, MS	Birthplace of Memphis Minnie

Most of the roads in the county are straight, flat, and narrow Stay off main roads if possible Traffic is fast, particularly at shift changes around the casinos Mountain bikers can follow some delightful roads from the levee toward the river
The City of Tunica	Highway 61 through the city has a great 8 foot shoulder for bicycles Traffic is light inside the town The roads are mostly narrow, but most have enough shoulder to feel comfortable Many streets are shaded for summer time "cool"
The Levee	The levee along the Mississippi River runs the length of the county A ten foot roadway runs on top of the levee The river is not visible from the levee, but the sights are many, varied, and wonderful Access and road surface on the levee S-U-C-K-S!!! One has to climb gates and haul the bicycle over five foot heights The road surface is chunk gravel mixed with a powdery sand Movement is extremely hard on the surface and ceases to be fun quickly The levee should be considered a prime asset to attract bicycle loving tourists Bicycling is one of the largest and fastest growing leisure time activities A hard packed surface with minor adjustments for easier access would work The political establishment of Tunica County should seriously consider these changes Those in charge of public relations for the casinos should also support a bike path on the levee Bicyclists living in Tunica County should shout at the powers-that-be to change the levee

Early Indians Who Stayed in Tunica County	Chickasaw Indian migration from area to Oklahoma took place 1832 Old county records show relations between whites and Indians were friendly The two races intermarried frequently Many of the Indian families took English names It was difficult to tell whether the early county officers were white or Indian
Isaac McKinney	Isaac McKinney was a Chickasaw Indian McKinney lived in Tunica County until his death in winter of 1845 Five members of family are listed in original land deeds The townsite of Austin was originally part of the McKinney land McKinney was one of the early planters and owned slaves His ear-mark for cattle is the first registered in county records in 1837 McKinney bought swampland lots in the town of Peyton His money was returned in October 1845 McKinney Lake and McKinney Bayou are named after the family The last McKinney in the county died in the 1870’s
Benjamin Love	Benjamin Love, one of the Chickasaw Chief’s, lived in county as late as 1843
Alexander Mizzles	Alexander Mizzles, an interpreter of Chickasaw Nation, lived in county in 1851
Thomas Fletcher	Thomas Fletcher was another of counties early Indian citizens Fletcher was half white and half Choctaw but was adopted into the Chickasaw nation His wife was a Chickasaw woman named Sarah Fletcher was founder of Commerce, the first county seat He was elected to several county offices He served as representative for Tunica County 1843 to 1844 His two sons served as soldiers in the Confederate Army
James S Porter	James S Porter another Chickasaw Indian stayed in the county He was one of the county’s most influential pioneer citizens Porter was a member of board of police when Tunica County organized in 1836 He owned a large plantation in county Porter owned and operated a ferry from Tunica County to Helena Arkansas One of his sons was killed in the Civil War
Deputy Dawg’s Fishing Guide Service

1763	French connection caused a severe defeat for Tunica’s against Chickasaw’s, 1763 After battle, the area became the Chickasaw Indian Territory It served as home for legendary chieftain, Chisca Chickasaw’s hated French and became allies to the English
1832	Last treaty selling Indian lands concluded 1832 Chickasaw Indian migration to Oklahoma took place 1832
1834	Commerce was first town in what was to be Tunica County Established on banks of Mississippi River, 1834 Became first county seat
1836	Tunica County established Febuary 9, 1836 Named for the Tunica Indian tribe Tunica means "the people"
1837	Hernando Banking constructed a roadbed for railroad 1837 The line was to connect Commerce with Hernando in DeSoto County A change in banking laws stopped the project
1838	The village of Peyton established as a township as early as 1838 It was located at what is now called OK Landing The founding fathers of Peyton sold lots in the swampland around Peyton An outcry by purchasers caused a return of their money for the lots
1842	For nearly 50 years Tunica county was dependent on river traffic City of Commerce was home base for the boats, DeSoto and McPherson’s Trading Boat Commerce had a fine deep water harbor before the great flood Commerce lost its importance as a city in early 1840’s A change in the current of Mississippi River destroyed the entire business section in 1842
1844	Tavern and bar room served as courtroom, 1844 to 1848 Rented from James McPherson for $50/year Rent raised to $75/year in 1845 Jury locked up overnight on an occasion in 1847 They broke into the hard liquor stocks and broke up the furniture McPherson billed county for damages County board authorized the purchase of "suitable house" for a courtroom, November 12, 1847 A building was purchased for $200 to serve as courthouse, 1848 The building was a brick structure built by slave labor It had served as a station for the stage coach line When county seat switched to Austin building served as school and church It was later converted to a post office Building was later purchased by the Abbay family It was still standing on the Commerce Plantation in the 1940’s After the Commerce flood, Peyton was selected as county seat in 1844 The land around Peyton proved too swampy, and a move was made back to Commerce

