Atoka

the City was founded by a baptist Missionary named J.S. Murrow in 1867 and quickly supplanted the dying town of Boggy Depot as the chief city in Atoka county. A main contributing factor in the early growth of Atoka was the MKT Railroad, which came through the area in the early 1870's. The railroad provided the economic lifeblood to Atoka that any isolated rural town needs to survive and flourish.

Today, the Railroad is the most noticeable dividing line in the town. The portion of Atoka that lies to the west of the tracks is where much of Atoka's business is located. The parts of Atoka that lie to the east of the railroad, called Dunbar by local citizens, is generally less prosperous. It is also home to a sizeable portion, if not most, of Atoka's African American population.