Edenburg is founded

The church village Edenburg in the Orange Free State was established when the farm Rietfontein was purchased to build a church. The initial application for recognition of Edenburg as a town was rejected by the Volksraad, but permission was finally granted on 4 March 1863. Municipal status was only attained in 1891. The economy of the town revolves around sheep and cattle farming. The oldest mission station of the Berlin Mission Society north of the Orange River is located 16km north of the town. There is uncertainty around the origin of the name of the town. The most likely explanation is that it refers to the Garden of Eden of the Bible. However, others believe that it is an Afrikaans version of Edinburgh in Scotland.