Orestes was founded in 1876 when the railroad was extended to that point. It may be named after Orestes in Greek mythology. Orestes was incorporated as a town in 1894. Orestes was a little village known as Lowrys Switch until the town board decided to change the name and ask for suggestions for the name. Nathan McMahan sent in his son's name and upon its acceptance, the town became known as Orestes. Orestes McMahan was born on Christmas Day, 1876 and died September 14, 1946. He was a farmer all his life and never married.
Geography
Orestes is located at. According to the 2010 census, Orestes has a total area of, all land.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 414 people, 148 households, and 114 families living in the town. The population density was. There were 177 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the town was 95.7% White, 0.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.9% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of the population. There were 148 households of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couplesliving together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.0% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age in the town was 35.8 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.4% male and 48.6% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 334 people, 129 households, and 94 families living in the town. The population density was 848.5 people per square mile. There were 147 housing units at an average density of 373.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97.31% White, 0.30% African American, 0.30% Asian, 1.50% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.29% of the population. There were 129 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.91. In the town, the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $39,219, and the median income for a family was $39,602. Males had a median income of $30,750 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,037. None of the families and 3.8% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 11.8% of those over 64.
