Around the Town: Scenes from Historic Orange
Downtown Orange (1899)
This is a colorized black and white photo, captured (most likely) from the porch of a house around Seventh and Elm Street, looking towards the river. It shows Orange at a time of major growth and development. While the city was becoming much larger and more advanced, this photo was taken at a time when streets were still unpaved and streetlights didn’t exist. Large chunks of what today would be considered downtown were still undeveloped, as seen by the large empty lots and barn-like structures.
The two most recognizable landmarks are The W.H. Stark House and the Green Avenue Baptist Church. The W.H. Stark House would have been around 5 years old when this photo was taken. The large elm tree, which stood in the front corner, is clearly visible, as is the distinctive turret. The House is also clearly bigger than almost anything around it at the time. The Green Avenue Baptist Church featured a distinct steeple at the front of the building. This simpler wood structure was constructed in 1884 and replaced around 1915 with the large dome building you can see there today. The Sanborn maps show how rapidly and quickly the city of Orange developed in a short amount of time, quadrupling in size in the span of 15 years. The W.H. Stark House is the only structure in this photo that remains standing today.
Primary image courtesy of the Eunice R. Benckenstein Library & Archive, Orange, Texas.
Historic Sanborn maps courtesy of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History,
Orange Ice, Light, and Water Company
Few companies had a bigger impact on the day-to-day lives of people in Orange than the Orange Ice, Light, and Water Company (OILW). Founded in 1892 as the Orange Ice, Light, and Waterworks Company, it was reorganized in 1905, dropping “works” from the name. OILW provided Orange citizens for the first time with power, clean water, and refrigeration. Its main plant was right downtown at Front Street.
As the name might suggest, ice caused the most excitement in the early days. The industrial icemaker at the main plant made daily ice deliveries across Orange possible. This was 30 years before domestic refrigerators were available. As more and more electric appliances and gadgets were invented, customers could see the latest technology at the OILW showroom. It was filled with modern marvels like fans, toasters, and vacuum cleaners. Founded by local businessmen, including the Starks and the Browns, the company operated at a huge loss for most of its existence. Its purpose was to improve the standard of living in Orange, more than to make a profit. In the 1920s, it was sold to larger power companies. Much of Orange still uses the grid layout put in place by OILW over 100 years ago.
Images from the Eunice R. Benckenstein Library & Archive, Orange, Texas.
Sunset Grove Golf Course
After three years of design and construction, the course opened in 1925. Sunset Grove Golf Course was very much a family project for Lutcher Stark. Several stories about its creation involve a feud with his cousin, Edgar Brown Jr., owner of the Pinehurst Country Club. Lutcher, not to be outdone, hired world-renowned golf course designer, Donald Ross to design his new course. Ross happened to be the manager and designer of the famous Pinehurst Golf Course in North Carolina. Of the hundreds of courses Ross designed in North America, Sunset Grove was the first of only three in Texas. Lutcher’s wife, Nita Stark, chose the name.
A massive project costing nearly 750,000 dollars, the course was largely a gift for William Stark, Lutcher’s father. Golf was the perfect, low intensity outdoor activity for the aging patriarch. William, who took up golf in his 70s, continued to play even after he was nearly blind. He used bright, yellow golf balls and his caddy would hold up a bright yellow stick in the direction of the hole. Presumably, William would swing at the yellow blur at his feet, aiming for the yellow blur in the distance. Nearly 100 years old, the course continues to be played today, the lasting legacy of a loving, feuding family.
Images from the Eunice R. Benckenstein Library & Archive, Orange, Texas.
Henke & Pillot Grocery Store
Henke & Pillot was a local Houston grocery chain, founded in the 1870s. The company grew in size, eventually expanding south to Galveston and west to Orange. At its height, it had almost 30 locations across Southeast Texas. These photos are from 1949, taken of the Orange Henke & Pillot store, which took up most of the block now occupied by Stark Park.
This was probably taken sometime in late March or early April, given the ads for Easter baskets. Evidence of the post-WWII economic boom can be seen in the packed shelves and huge amount of available goods. The store is decorated with aerial photos that today would be historic, but were contemporary shots of downtown at the time. In 1956, the chain was bought by Kroger, but they continued to use the Henke & Pillot brand for several years. The Orange location met a dramatic end, burning down in a major fire in 1961. The store was not replaced and shortly afterwards a new Kroger opened elsewhere in the city. In 1966, Kroger retired the Henke & Pillot name (which was still in use at its 20 remaining locations). The trees and fountains of today’s Stark Park are a far cry from the neon temple of capitalism the block once housed.
Images from the Eunice R. Benckenstein Library & Archive, Orange, Texas.
