History
1941(?) origin and author unknown.
Found in Heritage of Braxton County, West Virginia 1995,
published by S. E. Grose and the Braxton County Heritage Book Committee. pg 58.
The first houses built at Orlando were those of Alexander Skinner and his half brother Alfred Posey. Alexander Posey (sic) was a farmer and carpenter. He built the first loom in the county which (1941) belongs to G.C. Skinner. W.O. Skinner was another early resident and established the first blacksmith shop in 1870. The first church to be constructed (and the second building to be constructed) was that of the Methodist denomination. It was built in the early �80s. Alexander Skinner gave the land for the parsonage and the plot for the Skinner Cemetery. Prior to the building of the church, services were conducted in the schoolhouse. Reverend John Poynter and Reverend Samuel Back were early ministers.
The citizens of Orlando (some of whom live in Lewis County) benefited from the oil and gas boom for more than a quarter century. In the early �90s the West Virginia & Pittsburgh Railroad entered the village from Weston, thence on to Sutton and to Richwood. Early in 1900 the Coal & Coke Railroad was constructed from Charleston to Elkins, intersecting the now Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at Confluence. Then the name of the station was changed to Orlando because of confusion of the name Confluence with other similar addresses, and a union station was erected. The advent of the railroad brought much money into Orlando. Four trains arrived during the same hour carrying passengers from different directions.
Richard Skinner, who operated a lunch wagon near the station gained a reputation for good meals and lunches. The Dolan house was also a popular hostelry.
In its early history, Orlando was fortunate in having several practicing physicians from time to time. Dr. Charles and James Rusmisell, brothers, first practiced here later locating in Gassaway. The Rusmisells were succeeded by Dr. Gilbert Furby who later went to Colorado where he died. Dr. S. Trimble and Dr. B. W. Peck were also practitioners in Orlando.
The bisunessment of the town at the present time are C. M. Knight, John W. Conrad, and Lynn Riffle, merchants; M. V. Moran, undertaker.Orlando has three churches- a Catholic, Methodist and United Brethern. The school also has a three room school. An electric company furnishes electricity to the community.Since the building of the West Virginia and Pittsburgh and the Coal & Coke Railroads (both of the Baltimore & Ohio system), the villiage has grown into a prosperous community, and has a high-class citizenship.