1846	School system of Tunica County began April 1846 The first courthouse at Commerce was later used as a school
1848	First county courthouse built at Commerce February 1848 An election was held to decide location of new county seat on June 5, 1848 Judge Austin Miller donated 20 acres of land for new county seat, 1848 The town of Austin was named for the judge A second county courthouse built in Austin 1848 A log courthouse was built facing the town square Much of the materials for the courthouse were donated The county spent only $250 on structure Courthouse formerly opened December 15, 1848 First church was built in southwest corner of county in place known as Crow’s Place The second church in the county established in Austin in 1848 It was built by the Tunica Lodge # 257 Free and Accepted Masons The lodge occupied a room upstairs The Union Army burned the town of Austin and the church in 1863 Services were held in private homes and the parlor of the Austin Hotel until 1874 Money was collected to build a new church The resulting funds were used to build a Catholic and a Methodist Church The Catholic Church of Saint Mary was destroyed by lightening in 1879 The Methodist church was abandoned and the lot sold
1850	The abandoned railroad bed started in 1837 was put to new use The road bed was "planked" and used as a turnpike starting August 5, 1850 Road connected Commerce with Hernando and was used until Civil War
1855	A jail was erected in Austin, 1855
1858	The Austin courthouse was remodeled in May 1858 The inside was plastered, and weather boarding was placed on outside
1860	After a prisoner escape, a new brick jail was opened in Austin, May 1860 Cost of new jail was $5,000
1863	Federal troops landed the gunboat Diana at Austin’s wharf June 25, 1863 The whole town including the second county courthouse was burned by the troops 1863 Rooms rented from Judge Crawford Nelson used as county offices until 1866
1866	Bids for a new courthouse and jail in Austin let May 1866 Jail completed August 1866 Third county ourthouse completed December 24, 1866 The county board realized they had not provided a way to pay for the project After Civil War, area was placed under military rule
1868	Contractors for the jail and third county courthouse at Austin were not paid until 1868
1872	First county newspaper was the Cotton Plant published in 1872
1873	Tate County split section off Tunica County, 1873
1877	Quitman Co split section off Tunica County, 1877 Political structure in county broke down, and the jails were overrun by 1877 Prisoners had to be released from jail to make room for more Governor John M Stone commissioned a group of men to restore order Group was called "The Tunica Rifles" They patrolled roads around Austin and restored order The first Presbyterian church in county was organized in Austin December 11, 1877
1882	A river levee broke at Austin during a destructive flood in 1882 A block of stores was swept into the river When waters receded a giant sandbar had been deposited in front of the town
1884	Another flood added to the sand bar at Austin in 1884 Steamboats couldn’t land because Austin had become an inland town Without steamboat or railroad access, Austin as a town died First railroad built in county, 1884 Louisville-New Orleans-Texas Railroad first to establish track in county Several small towns located along railway Land for the town site of Tunica originally belonged to Edwin Lanier Harris Harris laid out town lots in Tunica, 1884
1885	The first railroad in Tunica County began operation 1885 Practically all of land for railroad donated by local citizens It was named the Louisville-New Orleans-Texas Railroad
1888	Tunica was chosen county seat in an election held April 12, 1888 Harris sold Tunica lots to Robert Clell Irwin, a Confederate soldier, 1888 Irwin donated land for fourth county courthouse July 1888 Bids for courthouse and jail totaled $16,949 The Independent and Tunica County Herald were first published about 1888
1889	Fourth county courthouse and a jail in Tunica completed April 1, 1889
1892	The new railroad was bought by Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad, 1892
1894	Tunica jail destroyed by fire 1894 A new jail constructed in Tunica at cost of $10,299 in 1894
1899	The Baptist Church of Tunica was organized 1899
1908	The Tunica Times was established 1908 Name changed to The Tunica Times-Democrat 1923
1912	Epiphany Episcopal Church of Tunica organized 1912
1917	The Tunica Delta Democrat discontinued about 1917
1920	Fourth county courthouse destroyed by fire in January 1920 Insurance paid $36,000 which was no more than value of the furniture A temporary frame building used for courthouse 1920 to 1923 The frame building donated to Woman’s Club 1923 It was used as a community building and library in the 1940’s The Tunica Grammar School was built at a cost of $85,000 in 1920
1922	Bids for the fifth and current Tunica County courthouse accepted on February 7, 1922 Algernon Blair of Montgomery, Alabama awarded contract on April 4, 1922
1923	Fifth county courthouse completed January 4, 1923 The bid price on building was $122,863.07 An additional $41,563.59 was spent before completion of structure Structure considered 100% fireproof
1925	The consolidated school at Dundee burned 1925 Was immediately replaced by current stucco building
1990	Gaming legalized in state of Mississippi, July 1990
1991	Tunica County legalized gaming 1991
1992	Businessmen Fernando Cuquet and Evert Macaulay proposed casino idea 1992 Dick Flowers owned 300 acres of land at Mhoon Landing Named for the Mhoon family that had lived in area many years ago State law forbids land based gambling Mhoon Landing provided a river connection 46 acres of land leased for the first casino Mhoon Landing Casino opened October 1992 Site now abandoned
1995	Over 85 million in taxes paid Tunica County by gaming industry in 1995 Number of hotel rooms increased by over 3000 from 1992 to 1996

