Frequently Asked Questions
About Orange County, Indiana
When was Orange County organized? And from what counties?
- Orange County was organized in 1816 from Washington, Knox, and Gibson Counties.
Where is the county seat?
- Paoli is the county seat of Orange County.
How did Orange County get its name?
- Many early settlers to Orange County, Indiana were from Orange County, North Carolina (which has since been divided into several smaller counties). They gave the name of their home county to their new home in Indiana.
From the 1854 Gazetteer of the United States
CHAMBERSBURG, a small post-village of Orange County, Indiana, on the plank-road from New Albany to Paoli, 38 miles W. N. W. from the former.
FRENCH LICK, a post-township in Orange County, Indiana. Population, 1243.
GREENFIELD, a township in Orange County, Indiana. Population, 725.
JACKSON, a township in Orange Co., Indiana. Population, 687.
LICK CREEK, of Indiana, rises in Orange county and flows westward through Martin county into the E. fork of White river.
LOST RIVER, a post-office of Orange Co., Indiana, about 100 miles S. by W. from Indianapolis.
NEW PROSPECT, a small village of Orange Co., Indiana, on the New Albany and Vincennes turnpike, 8 miles W. from Paoli.
NEWTON STEWART, a small village of Orange Co., Indiana, 112 miles S. by W. from Indianapolis.
NORTH-EAST, a township in Orange Co., Indiana. Population, 1206.
NORTH-WEST, a township in Orange Co., Indiana. Population, 1245.
ORANGE, a county in the S. part of Indiana, has an area of 400 square miles. It is drained by Patoka and Lost rivers, and by Salt creek. The surface is hilly in the S., and undulating in the N. part. The soil is mostly fertile. Wheat, Indian corn, oats, and pork are the staples. In 1850 this county produced 484,165 bushels of corn; 46,941 of wheat; 96,849 of oats, and 2298 tons of hay. It contained 25 churches, 2 newspaper offices; 1300 pupils attending public schools, and 40 attending other schools. The carboniferous limestone underlies the County, in which several caverns are found. It is plentifully supplied with springs, and the greater part of it is well timbered. The New Albany and Salem railroad passes through the N. E. part. Organized in 1816. Capital, Paoli. Population, 10,809.
ORANGEVILLE, a post-village of Orange Co., Indiana, on Lost river, 8 miles N.W. from Paoli.
ORLEANS, a pleasant post-village of Orange [p.869] Co., Indiana, on the New Albany and Salem railroad, 56 miles N.W. from New Albany.
PAOLI, a post-township in Orange Co., Indiana. Population, 1562.
PAOLI, a post-village, capital of Orange County, Indiana, on the turnpike from Vincennes to New Albany, 40 miles N. W. from the latter, was first settled in 1816. It contains good public buildings, 2 or 3 churches, a county seminary, and 2 newspaper offices.
PATOKA creek, of Indiana, rises in Orange County, and flowing westward about 100 miles, enters the Wabash a little below the mouth of White river, and opposite Mount Carmel, in Illinois. It is navigable for 60 miles during a few months of the year.
SOUTH CASS, a township in Orange Co., Indiana. Population, 1501.
STAMPER'S CREEK, a township in Orange Co., Indiana. Population, 777.
VALEENE, a small post-village of Orange Co., Indiana, 104 miles S. from Indianapolis.