Purchase
Bicentennial Items Here!
Orange is an
industrial and population center on the eastern boundary of Franklin
County. The town was established in 1810, but settlers had been
using the water power of the Millers River for manufacturing since
the damming of the river in 1790. The community was made up of sections
of Athol, Warwick, Royalston and a tract of land called Ervinshire.
It was named for William, Prince of Orange.
True to its industrial past, Orange
was the site of the first automobile factory in the United States.
The Historical Society maintains a 1904 Grout auto as an example
of the kinds of cars built in Orange as well as a large pewter collection
and antique musical instruments.
Industrial products from Orange
today include heavy machinery, precision tools, plastics and wood
products. The Rodney Hunt Company, producing water control equipment,
is one of the largest employers in Franklin County. Orange Airport
Industrial Park provides a site for industrial expansion, while
open lands offering camping and maple sugaring to visitors provide
some rural character. In April, the annual River Rat Race brings
hundreds of canoes and thousands of visitors to see winners cross
the finish line in Orange.
It is located in north central
Massachusetts, bordered by Warwick on the northwest, Royalston on
the northeast, Athol on the east, New Salem on the south, and Wendell
and Erving on the west. Orange is 19 miles east of Greenfield; 46
miles north of Springfield; 75 miles northwest of Boston; 28 miles
from Brattleboro, Vermont; and 180 miles from New York City.
(Narrative compiled by the Massachusetts
Department of Housing and Community Development)
Serve
Your Community! |
