The laborers who shipped oranges out of...

The laborers who shipped oranges out of Duarte in the 1880s had no way of knowing that the colorful lithographs on the crates they handled would someday be worth hundreds of dollars.

But today, some collectors will pay between $500 and $1,000 for the glowering St. Patrick depicted on crates of Fitzgerald oranges, or for the blue goose adorning the citrus brand of the same name.

Reproductions of the crate art from 20 prominent citrus companies of the 1800s will be on display--along with smudge pots, vintage furniture and other relics from Duarte’s past--at Saturday’s opening of the Duarte Historical Museum. The 10-room house will also exhibit memorabilia from the city’s Spanish and English settlers.

Those unfamiliar with Duarte’s past might be in for some revelations. For example, during the late 1800s, Duarte and surrounding areas made up the largest orange-producing region in the world, museum curator Dorothy Montgomery said.

Tennis buffs may be interested in an exhibit featuring vintage rackets and photographs of locals decked out from head to toe in the white court wear of the 19th Century. Hamilton said Duarte’s large population of English expatriates made the community the “tennis center” of the San Gabriel Valley in the late 1800s.

Greeting visitors will be Victoria Cordova, the great-great-granddaughter of Andres Avellino Duarte, a Spanish soldier who was the first owner of the land that is now Duarte.

But the past isn’t the only thing on display. Ten winning essays of a “Duarte in the Year 2000” contest for third-graders will be there for the reading.

The museum’s opening is being combined with the dedication of a new city park, Encanto Park, at 377 Encanto Parkway. The museum, located in the park, will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The park dedication, at 11 a.m., will include a display of fire trucks by the Duarte Fire Department and the sale of food by local service organizations.