In 1902 a syndicate of business men formed an organization known as the Orient Improvement Company with the intention of platting and establishing a town in the Pierre Lake and Kettle River mining districts.  The townsite was selected at a point on the Kettle River and the Washington & Great Northern Railroad, midway between Marcus and the International Boundary line, where the railroad company had established a station called Dulwich.  The "station" consisted simply of a sign board.

     The name "Orient" was selected for the proposed new town, after the Orient mine, which is in the vicinity.  The first building erected was put up by P. H. McCARTHY in the fall of 1902, and this was immediately followed by the Miners' Supply Company's store building,  R. H. EVANS' store building,  Mrs. A. BRYANT's restaurant and the office of the "Kettle River Journal".

     April 22, 1903, the town of Orient was platted by the Orient Improvement Company, whose officers are Alex. A. ANDERSON,  president;  O. G. BARNARD,  vice-president;  R. C. RICHARDSON,  secretary and treasurer;  W. J. STYLES and D. W. SHEA, directors.  Although the youngest town in the county, Orient, owing to the natural resources of the country in the vicinity, has made considerable progress and today has a population of about one hundred and fifty.  There are two general stores, a hotel, restaurant, newspaper, meat market, blacksmith shop, saw and planing mills.  The town is situated in the midst of an auspicious mining and lumbering district, and agricultural pursuits are carried on to a considerable extent.  Exports from Orient are ore, lumber, hay, oats, wood and mining timber.  George H. TEMPLE is postmaster.  There are excellent school facilities.  With the development of the mines in the vicinity of Orient the prospects of the town will be the brightest.  There are few places situated in the midst of a combination of mining, lumbering and agricultural industries, and it would seem that the three are destined to greatly favor the new town of Orient.

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