Magnolia State Land Solutions

About forestry service, 38671, Southaven, MS, US, Mississippi

Olive Branch is a city located in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. With a population of 39,711 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth most populous city in Mississippi. A suburb of Memphis, Olive Branch is part of the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region that consists of three counties in southwest Tennessee, five counties in northwest Mississippi, and one county in eastern Arkansas. Along with other rapidly growing places in DeSoto County, Olive Branch attributes most of its growth and development to the exodus of large numbers of families from the city of Memphis. == History == Olive Branch, originally named Watson’s Crossroad, was established in 1846 near Chickasaw Indian Trails and incorporated in 1874, prioritizing education since the 1500s. === Early history === It was long inhabited by the Chickasaw people, who settled in northern Mississippi, western Tennessee, northwestern Alabama, and southwestern Kentucky, building homes with local materials. They nurtured park-like lands and utilized abundant waterways for sustenance and trade. Governed democratically, minkos (or chiefs in Chickasaw) led councils of elders. The Natchez Trace Parkway and National Scenic Trail protect parts of the historic trading route. European explorers, including Hernando de Soto in the 1500s, encountered Chickasaw communities and made unfavorable impressions.