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HISTORY OF ORANGE
the useful. The parish consists chiefly of plantations.
The road from New Haven to Derby is excellent, and having been recently laid out through unoccupied grounds, is in a great measure solitary. Planters, however, are already multiplying upon it, and within a short time it will be lined with houses."
There were three different purchases of land from the Indians at various times; the first purchase on February 12, 1639, included all of the territory comprising the present town of Orange, and extended as far north as what was known as the ''old path," which was a road from the district known as Derby to New Haven. This old path as it entered Derby was very steep, and naturally, after the construction of the Derby Turnpike, was little used.
ORANGE SECTIONAL NAMES
In the early days of the town, the territory was designated by sections or districts. The section in the northwest part, running into Woodbridge from the region where the Derby Turnpike now runs, was called Oggs Meadow. The northeasterly and easterly sections were called Dogburn. The tradition in regard to this name is that the Indians, during one of their pow-wows, became so excited that they cast a dog into the fire and burned him. The southeasterly section was called Scotland. The section running south from the Orange Green on the east side of the highway was called High Plains. The section lying west of High Plains was called Town Plain. The section extending from Milford, and over and adjoining the road from Milford to Bethany, was called the Race.
The section between the Race and the Dogburn section was called White Plain. The section extending southerly from the Derby Turnpike region was called Grassie or Grassy Hill; and the section west of this, and extending to the Housatonic River, was called Turkey Hill. A section in the extreme northwest and extending into Derby
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