Tunica became well-known due to the open sewage in its impoverished 'Sugar Ditch Alley' district.Īs a result of constructing a neighboring casino resort near the Mississippi River in the early 1990s, the city's fortunes have improved considerably. Tunica is Tunica County's fourth county seat, replacing its previous seats, namely Commerce, Peyton, and Austin. The city got its name from the Tunica Indians, who used to live in the region. Yet despite the city's improving economic situation, Tunica's population had declined since its apex in 1970. Tunica was formerly one of the poorest cities in the country until city officials legalized casino gambling in the early 1990s. The city of Tunica is the seat of Tunica County in Mississippi, USA.
