Lynch was plotted in 1917 by the U.S. Coal and Coke Company (a subsidiary of U.S. Steel) as a company town to house workers at the company's nearby coal mines. It was named for then-head of the company, Thomas Lynch.

By the 1940s, Lynch had a population of more than 10,000 and had such amenities as a hospital and movie theater. The population declined dramatically in the 1960s and 1970s as mining techniques shifted to less labor-intensive methods.

In 1996, the rails to Lynch, and nearby Benham were officially abandoned and ripped up soon after, leaving Lynch to be nothing but history.