Before the American Revolution, Prairie View (later named Bridge City) was first settled by the Attakapa Indians, who were nomadic and roamed between Lake Charles, Louisiana, and the shore of the Neches River including Cow Bayou. They were cannibals and their village was located on the east bank of the Neches River in Orange County. There were brief periods when the Choctaws, Alabama-Coushatta, Biloxi and Cherokee Indians stopped temporarily after the American Revolution.

Legend has it that Jean Lafitte traveled up and down Cow Bayou and may have buried treasure in the area. By 1748, Joaquin Orobia Y. Basterra had explored the county for the Spanish crown.

Prairie View had settlers even before Texas became a Republic. During the Republic of Texas days, Orange County was non-existent, but the area was included in Jefferson County (1836 - 1846). Now a ghost town, the settlement known as “Cow Bayou” was 10 miles west of Orange and was established in 1870. It was the principle community between Louisiana and the town of Liberty.

There were many families that came across the Sabine River and stopped to settle in this new frontier and became independent pioneers not belonging to groups under the colonization contracts from the Mexican Government. Because of the natural boundaries of the water, out-laws would hide out in this area, referred to as “no-mans land”. Those trying to stay ahead of the Mexican Army stopped to wait for the all clear signal and just stayed.