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History · Orestes

Orestes dates to 1876, and 37% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1960 on and the census since 1900.

1876founded
0on the National Register
37%homes built before 1940
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Photo: ONUnicorn · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Orestes began

When was Orestes founded?

1876

Orestes dates its founding to 1876 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 778 in 19002020 census: 329150 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1880.The full story ↓

What stands out about Orestes’ past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Orestes are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Orestes’ homes were built before 1953.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Orestes’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Orestes’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Orestes came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Orestes.

Read it all →

Orestes was founded in 1876 when the railroad was extended to that point. Orestes was incorporated as a town in 1894.

Orestes was a little village known as "Lowrys Switch" until the town board decided to change the name and ask for suggestions for the name. Nathan McMahan sent in his son's name and upon its acceptance, the town became known as Orestes. Orestes McMahan was born on Christmas Day, 1876, and died September 14, 1946. He was a farmer all his life and never married.

Orestes is home to an oak tree that is estimated to be at least 350 years old. For many years the town hosted an annual Oak Tree Festival. It is also home to a Red Gold Tomatoes canning plant.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Orestes, 1876 to 1960

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1876
    FoundingOrestes is established
  3. 1880Post officeThe Orestes post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1960On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Orestes, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Orestes, Indiana2023Orestes, IndianaOrestes Oak Tree2023Orestes Oak TreeOrestes Community Park2023Orestes Community ParkFlag of the Town of2020Flag of the Town of
On the map

Orestes on the map in 1960

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Orestes.

Orestes on the 1960 USGS map1960Alexandria sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Orestes.

People over time

Orestes, census by census

02004006008001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 778

Between 329 and 778 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Orestes’ Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Orestes

Nobody well known was born in Orestes itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Wendell WillkieAmerican lawyer and corporate executive · b. 1892
C
Cory EdwardsAmerican film director and comedian · b. 1968
Gary BurtonAmerican vibraphonist · b. 1943
David CanaryAmerican actor · b. 1938
Mack MattinglyAmerican politician · b. 1931
R
Ray EnrightAmerican film director, screenwriter and film e… · b. 1896

Questions about Orestes’ history

What year was Orestes founded?

In 1876, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Orestes’ post office opened in 1880, and the census of 1900 counted 778 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.