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- source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- source: Family History Library Catalog
- the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia
Orange County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 25,881. Its county seat is Orange.
History
- the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia
The area was previously inhabited by the Siouan Manahoac tribe, the first white settlement in what was to become Orange County was Germanna. It was there in 1714 that Governor Alexander Spotswood settled 12 families from Westphalia, Germany—42 people in all. The legal entity of Orange County was established in 1734 from a portion of Spotsylvania County. Orange County is named for Prince William III of Orange, a famous protestant King of Great Britain and Ireland, by Ulster-Scots settlers. The family name of William of Orange was derived from the dynasty's ancestral origins as feudal lords of the French town of Orange, which was named by the ancient Gauls in honour of a celtic water deity.
President James Madison's home, Montpelier, and Virginia governor and U.S. Senator James Barbour's ruined home, Barboursville, are located in the county. President Zachary Taylor was born here. During the Civil War, the Battle of the Wilderness took place in the County in May 1864.
The Genealogies of the Germanna Colony settlers on WeRelate are located in the following article: [[1]]
Timeline
| Date | Event | Source
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| 1734 | County formed | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1734 | Court records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1734 | Land records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1734 | Probate records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1747 | Marriage records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1790 | First census | Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
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| 1840 | No significant boundary changes after this year | Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
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| 1866 | Birth records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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Population History
- source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
| Census Year | Population
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| 1790 | 9,921
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| 1800 | 11,449
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| 1810 | 12,323
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| 1820 | 12,913
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| 1830 | 14,637
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| 1840 | 9,125
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| 1850 | 10,067
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| 1860 | 10,851
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| 1870 | 10,396
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| 1880 | 13,052
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| 1890 | 12,814
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| 1900 | 12,571
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| 1910 | 13,486
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| 1920 | 13,320
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| 1930 | 12,070
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| 1940 | 12,649
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| 1950 | 12,755
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| 1960 | 12,900
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| 1970 | 13,792
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| 1980 | 18,063
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| 1990 | 21,421
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