Around Orange Lake

Since the first settlers came to the area, Orange Lake has served as a water supply for early farming and the over twenty mills that sprang up along the Quassaick Creek which flows out of Orange Lake. A Revolutionary War coinage mint and a gun foundry were established nearby; black powder, daguerreotypes, and pins were all manufactured by harnessing the water power that flowed from the lake.

Orange Lake became an important destination in 1906 when Benjamin B. Odell bought the trolley line that ran between Newburgh and Walden, and had a station stop at Orange Lake. To increase ridership, Odell built a 30-acre amusement park with rides such as a Ferris wheel, a 1200 seat theater, a bandstand, dancing pavilion, roller skating rink and a restaurant.

Today, Orange Lake has become a community of lakefront living and recreation. Of particular interest is that it serves as a center of ice boating in the Hudson Valley. Every winter once the lake freezes, the iceboats suddenly appear. With their graceful sails, historic wooden ice yachts and modern craft alike glide across the lake, providing a rare glimpse of this venerable and thrilling sport.