Golddust, Tennessee

Golddust is a settlement in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States, 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 mi (4,8 km) south of Golddust.

Geography

Golddust is located at 35.72540 North, 89.85870 West. The elevation above sea level is 248 ft (75.6 m).http://wayhoo.com/index.php?a=wlist&sr=20&state=TN&
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Island No. 30 of the Mississippi River is located ca. 2.5 mi (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.

History

Establishment 1820s

Golddust was founded in the 1820s. It is one of the earliest settlements in Lauderdale County.http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=L010 Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture]

Battle of Fort Pillow 1864

In 1861, the Confederate States Army built extensive fortifications here 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 ca. 3 mi (4,8 km) south of Golddust.

Modern

Agriculture is the dominant 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 the manual cultivation obsolete over time as they took over the work from the hand laborers.

As of 2007, there are 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 in (Haywood County) to Interstate 40.http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/Maps/county/co49.pdf Lauderdale County, TN Highway Map]

ee also

* Fort Pillow State Park
* Battle of Fort Pillow

References