Mount Olive tourist information
Mount Olive Mississippi
Mount Olive began as an agricultural town with a strong Christian foundation in the year 1900.
King Cotton was dethroned by soy beans and cattle. The greatest assets of the town are the friendly people and the homey atmosphere. Come football season, every TV set in town is tuned to the Titans and Quarterback Steve McNair who has brought much fame, if not fortune, to his hometown. National media invade Mt. Olive in an attempt to interview those who personally know the town’s favorite son.
The children love the freedom with their friends, and though they migrate to find jobs, they return periodically to renew ties with their beloved town.
Mount Olive is located in Wayne County east of Fayetteville, between Wilson and Warsaw along US Hwy 117 near Goldsboro, Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, and the Bentonville Battleground State Hist Site. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 4,257, a decrease of 325 since 1990.
Mt. Olive Township is comprised of 32 square miles. It consists of two sections named for people or events, such as: Budd Lake, named for John Budd, and Flanders, named for a group of early settlers who vacationed in Flanders, Long Island. Roads in the Township are named after early settlers as well, such as: Smithtown because of the many Smiths that lived there; Drakestown named for the Drakes; Bartley Road for the Bartley family; Waterloo, which had served as a French Army Officer's hospital in 1740 and later when Napoleon met his defeat, the Americans there, who were sympathetic to the British, named the Township, Mt. Olive, for Benjamin Olive.
The beginning of the first hundred years was on March 22, 1871, when Mt. Olive was created through the splitting of the area then known as Roxbury Township. Records indicate that those present were Jared Hathaway, John Smith, David Wolfe, Richard Stephens, Harry Sovereign, Josiah Meeker, Mr. McNeeley and a Mr. Riggs. The amount of taxes to be assessed by Mt. Olive was 786.65. Names of boundaries were changed and the taxpayers listed.
Before that, indications are that land was purchased from the Indians in 1708. There is no known record of the price paid. Speculation is whether the land included Mt. Olive, an area roughly the size of Manhattan Island, and whether the price was $24 and some trading goods.
In 1713, the upper part of the western division of the province of New Jersey, Lying Northward of the Brook called Assanpink, was created into a county called Hunterdon. Roxbury Township, including what is now Mt. Olive, became the fourth township in Morris County in 1740. Chester broke away from Roxbury in 1799. Mt. Olive was separated from Roxbury on March 11, 1871.
Before the white settlers "invaded" this part of New Jersey, the Lenni-Lenape Indians lived here in tepees and caves. From the cleared fields, many arrowheads, tomahawks, corn grinders and other relics along the lake road, it is believed that their councils were held in Budd Lake in the Vicinity of High Street.
In selecting their homelands, nearby water was a necessity, whether lakes, brooks, streams or swamp. There had to be abundant hunting grounds - places where animals and water fowl congregated. Sandy or loamy land was preferred to stony or rocky spots. Weapons were primitive and the Indians used them with great strategy. They did not stay too long in one spot, because when game became scarce, they moved on. Every clan hunted in a well-defined area, large enough to support all its members. They did not trespass on their neighbor's hunting grounds, and it is estimated that there was one Indian to each square mile. Periodically they united with other tribes to go the seashore for their much loved oysters and clams, or to take trips across the country to the Delaware River, where they held their great councils. The Lenni-Lenape (meaning "original people") were friendly. The whites around here respected this attitude and always bought, rather than take the land.
As far as we know, the first white men who came to this region in 1713 were Peter Garbut and Francis Breck, who staked out an initial settlement area of 2500 acres, part of which is now Mt. Olive, formerly called Battletown. After Garbut came John Reading, who took up 250 acres, which included the northern half of Budd Lake. In 1714, John Budd located 1300 acres, part of which is the present Flanders. Following these initial settlements, the industrialists of that period moved in. Because of the many swift streams, water power was abundant. Grist and saw mills, distilleries, tanneries and creameries flourished. The entire community was rich in Iron and other minerals. Forges and wood-fuel iron works abounded. One foundry built in 1845 is still in operation. L However, in the early 1900's, Pennsylvania, with its vast coal regions, plus the fact that many of our mines were marginal and too costly to operate, overshadowed us.
Colonial commerce had looked to England for capital, but gradually business and industry had developed sufficiently for colonial capital to become available. For those who are concerned about taxes today, it might be well to consider that in 1722, the court ordered Elisha Bird to assess and collect taxes on inhabitants toward the support of His Majesty's government. As an example: $1.00 for a piano; $1.00 for a carriage (trucks were excluded). In 1794, William Woodhull had to collect the sum of 10 pounds, 6 shillings, 5 pence for the month of September. By 1865, the tax schedule was divided into State, $1.10, County $1.76, Polls, $1.11, Township $1.06, Dogs $ .30, Bonds $46.31, and Roads $1.76. The collector at that time was Paul Drake, Constable.
Mount Olive was the name given to the post office established in June, 1848 in this area in northern Franklin Township. In the Bible, it was at the Mount of Olives where Jesus predicted Peter would deny him. Mount Olive, never incorporated, is on S.R. 133, about seven miles north of the Ohio River.
Mount Olive aerial map
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