By Mike Louviere

The Orange Leader

After slightly over 50 years, Orange was beginning to prosper. The area around Fourth, Fifth, Front, and Main Streets was a forerunner of the business districts that would develop toward the end of the 20^th Century.

The Orange Daily Tribune, was the local newspaper and carried local news and information in the growing town on the Sabine. The April 26, 1902 edition reported a wealth of such information.

Delmonico’s Restaurant, Russell E. Kluge, Prop., Touted “table board for $5 per week–$6 commutation ticket for $5…prompt and courteous attention…..ice cream served at all hours…elegant lunches served on short notice….short orders our specialty.”

Countering that advertisement was one for Watson’s Restaurant, located on 5^th Street…..”Meal Tickets, $5 for $4…short orders at all hours….we are prepared to furnish lunches for excursions and picnics on short notice….All the delicacies of the season—Open All Night—phone 274.”

Blands Bakery, George W. Bland, Prop., announced that they were “the local provider of all kinds of fruits, cakes, candies, and confections. Notice: Our Ice Cream Parlor is now open for family trade. Special orders solicited.”

For those that needed “adult beverage” to wash down all the food and other “goodies”, the Antler sold choice wines, liquors, and cigars. Frank Brown was the proprietor and said they were “open day and night.”

A forerunner of the “Big Box Stores”, Orange Hardware and Implement Company advertised “We have something in stock that will interest you. Up to date buggies and phaetons, Those cheap refrigerators, A splendid line of saddlery and harness goods, Builders hardware and Carpenters tools of every description…..The best line of fishing tackle in town.”

“NOT FOR SALE: The beautiful Italian bust of Lorna on our big front is not for sale. It is placed there to call attention to the sweetest of all perfumes, “Lorna”, which is sold exclusively in Orange by Gate City Drug Store. “Lorna” is becoming a favorite and is winning friends every day.”

Sabine Supply Company stated: “You are better off with a small quantity of good ammunition that a full supply of poor stuff. All the sporting goods we offer are of first class quality and are of the most recent construction. Our shot guns, rifles, pistols, revolvers, etc. have been thoroughly tested. They are strong, and work easy. We have shells of all sizes and every make that is good. Come in and look at our stock, you will find it interesting. You will find a gunsmith at our store who does all kinds of repair work on firearms.”

One glaring problem downtown was addressed in the Tribune; “Of course the marsh of Fourth Street is unsightly and to some extreme unhealthy, but don’t blame the people of Orange; they are getting to this as rapidly as possible. On the sixth of May, (1902) they will set aside funds to remedy all the unsightly blemishes in the city.”

Prosperity was coming into Orange, Link and Rein said so (Link and Rein were both mayors of Orange in those early years)…… J.W. Link of the Link Building and Charles M. Rein of the Orange Leader building joined forces and took out a half page advertisement in the Tribune: “Great things are coming our way”—A channel through the lake—Another railroad—More saw mills—A woodworking plant—The big refinery—A daily paper…A lot of things are on the fire; Orange’s future as a city is assured and city lots are selling for about half of what they bring in other cities with no prospects whatever compared to Orange. We are selling lots on easy terms—Get in on the ground floor.”

Should a person have needed to find his or her way around Orange, the office of the county clerk had a supply of the new official maps of Orange. The price was $5. ( This seems like a very high price for a map, maybe it was a typo?)

A somewhat odd paragraph concerned wild turkeys. “The wild turkey is gobbling today in the woods of Orange County where in a few years his tame brothers may be seen in droves.” (Not sure turkey ranching ever came to Orange County.)

“And now you know”