Orange in Orange County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Office of the Supervisor of Shipbuilding and Consolidated Steel Corporation
Orange's location at a bend in the Sabine River, adjacent to the immense virgin pine forests of southeast Texas, made it an ideal site for shipbuilding. However, by 1930 all of the easily obtainable timber was exhausted, and the associated sawmills closed. The Depression of the 1930s also weighed heavily on the population of Orange. In July 1940, Congressman Martin Dies and Vice-President John Nance Garner attached an amendment to a large general appropriations bill to build twenty-four surf-landing crafts and twelve destroyers in Orange. The Office of Supervisor of Shipbuilding, USN, Orange, Texas, was established at this time, with CDR. E.B. Perry as the first supervisor. The supervisor was responsible for directing the construction of the thirty-six crafts, and also the establishment of a shipyard in Orange to support the endeavor.
The facility was built on sixty-five acres at a bend in the Sabine River. Levingston Shipbuilding's tugboat and barge shipyard occupied a small portion of the west side, and the remainder was occupied by Consolidated Steel Corporation's steel fabricating plant, where the Office of the Supervisor was also located. On May 14, 1941, construction began at Consolidated Steel on the Destroyers USS Aulick and USS Charles Ausburne, the first two warships constructed on the gulf coast for
the U.S. government. In total, thirty-nine destroyers and 100 destroyer escorts were built at the Consolidated Steel Corporation yard during World War II. After the war, the Naval facility prepared ships for storage in the Naval Reserve Fleet as the United States Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility.Erected 2008 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 14845.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, World II • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is May 14, 1941.
Location. 30° 5.663′ N, 93° 43.575′ W. Marker is in Orange, Texas, in Orange County. Marker is on Simmons Drive (Business U.S. 90) near West Elm Street, on the left when traveling south. At eastern terminus of West Elm Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Orange TX 77630, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Levingston Shipbuilding Company (here, next to this marker); U.S.S. Aulick (here, next to this marker); Weaver Shipbuilding (here, next to this marker); Riverside Addition: World War II Housing in Orange (here, next to this marker); United States Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (here, next to this marker); The Orange Leader (approx. 0.4 miles away); John Harmon (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dr. William Hewson and Dr. David Caldwell Hewson (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Orange.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2018. It was originally submitted on April 13, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 345 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 13, 2018.