Tunica Air Svc	2775 Us Hwy 61 S Tunica 38676
Tunica Municipal Airport	Beatline Rd Tunica 38676


Mississippi River Bridge	Mississippi River Barge	Fishing in Tunica County		River Camps Signs
Levee Sign
Tunica Cutoff Lake			2,500 acres Favorite fishing spot in county Located 7 miles from Tunica Four private fishing camps lie along shores Hunting Boating Water and jet skiing Bird watching Photography
Flower Lake			15 miles south of Tunica 1,000 acres Fishing Boat rentals RV hookups Fishing camp Guide service available

U S Highways:	State Highways:
61	3, 4, 304

Clayton, MS	Clayton Building
Commerce, MS	Commerce Buildings
Dubb, MS	Dubb’s Store
Dundee, MS	Dundee Railroad Depot
Dundee, MS	Dundee Store Building

Evansville, MS	Evansville General Store
Little Texas, MS	Little Texas Building
Maude, MS	Maude Building

	Built April 1956 Commerce Robins Rd
Church of God of Prophecy	Commerce Missionary Baptist Church	Free Grace Missionary Baptist Church	Greater Peter’s Rock Missionary Baptist Church	Jehovah’s Rest Missionary Baptist Church
				Established December 3, 1901
Little Texas Baptist Church	No Name Church	No Name Church former Dundee Methodist Church in Dundee, Mississippi	New Hope Church	St Luke Missionary Baptist Church

1541	DeSota visited county 1541
1682	The Frenchman, LaSalle, led expedition into county 1682 French claimed the valley 1682
1698	Father Anthony Davion established a mission 1698 Area encompassing county named "Rochoa Davion" after priest
1760’s	Tunica Indians were friendly to the French Tunica Indians ambushed an English expedition to Illinois in 1760’s Major Loftus, commander of English group was killed in battle Area was known as Loftus Heights for more than 35 years

Area of county originally	684 square miles
County now contains	449 square miles
Has frost free weather nearly	200 days per year
Average rainfall	84 inches
County population 1940	22,610


Methodist Family Medical Center	Tunica Convalescent Home