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Olive Branch is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi. It was founded where several old Chickasaw Indian Trails crossed and was originally called Watson’s Crossroad. In 1846, when the first post office was established, Mrs. Frances Wilson Blocker, a descendant of one of the community’s founders, suggested the name Olive Branch. She felt the new name symbolized a dove bringing a branch to the seagoing Noah.

In less than a century and a half, Olive Branch has made the transition from Indian Territory to the fastest growing city in Mississippi with style. Located adjacent to Memphis, Tennessee, it offers the best of both worlds - pleasant, comfortable, uncongested living and the convenience of the Mid-South’s leading metropolitan center. It’s suitably located just 15 minutes to Memphis International Airport, 20 minutes to Downtown Memphis, 30 minutes to Tunica Casinos and 1 hour to University of Mississippi in Oxford.

A note of interest is Wesson House which is one of only three dedicated Mississippi Landmarks in Desoto County (the other two being the Court House and the LaBauve House, both in Hernando). As a result of modifications made to the House, it did not qualify for inclusion on the National Register of Historical Places but did qualify as a Dedicated Mississippi Landmark because of Ben Wesson’s importance as a historical figure in Olive Branch history. It is not presently open to the general public on a regular basis however, it is available to local citizens and civic organizations for special events and functions.

Olive Branch boasts one of the most diverse economies in the nation. Its industrial revolution began in 1971 when a site located a few miles from downtown Olive Branch was chosen as the home of Holiday Inn University and Conference Center. Simultaneous with construction of the University, Holiday Inn began work on a 3,000 acre industrial park. This was followed by the opening of Olive Branch Airport in January 1973. With a runway length of 6,000 feet, it is currently one of Mississippi’s top five most active airports for landings and takeoffs. U.S. Highway 78 was built through Olive Branch in 1974. Such developments and infrastructure improvements brought an influx of jobs, industries, and people to DeSoto County and Olive Branch.

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