Orange, Texas

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.[6] 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.[7] Orange's growth led to the arrival of many immigrants in the late 19th century, including a moderately sized Jewish population by 1896.[8] 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.[9]

After the war, the peace-time population decreased to about 35,000. At this[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

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 because, as it claimed, the city needed the dock space. Orleck was not allowed to return to the port due to politics (as the city council was wanting the ship cut up and sold for scrap and had a long-running feud with the Restoration Association), so 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.[13]

Orange is located at 30°6′33″N 93°45′33″W (30.109217, –93.759133).[18]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.8 square miles (54 km²), of which 20.1 square miles (52 km²) are land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (3.32%) is covered by water.

Orange has a humid subtropical climate. Winters are mild and rainy, while summers are hot, humid, and wet. The climate is similar to nearby Vinton, Louisiana, and Beaumont, Texas. The record high in Orange is 105 °F or 40.6 °C recorded August 10, 1962. The record low is 11 °F or −11.7 °C recorded December 26, 1983. Orange records about 60 inches or 1,500 millimetres of rain per year.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,324 people, 7,196 households, and 4,999 families residing in the city.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Orange District Parole Office in Orange.[23] The city operates under the council-manager form of government.

The City of Orange is served by the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Consolidated Independent School District, the West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District, and the Orangefield Independent School District.

Lamar State College-Orange is a community college and part of the Texas State University System.

The City of Orange hosts several cultural attractions. The Stark Museum of Art houses one of the finest collections of 19th- and 20th-century Western American art and artifacts in the country. The collection focuses on the land, people, and wildlife of the American West. The museum also holds a significant collection of American Indian art, as well as collections of glass and porcelain, and rare books and manuscripts. The museum features the work of artists such as artist/naturalist John James Audubon, Paul Kane, Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, and John Mix Stanley.[24]

The W.H. Stark House preserves the early days of Orange and lumber barons.

The W. H. Stark House is a careful restoration of an 1894 Victorian home, typical of a wealthy Southeast Texas family. The 15-room, three-storied structure with its many gables, galleries, and distinctive windowed turret, shows the influence of several architectural styles.

The First Presbyterian Church on Green Avenue is a strong example of the classic Greek Revival architecture. Completed in 1912, it was the first air-conditioned public building west of the Mississippi River and its dome is the only opalescent glass dome in the United States.

The Confederate Memorial of the Wind is being built on private land at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Martin Luther King Jr Drive.[25]

Orange is served by Interstate 10, as well as a deep-water seaport. Commercial aviation service is located at nearby Southeast Texas Regional Airport, and general aviation service is provided by Orange County Airport.

Orange has the distinction of having exit 880 on Interstate 10 within its city limits, which is the highest numbered exit and mile marker on an interstate highway or freeway in North America. Orange is also home to the famed highway sign on westbound Interstate 10 that shows it being 23 miles from Beaumont, but 857 miles from El Paso, reminding drivers of how far they have to follow Interstate 10 before they can leave Texas.

• Bonnie Baker, singer
• Marcia Ball, singer
• Michael Berry
• Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
• Edgar William Brown, business leader and philanthropist
• Matt Bryant
• Chris Cole, American football player
• John Oliver Creighton
• Shane Dronett
• Clyde D. Eddleman
• Frances Fisher
• O'Shaquie Foster, American Boxing World Champion
• Donovan Gans
• Greg Hill, American football player
• Charles Holcomb
• Brandon Johnson, Athlete
• Bobby Kimball
• Danny Klam
• Chuck Knipp
• Ernie Ladd, American football player and professional wrestler
• Janette Sebring Lowrey
• Henry J. Lutcher, lumber baron
• Jason Mathews
• Haskell Monroe
• Danielle Panabaker
• Kay Panabaker
• John Patterson, baseball player
• Bum Phillips, American football coach
• Wade Phillips, American football coach
• Andre Robertson, baseball player
• Chad Shelton, opera singer
• R.C. Slocum, American football player and coach
• Bubba Smith, American football player
• Kevin Smith, American football player
• Tody Smith
• William Henry Stark, business leader and philanthropist
• Lee Stringer
• Earl Thomas, American football player
• Deionte Thompson, American football player
• Liz Wickersham, television writer and producer

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Orange, Texas.

• City Website
• Lamar State College-Orange
• The Orange Leader