ORANGE

A short history of Orange

This community was originally called Greens Bluff after a man named Resin Green, a Sabine River boatman, who arrived at this location sometime before 1830. A short time later, in 1840, the town was renamed Madison in honor of President James Madison.

To resolve the frequent post-office confusion with another Texas community called Madisonville, the town was renamed "Orange" in 1858. The area experienced rapid growth in the late 19th century due to 17 sawmills within the city limits, making Orange the center of the Texas lumber industry. Orange's growth led to the arrival of many immigrants in the late 19th century, including a moderately sized Jewish population by 1896. In 1898, the county built a courthouse in the city, which later burned down and was replaced by the Orange County Courthouse.

The harbor leading into the Port of Orange was dredged in 1914 to accommodate large ships. Ship building during World War I contributed to the growth in population and economy. The Great Depression, not surprisingly, affected the city negatively, and the local economy was not boosted again until World War II. A U.S. Naval Station was installed and additional housing was provided for thousands of defense workers and servicemen and their families. The population increased to just over 60,000 residents. USS Aulick was the first of 300 ships of various types built in Orange during the war.

After the war, the peace-time population decreased to about 35,000. At this time, the Navy Department announced it had selected Orange as one of eight locations where it would store reserve vessels. The area of the shipyards provided a favorable location, as the Sabine River furnished an abundant supply of fresh water to prevent saltwater corrosion.

Also during this period, the local chemical plants expanded, which boosted the economy. The chemical industry continues today as a leading source of revenue to the area. The U.S. Naval Station became a Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in December 1975, retained 18.5 acres as a Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center, but decommissioned the center completely in September 2008.

The Port of Orange became the home to the USS Orleck, one of the few naval ships remaining that was built at the Orange shipyards during World War II. The city of Orange sustained a direct hit from Hurricane Rita in 2005, causing damage to the ship. The city decreed that the ship be moved and a new location was sought, including one in Arkansas and Lake Charles, Louisiana, for a new home. On May 6, 2009, the Lake Charles city council voted in favor of an ordinance authorizing the city to enter into a "Cooperative Endeavor Agreement" with USS Orleck. On May 20, 2010, the ship was moved to Lake Charles. The grand opening was on April 10, 2011.

Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Orange, Texas, revision 1377333382 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.