Orleans History

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History Before 1620


The history of the land that became Orleans did not begin with the incorporation of the town in 1797.

Settlement of Nauset


As an English colonial settlement, the land that became Orleans had its roots in the Mayflower landing of 1620 and the establishment of Plymouth Colony.

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Founding of Orleans


Isaac Snow’s participation in the American Revolution is a remarkable and iconic story that took place on Cape Cod, in Boston and Newport, at sea on several American privateer vessels, in Portugal, France, and England.

19th and 20th Century History


Shipwrecks and lifesaving in Orleans date back to the winter of 1626-1627, approximately 170 years before the town separated from Eastham and was formally incorporated.