Golddust, Tennessee

Golddust, Tennessee
Unincorporated community[1]

Location in the State of Tennessee
Coordinates: 35°43′31″N 89°51′31″W / 35.72528°N 89.85861°W / 35.72528; -89.85861Coordinates: 35°43′31″N 89°51′31″W / 35.72528°N 89.85861°W / 35.72528; -89.85861
Country United States
State Tennessee
Counties Lauderdale
Elevation 247 ft (75 m)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 38063 (Ripley, Tennessee)[2]
GNIS feature ID 1285588[3]

Golddust is a rural unincorporated community in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States. It is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. Golddust is one of the earliest settlements in Lauderdale County.

In 1864, the Battle of Fort Pillow was fought about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Golddust.

History

Establishment 1820s

Golddust was founded in the 1820s. It is one of the earliest settlements in Lauderdale County.[4]

Battle of Fort Pillow 1864

Main article: Battle of Fort Pillow

In 1861, the Confederate States Army built extensive fortifications south of Golddust and named the site for General Gideon J. Pillow. Because of its strategic location, the fort was taken by the Union Army in 1864.

Fort Pillow State Park is located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Golddust.

Geography

Island No. 30 of the Mississippi River is located approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) west of Golddust. The landscape of the area is dominated by the Mississippi River valley, flood plains and cotton fields. Most dwellings in the area are built on stilts to withstand floods.

Golddust is situated on the southeastern edge of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, an area with a high earthquake risk.

Economy

Four Mile Ln in Golddust (2008)

Agriculture is the chief source of income in the area surrounding Golddust, especially the cultivation of cotton.

After the abolition of slavery, sharecropping was the primary means of income for low income families in the area. Mostly for the cultivation of cotton, land would be used by sharecroppers in return for a share of the crop to the landowner.

Modern machines such as the cotton picker have made manual cultivation obsolete over time as they took over the work from hand laborers.

As of 2007, there were no industries in Golddust. Dwellings are scattered, some of them abandoned, and the borders of the community are unmarked.

Infrastructure

Tennessee State Route 19 starts at the Mississippi River in Golddust, heading east through Ripley (Lauderdale County), Nutbush and Brownsville (both in Haywood County) to Interstate 40.[5]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Golddust, Tennessee.
  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Golddust, Tennessee
  2. ↑ http://www.downloadzipcode.com/ DownloadZIPcode
  3. ↑ "Golddust". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  4. ↑ http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=L010 Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
  5. ↑ http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/Maps/county/co49.pdf Lauderdale County, TN Highway Map
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