Special Events:

A new link click here for Geneology for Glenn County

For more local history follow the links at Glenn and Colusa History

The Orland Historical and Cultural Society is a group of concerned citizens who are trying to promote and preserve the history of the Orland area. The group holds many cultural events in the community throught the year. Interested people can become active members upon paying yearly dues. Meetings are held at the Depot located at the Glenn County Fairgrounds at 8:00 P.M. on the third Tuesday of the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November. Any changes to that schedule can be ordered by the Executive Board.

The OHCS has two major areas which the have had active involvement for the community, one The Heritage Trail and second The Alta Schmidt House Museum.

The Heritage Trail
The Heritage Trail is located at the Glenn County Fairgrounds and is a area which has been set aside to display renovated historical buildings and equipment from the Orland area. Orland has a strong historical link to the steam train activity in the early 1900's . Heritage Trail contains several links to the time train activity was high there is the refurbished Southern Pacific Depot, the Engine and Tender #2852 and Southern Pacific Caboose #432.

Here is a list of some of the items you will find at the Heritage Trail.

Southern Pacific Depot It was built in 1880 and was used by the railroad until May 31,1979. It was moved from its original site in 1980 through a concerted effort by members of the community. S.P. Caboose #432 The caboose was made possible by a gift from the Oscar Tetzloff Family. It was built in 1949 at the Southern Pacific gerneral shops in Los Angeles. After it was retired it was moved to the Heritage Trail. It was restored to near working condition by Historical Society volunteers in 1990. Chrome School A charming one-room school, dated 1891. It has the original bell and pull rope which called the children in to school. The bell is still rung on special occasions. Chrome School was donated to the people of Glenn County by the Chrome School District in 1978. Steam Vacuum Pump This equipment was installed at the Alta California Sugar Co. in Hamilton City when the factory and the town were established in 1905. The plant has been modernized and is currently known as Holly Sugar. This display was added in 1990. Glenn-Coulsa Motor One of the four motors driving the water lift pumps at the head gates of the Glenn-Coulsa Canal. The canal starts north of Hamilton City continuing south to Colusa County. It served from 1920 until its replacement in 1984, a 64-year service. Dedicated in 1987. Engine and Tender #2852The engine was built in Sacramento but as steam train industry faded the engine was retired. The Glenn County Fair Board accepted engine #2852 and volunteers moved it to the fairgrounds in 1958. Pony Barn In the days of the one-room rural school many of the students came to school on horseback, cart or buggy. While in study the animals had feed and shelter in a small shed behind the school. Our barn behind the Chrome School has on display a collection of horse related items. The barn was a gift of George and Grace Vonasek and was moved to Heritage Trail by OHCS members in 1991. Chrome Mine This display depicts the mineral deposits in western Glenn County. The ore and documents were donated by the Bob Burrows Family who operated the chrome mines until 1950. The school and the town carry the name of the ore. The steam winch was donated by Heyrend Lumber Company. Pump Display Two of the original pumps of the Loam Ridge Mutual Water Company from 1912 to 1979. The company served 1,200 acres southeast of Orland with irrigation water. ON & P RR The Orland Newville and Pacific Railroad is the creation of Frank Allen with the help of dedicated volunteers. The steam engine is a 5/12 scale copy of the locomotive, Sonoma, displayed at the California Railroad Museum. The first year of operation was 1993. There is currently about 1/2 mile of track, rides are available. For more information call (916) 865-9747 The Jumbo Lemon Jumbo Lemons were numerous along Northern California highways from the mid-20's until World War II. These stands were originally planned to take some of the crop of Mills Orchard's large lemon grove west of Maxwell. A destructive freeze in 1932 put an end to the grove, and oranges were substituted . The Jumbo Lemon in Orland was run Jim and Jess Monroe. This stand came from Delevan were it was owned by Al and Beulah Brian . A difficult restoration was completed by OHCS in 1994. Orland Register Office The Orland Register was born in 1898 and continued until 1960. The Wigmore and Jacobs Families ran the paper from 1913 and as a print shop until 1993.Most of the original equipment was still in place when the business was sold. The new owner, Ed Hendry, donated the presses. Linotype, type cabinets, type safe "the whole shop including the fly swatter". The building to house this shop was built and finished in 1994 by OHCS members.

The Orland Historical and Cultural Society can be reached at:
P.O. Box 183, Orland, CA 95963
Memberships are available.