Olive Hill is a Carter countytown about 10 miles west ofGraysonon Tygarts Creek. Settlement in the area began by about 1790 and the areamay have been known originally as Cold Springs. The original site was on ahill, now known as Old Olive Hill, but the town moved to the tracks of thenew Elizabethtown, Lexington, and Big Sandy Railroad in 1882. The area oncesupported a timber industry and later fire brick manufacturing from localclay. The source of the name Olive Hill is obscure.
Olive Hill was originally incorporated in 1861 and again in 1884.
The Olive Hill post office opened in 1838.
The population of Olive Hill in 2020 was 1,591.
Olive Hill was the seat of Beckham county,which was formed in February, 1904 and dissolved in April the same year.
The circa 1917 passenger train depot is now a welcome center and the trailheadfor a network of hiking, biking, horse, and water trails.
Olive Hill has been designated aKentucky Trail Town.
Olive Hill was the birthplace of musician Tom T. Hall.
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