Aviva Directory » Local & Global » North America » United States » States » Mississippi » Cities & Towns » Olive Branch

Olive Branch, Mississippi is situated in northwestern Mississippi, part of DeSoto County, and a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. The first settlement of the area by European-Americans was by Stephen Flinn and his wife’s brother-in-law, Milton Blocker. Flinn purchased 1,280 acres from Chickasaw Chief Lush-Pun-Tubby, selling it to Blocker in 1840. The community that grew up there was first known as Cowpens, and was changed to Watson’s Crossroads in 1842, adopting its current name in 1846 when a post office was established. Although a few skirmishes took place southwest of Olive Branch, the town escaped most of the violence of the American Civil War, and was incorporated in 1874. In 1885, the railroad connected the town to Memphis and Birmingham, and Olive Branch was designated a village in 1888. Population growth was slow for a few decades, increasing considerably in the 1960s, and the 1990s saw rapid growth in the city’s population, largely due to an exodus of people from Memphis. The western portion of the city’s northern border touches Memphis, Tennessee, while Southaven, Mississippi borders the city on the west. Other nearby communities include Bailey, Capleville, Handy Corner, Horn Lake, Jago, Lewisburg, and Miller. Tupelo, Mississippi is ninety-eight miles southeast of Olive Branch.

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