A strange name, but an interesting background. Today this historic town still overlooks the Kettle River, as it has since it was founded close to a century ago. But the small town of the present is far different then that boom town of yesteryear.

Back then, like few other boom towns in Ferry County, outside of booming Republic, the town was considered the sure thing, and many claimed that it would eventually surpass even Republic as the greatest mining camp in the county.

Three prospectors, Maloney, Morri, and Dunkle discovered the Never Tell Mine, a surprisingly rich deposit of free milling gold ore, it triggered a stampede of prospectors and miners into the region. Just across the river from a temporary camp the miners called "Orient" a name chosen because Oriental placer miners had once mined the bars of the river there decades before, and this abandoned diggings were still visible by the rivers edge.

Within months numerous mines were producing spectacular ore. By 1905 mines like the First Thought, which produced a staggering $180,000 in ore, mainly gold, had put the town on the map. Around 1910 the Orient State Bank had opened for business. It had a school, town hall, and a newspaper.

The prosperity of most of the old boom towns in Northeastern Washington were dependent on the mines. Orient was no different from many other mining camps of Okanogan County. When the price of silver and gold dropped it would have a dramatic impact on the town. It was the beginning of a long slow decline. Most of the business along main street followed suite. By the 1940s despite occasional flurries of mining activity, Orient was little more then a stopping place.

The look of the old boom town has almost faded away today, but the memories still linger on. The once bustling mines are no longer.