My initial reaction in seeing the old East Carter High School: imagine climbing all of those steps! Now the Olive Hill Historical Society, there is a mural showing the history of Olive Hill directly below this picture. From the mural, you learn that the Chesapeake & Ohio railway came through town from 1910 to 1971 and that the town was established in 1861.
For 90 days in 1904, Olive Hill was the county seat of Beckham County. Beckham County (originally to be called Hardscabble County, later Goebel County) was named after the Governor who signed it into creation on Feb. 9, 1904. Citizen Zimmerman, upon receiving a tax bill of $75.00, soon challenged the county’s legitimacy. Joined by Carter County (who did not want to lose the tax base), the Kentucky Court of Appeals ultimately dissolved Beckham County (finding it unconstitutional under Kentucky’s 1891 Constitution which geographically restricted the formation of new counties) on April 29, 1904.