Naval Station Orange also worked with the civilian shipyards in Texas during World War II.

At the end of the war in November 1945 the shipyard was closed and the base was turned into the Texas Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet with 250 ships.

In 1975, Naval Reserve Centers located in Beaumont and Lake Charles were disestablished and the selected reservists were assigned to a consolidated site in Orange.

Countless jobs had been lost during the Great Depression, and the potential for steady work brought thousands to Orange.

Located along the Sabine River, Riverside Addition was within walking distance of the shipyards, thereby complying with fuel and tire rationing demands and maximizing wartime production.

Expanded with an addition in 1943, the vast Riverside housing area had three elementary schools and also spawned local businesses.

Removal of the last houses took place in the 1980s, and today there are few physical reminders of the project that proved vital to the home front mission during World War II.

At the termination of World War II, the United States had the largest naval force of any country in history.

Prudent military leaders decided against scrapping surplus vessels, in favor of preserving them so they could be activiated quickly in case of emergency.

The abundant fresh water supply of the Sabine River made Orange an ideal location for such a facility, because of the necessity to minimize marine growth and corrosion.