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On Nov. 21, 1922, the last wooden ship built for use during the WWI years was set afire.

The unfinished ship had been built by the National Shipbuilding Company and was left in the area where Texas Creosoting Company was building their new plant. The wooden vessel was in the way, so it was set afire and burned to ashes.

Other ships, in a more finished state, but no longer wanted, had been towed near the mouth of Conway’s Bayou and burned to the waterline. With the burning of the vessel by Texas Creosoting, an era had ended.

• In 1921 a channel had been dredged from Johnson’s Bayou into the marsh in order for oil drilling equipment to be used. The channel had been blocked by water hyacinths when C.N. Scott and W.J McManus decided to drill test wells.

After clearing the channel, a year later, equipment was taken in to drill the wells. The wells were to be drilled from 1,000 to 1,500 feet in the hope of finding salt domes.

In the Orange field Sun Oil Company’s Number 2 Carrie Brown well had found 120 feet of pay sand at the 4550 feett depth. This was the largest stratum of pay sand that had been found on the Gulf Coast.

Oil men were hoping the real field in the Orange territory had been found. Those closely watching the test had a slight fear that salt water may enter through an older test site.

• A.C. MacFarlane of North Texas had been given a contract for the construction of a bridge across the Neches River at Beaumont. MacFarlane was the low bidder on the project slated to cost less than $273,000.The contract called for the bridge to be completed by Oct. 1, 1924.

The bridge was to be a major step in the completion of the Old Spanish Trail through this section of the state. It was also expected the project would have much bearing on Louisiana going forward with plans in their state.

• Orange County was completing the concrete road from the Sabine River to the east bank of the Neches River at Beaumont. Jefferson County was to carry the road to link with a concrete road through Liberty County to link with the road at Harris County into Houston.

• Queedie Cohen, age 26, was placed under a $500 bond after being arraigned before Acting District Judge John B. Force on a grand jury indictment charging assault to murder. Mrs. Cohen was alleged to have shot and painfully wounded Josh Griffin as he sat in his car at the corner of Front and Tenth Streets. His wounds were said to be “slight in nature.”

J.B. Ferguson, age 19, of Orange was sentenced to five years in the state penitentiary at Huntsville. Ferguson and John Weakly were jointly indicted of having robbed L.P. Marshall at Houston on the night of September 4. The duo obtained $10 from Marshall.

Ferguson had only been married three weeks when he received his sentence.

Authorities in Orange were investigating the robbery of the Texas Company filling station on the corner of Seventh and Green Avenue. Entrance to the building had been gained by breaking a window in the rear of the building. Over $100 was taken from the cash register.

• An open air Thanksgiving service was to be held by various churches of Orange on Thanksgiving Day. The service was to be held on Main Street near the post office. Reverend J.W. Walton of the First Christian Church would give the Thanksgiving sermon. The song and music service would be directed by the Reverend Tom S. Cunningham, Associate Pastor of the Lutcher Memorial Presbyterian Church. Rev. Cunningham would be assisted by the young people’s orchestra of his church.

Plans were for every church in Orange to take part in the service.

“And now you know”

— Written by Mike Louviere