Orleans

History

Orleans was settled in 1693 by Pilgrims from the Plymouth Colony who were dissatisfied with the poor soil and small tracts of land granted to them. The town was officially separated from Eastham and incorporated in 1797. It was named in honor of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans in recognition of France's support for the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution and because the town did not want an English name, as they had been captured twice by the British during the war. The town's early history revolved around fishing, whaling, and agriculture. As the fishing industry grew, salt works sprang up to help preserve the catches. However, the town's growth depleted it of lumber, a situation that did not begin to be remedied until the railroad came and brought lumber from the mainland in the 19th century. The railroad also brought tourism to the town. In 1898, the French Cable Company built a transatlantic telegraph cable to Orleans, which operated from the French Cable Station. The town's tourism industry was helped in 1961 with the creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore by President John F. Kennedy. File:Orleans Inn.jpg|The Orleans Inn, between Town Cove and Route 28 File:Jonathan Young Windmill.jpg|The Jonathan Young Windmill in Orleans, Massachusetts. Orleans is on an exposed portion of the coast and has been a target in wartime. In 1814, its residents repelled an invasion of British marines from HMS Newcastle during the War of 1812. Orleans was shelled by a German submarine in July 1918, during World War I. Nauset Beach was the only United States site hit by foreign munitions during that war; the shells were apparently aimed at barges close off shore. This was the first time that a foreign nation had fired artillery on United States soil since the…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 37.59%, is water. Orleans is bordered by Eastham to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Pleasant Bay and the town of Chatham to the south, Harwich to the southwest, Brewster to the west, and Cape Cod Bay to the northwest. Orleans is south of Provincetown, east of Barnstable, east of the Sagamore Bridge, and southeast of Boston. Orleans is located on the inner "elbow" section of Cape Cod. Bogs and ponds dot the western part of town, while there are many inlets, islands and harbors along the eastern coast of the town, including Town Cove, Nauset Harbor, Pleasant Bay, and Little Pleasant Bay. Rock Harbor, bounded by and shared with the town of Eastham, is located in the "crease" of the inner elbow and provides boating access to Cape Cod Bay. Cape Cod National Seashore lies along the coast as well. The town of Orleans has a mild summer Humid continental climate (Dfb). The plant hardiness zone is 7a, with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 4.0 °F (−15.6 °C). The average seasonal (Nov.–Apr.) snowfall total is around 30 in (76 cm). The average snowiest month is February, which corresponds to the annual peak in nor'easter activity. {| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" |+ class="nowrap" | Dew point data |- ! scope="col"| Month ! scope="col"| Jan ! scope="col"| Feb ! scope="col"| Mar ! scope="col"| Apr ! scope="col"| May ! scope="col"| Jun ! scope="col"| Jul ! scope="col"| Aug ! scope="col"| Sep ! scope="col"| Oct ! scope="col"| Nov ! scope="col"| Dec ! scope="col"| Year |- ! scope="row"| Average Dew Point °F | style=text-align:center;" | 23.4 |…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  36,865
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  36,527
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  34,668
• American herring gull, Smithsonian Gull

  Larus smithsonianus Coues, 1862 · Aves
  33,070
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  32,425
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  29,960
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,216
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  25,555

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2020-11-08
  10 km S of Bliss Corner, Massachusetts
• M 2.5 — 2005-11-17
  4 km S of Plymouth, Massachusetts
• M 2.98 — 2003-07-22
  72 km NNE of Provincetown, Massachusetts
• M 3 — 2002-03-12
  52 km E of Chatham, Massachusetts