.gif)
Orange Lake (New York)
Encyclopedia
Orange Lake is located near the hamlet named after it
in the Town of Newburgh
, New York
, United States
. At 400 acres (161.9 ha) in surface area it is the largest lake entirely within Orange County
, after which it is named.
s abutting its north and south ends and gentle rises on the east and west. NY 52
follows the lake's southern shore through these swamps, and NY 300
passes the northern end of the swamps in that direction. Lakeside Road runs along the heavily-developed eastern side of the lake, while Rock Cut Road parallels the western shore and gives access to the less-developed neighborhoods there.
It is fed from the north by Bushfield Creek, which rises to the north in the Town of Shawangunk
in Ulster County
. The creek then drains to the east, closely following Route 52, until it empties into Quassaick Creek
near Algonquin Park
. Via the Quassaick, the lake's waters eventually reach the Hudson River
at the boundary between the city of Newburgh
and New Windsor
.
On clear enough days, it is possible to see the Devil's Path
range in the Greene County
section of the Catskills
from the lake's southern end. This is one of the farthest locations to the south from which these peaks can be seen without climbing a mountain.
purchased the lake and surrounding territory from the Native Americans and divided this patent into numerous farms, most especially dairy farms. At the time of the Revolutionary War, a man named Capt. Thomas Machin owned and operated a saw mill, grist mill, and finally a mint in what is now the hamlet, at the very beginning of the outlet stream. An historical marker marks the site of Machin's Mill on Lakeside Road. At that time, the lake began to be called Machin's Pond. In the 1830s, a local clergyman named James B. Wilson began calling the lake Orange Lake. The reasons for this name change remain obscure, but are probably related to its location in Orange County. Local legend states that many residents objected to this name change, but it did stick and remains the name of the lake and the hamlet to this day.
Because the lake is 488 feet (148.7 m) above sea level, its outlet stream became a very popular site for mills. The largest was the Newburgh Bleachery, owned and operated by the Chadwick Family.
During the 19th century, the shores of the lake became a popular location for summer cottages. Transportation to the lake and the hamlet was difficult until 1895, when trolley service was established between the City of Newburgh and the Village of Walden
, and Orange Lake, approximately the half way point, became a popular stop. Soon after this Newburgh and Walden Electric Railway initiated service, a highly successful amusement park opened on the south shore of the lake. The trolley line went out of business in 1926. The amusement park went out of business during the Great Depression and was demolished in 1941.
Pine Point was a highly successful resort on a peninsula off the southern shore of the lake. During the big band era, many nationally known recording acts appeared at the resort, including Frank Sinatra
and Benny Goodman
. It opened for business in 1896, and was closed and demolished in 1953. Lakeview House on Lakeside Road originally opened in 1866 as a boarding house, and did business as O'Malley's Bar for many years. Today, it continues to do business as a restaurant under its original name.
system, and there is no public access for recreational purposes. Residents of the Orange Lake community who live on the eastern shore, or in the "Orange Lake Estates" neighborhood off of Rock Cut Rd. on the western shore have deeded access to the lake whether their property is on it or not; they use it for boating, fishing
and swimming in summer and ice fishing
during colder periods in winter when it freezes over.
Orange Lake, New York
Orange Lake is a hamlet in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,085 at the 2000 census. Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.The community of Orange...
in the Town of Newburgh
Newburgh (town), New York
Newburgh is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The 2010 census determined the population is 29,801. This is the first time ever that the population of the Town of Newburgh officially exceeded that of the adjacent but totally separate municipality known as the city of Newburgh...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At 400 acres (161.9 ha) in surface area it is the largest lake entirely within Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, after which it is named.
Geography
The lake, 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long by 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) wide, sits in a glacial trough, with extensive swampSwamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s abutting its north and south ends and gentle rises on the east and west. NY 52
New York State Route 52
New York State Route 52 is a long state highway in the southeastern part of New York in the United States. It generally runs from west to east, beginning at the Pennsylvania state line in the Delaware River near Narrowsburg, crossing the Hudson River on the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, and ending...
follows the lake's southern shore through these swamps, and NY 300
New York State Route 300
New York State Route 300 is a state highway located west of the city of Newburgh in the Hudson Valley of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at a five-way intersection with NY 32 and NY 94 in the hamlet of Vails Gate...
passes the northern end of the swamps in that direction. Lakeside Road runs along the heavily-developed eastern side of the lake, while Rock Cut Road parallels the western shore and gives access to the less-developed neighborhoods there.
It is fed from the north by Bushfield Creek, which rises to the north in the Town of Shawangunk
Shawangunk, New York
Shawangunk is a town in southwestern Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 12,022 at the 2000 census. Like the neighboring mountain range, for which it is named, it is pronounced either as the Munsee Lenape, Shawangunk , or as the colonial Shongum by local residents...
in Ulster County
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
. The creek then drains to the east, closely following Route 52, until it empties into Quassaick Creek
Quassaick Creek
Quassaick Creek is an tributary of the Hudson River in Orange and Ulster counties in the U.S. state of New York. It rises in the glacial ridges west of the river, near the boundary between the towns of Plattekill and Marlborough...
near Algonquin Park
Orange Mill Historic District
The Orange Mill Historic District is the only one in the Town of Newburgh in Orange County, New York. It encompasses the of county-run Algonquin Park and many of the surrounding lands...
. Via the Quassaick, the lake's waters eventually reach the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
at the boundary between the city of Newburgh
Newburgh (city), New York
Newburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...
and New Windsor
New Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....
.
On clear enough days, it is possible to see the Devil's Path
Devil's Path (Catskills)
The Devil's Path is the name of a mountain range and hiking trail in the Greene County portion of New York's Catskill Mountains. The mountains commonly considered to be part of the Devil's Path are, from west to east, West Kill, Hunter, Plateau, Sugarloaf, Twin, and Indian Head.The name comes from...
range in the Greene County
Greene County, New York
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Its name is in honor of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. Its county seat is Catskill...
section of the Catskills
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
from the lake's southern end. This is one of the farthest locations to the south from which these peaks can be seen without climbing a mountain.
History
The Native Americans called the lake "Oussuk", meaning "stony pond." The Dutch settlers called it "Binnin" , meaning "water within land" or "water between other waters". In 1684, Governor Thomas DonganThomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick
Thomas Donegan, 2nd Earl of Limerick was a member of Irish Parliament, Royalist military officer during the English Civil War, and governor of the Province of New York...
purchased the lake and surrounding territory from the Native Americans and divided this patent into numerous farms, most especially dairy farms. At the time of the Revolutionary War, a man named Capt. Thomas Machin owned and operated a saw mill, grist mill, and finally a mint in what is now the hamlet, at the very beginning of the outlet stream. An historical marker marks the site of Machin's Mill on Lakeside Road. At that time, the lake began to be called Machin's Pond. In the 1830s, a local clergyman named James B. Wilson began calling the lake Orange Lake. The reasons for this name change remain obscure, but are probably related to its location in Orange County. Local legend states that many residents objected to this name change, but it did stick and remains the name of the lake and the hamlet to this day.
Because the lake is 488 feet (148.7 m) above sea level, its outlet stream became a very popular site for mills. The largest was the Newburgh Bleachery, owned and operated by the Chadwick Family.
During the 19th century, the shores of the lake became a popular location for summer cottages. Transportation to the lake and the hamlet was difficult until 1895, when trolley service was established between the City of Newburgh and the Village of Walden
Walden, New York
Walden is the largest of three villages of the Town of Montgomery in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,978 at the 2010 census. It has the ZIP Code 12586 and the 778 telephone exchange within the 845 area code...
, and Orange Lake, approximately the half way point, became a popular stop. Soon after this Newburgh and Walden Electric Railway initiated service, a highly successful amusement park opened on the south shore of the lake. The trolley line went out of business in 1926. The amusement park went out of business during the Great Depression and was demolished in 1941.
Pine Point was a highly successful resort on a peninsula off the southern shore of the lake. During the big band era, many nationally known recording acts appeared at the resort, including Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
. It opened for business in 1896, and was closed and demolished in 1953. Lakeview House on Lakeside Road originally opened in 1866 as a boarding house, and did business as O'Malley's Bar for many years. Today, it continues to do business as a restaurant under its original name.
Use
The lake is not part of any local water supplyWater supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
system, and there is no public access for recreational purposes. Residents of the Orange Lake community who live on the eastern shore, or in the "Orange Lake Estates" neighborhood off of Rock Cut Rd. on the western shore have deeded access to the lake whether their property is on it or not; they use it for boating, fishing
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
and swimming in summer and ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
during colder periods in winter when it freezes over.