- Orange County -

Orange County was formed from parts of Knox, Gibson and Washington Counties by the Indiana Territorial Legislature on December 26, 1815 (effective February 1, 1816).

The early settlers were mostly Quakers fleeing the institution of slavery in Orange County, North Carolina. Jonathan Lindley brought his group of Quakers from North Carolina to the area in 1811. They were the first to build a religious structure, the Lick Creek Meeting House in 1813. It was from this group that Orange County got its name. The name Orange derives from the Dutch Protestant House of Orange, which accessed the English throne with the accession of King William III in 1689.

When the North Carolina Quakers came to Indiana, they brought several freed slaves. These free men were deeded 200 acres of land in the heart of a dense forest. Word of mouth soon spread the news, and this land became part of the "underground railroad" for runaway slaves. For many years, the freed slaves in this area farmed, traded, and sold their labor to others while living in this settlement.

Orange County is divided into 10 townships, the whole of which contain a total area of 408.19 square miles. The county seat, and largest town, is Paoli.