Orlando, West Virginia facts for kids
Orlando is a small community in West Virginia, located in both Braxton and Lewis counties. It's not a city with its own government, but rather an "unincorporated community." Orlando is found along Oil Creek, which is a smaller stream that flows into the Little Kanawha River.
Contents
History of Orlando
Early Settlers and Farming Life
The first people to settle in the wild area around Oil Creek arrived in the early 1800s. Many of them came from Virginia and Maryland. These early families included the Posey/Skinner, Williams/Blake/Ocheltree, Riffle, and Conrad families. They built farms and started new lives in the wilderness.
During the American Civil War, the Oil Creek area, including a place called Clover Fork, mostly supported the Confederate side. Many young men from the area joined the Confederate Army. Other residents helped the Confederate cause in different ways.
By the late 1800s, several farming communities had grown in the Oil Creek area. These included places like Blake, Peterson, and Posey Run. The community that would later become Orlando was first called Confluence. This name made sense because it was located where two important streams, Three Lick and Clover Fork, joined Oil Creek. These small communities usually had a one-room school, a church or two, and maybe a general store or a place to fix tools.
Railroads and a New Name
In the late 1800s, the Coal and Coke railroad line was built, followed by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. These train lines crossed near the community of Confluence. Because of the railroads, Confluence grew into a busy and successful town. In 1917, the town's name was changed from Confluence to Orlando. No one is quite sure why the name was changed. The town of Orlando did very well in the early 1900s, until the train routes changed.
From the early 1800s until the mid-1900s, most of the land was used for family farms and for growing crops to sell. Important jobs in the area included cutting down trees for lumber, raising farm animals, producing natural gas and oil, and working on the railroads. People also worked in hospitality, like running hotels or inns.
Orlando Today
Lakes and Nature
Today, Orlando is in a surprising location because of dam projects built in the late 1900s. It sits in the middle of West Virginia’s "Lake District." It is located between the Stonewall Jackson and Burnsville recreation areas. You can learn more about the lakes here: [1]. Much of the old farmland is now turning back into forests. The community is still home to the families who are descendants of the first settlers in the region.
Community Landmarks
Orlando has two churches: a Baptist church and a United Methodist church. It also has a post office. Some important buildings in Orlando include the white wooden Methodist Church, which was built in 1873. Another landmark is "the Warehouse," a white wooden building constructed around 1907. It was originally used for a business that sold farm products. There is also a red brick church that was built in 1917 by the Roman Catholic St. Michael parish. Today, this building is home to the active Baptist congregation.
