The town of Mt. Olive, on the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, is one of the most flourishing between Wilmington and Weldon.  It [sic] population is about four hundred.  It has two schools, five churches, twelve stores, three saloons, five physicians, one judge and a crank.  Three of the merchants of this borough are colored men who seem to be doing  a fair trade.  The postmaster is a colored man.

Source: Banner-enterprise (Raleigh, NC). 19 April 1883. Available at Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers.