The Oranges facts for kids

The Oranges are a group of four towns in Essex County, New Jersey. All of these towns have the word Orange in their name. The four towns are Orange, East Orange, South Orange, and West Orange.

These communities were all named after William III of Orange. He was a leader (called a Stadtholder) of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 to 1702, he was also the King of England, Ireland, and Scotland.

What Are The Oranges?

A building in The Oranges called the Elks Lodge.

The Oranges are four separate towns in New Jersey. Even though they are close, each town has its own government. They do not share one main government. However, signs on highways often group them together. For example, Exit 47A on Interstate 80 and Exit 145 on the Garden State Parkway point to "The Oranges." Also, Interstate 280 goes through three of the four towns. It uses "The Oranges" as a main destination sign.

How Did The Oranges Start?

The old Thomas Edison factory in West Orange, now apartments.

The area known as Orange was first part of a bigger city called Newark. It was first known as "Newark Mountains." On June 7, 1780, the people living in Newark Mountains decided to call their town Orange. Many people wanted their town to become separate from Newark.

This separation finally happened on November 27, 1806. The area of Orange, which then included all the future Oranges, officially became its own township. Orange became an official town on January 31, 1860.

Why Did Orange Split Into Four Towns?

Soon after becoming a town, Orange started to break into smaller communities. This happened because of disagreements among the people. They argued about how much it would cost to pay for police, fire, and street departments.

Because of these disagreements, new towns were formed:

• South Orange was created on January 26, 1861.
• Fairmount (which later became part of West Orange) was created on March 11, 1862.
• East Orange was created on March 4, 1863.
• West Orange (including Fairmount) was created on March 14, 1863.

What Are The Oranges Like Today?

Today, the four towns of The Oranges are quite different. All four were once among the wealthiest communities in New Jersey.

• Orange and East Orange are now more like busy cities. Many working-class families live there. Most residents in these two towns are African-American.
• South Orange and West Orange are still wealthy suburbs. Most residents in these two towns are white.