Orange, The City of

The first known settlers in what is now the city of Orange were John and Elizabeth Harmon, who arrived in 1828 with their three children. Known first as Green's Bluff, the small farming community that developed along a bend in the Sabine River was selected as the seat of government when Orange County was created in 1852. The town was called Madison from 1852 until 1858, when the name Orange was adopted. The early Orange economy was based on the lumber and shipbuilding industries. Led by prominent pioneer area lumbermen and aided by the advent of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad in 1876, Orange was recognized as the leader in East Texas sawmill activity by the 1880s. The deep water port and the availability of lumber made the city an ideal location for the shipbuilding industry, which reached its highest production levels during World Wars I and II. For many years the city of Orange has maintained a full range of services for its citizens. Public schools have operated since the 1880s and electricity was instituted in 1890. Orange's shipbuilding and petrochemical industries continue to make the city a leading commercial center in southeast Texas.

Orange, The City of is a historical marker in Orange, Orange County, dedicated in 1983. It is one of 66 historical markers documented in Orange County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 91 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.0930, -93.7370 near Orange. The nearest cataloged historic site is Brown, Edgar William, Dr. (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Stark, Henry Jacob Lutcher, Lutcher, Henry Jacob, and Lutcher Memorial Church Building.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5361011504. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.