The City of Oak Hill was first chartered in 1927. Local government was based on a Mayor/Commission with each commissioner functioning as head of a municipal department. The city was later disbanded in 1930. The country was in a depression and the city petitioned the government to inactivate the charter, which was granted. The city later petitioned the government in 1962 to reactivate the charter. Clarence Goodrich was the city's mayor from 1963 to 1989, spanning 26 years.