When people think of Orient, they may think of the town's history and picturesque setting. It was not until 1909, however, that Orient's town history really began to take shape. In the early 1900s, three prospectors stumbled upon the Never Tell Mine, a surprisingly rich deposit of free-milling gold ore. The discovery spurred a stampede of miners and prospectors who descended on the area. In the town, there was a temporary camp called Orient, so named after abandoned diggings by the river. Soon, several mines opened and produced ore that would make Orient Washington's reputation. One of the most famous mines, the First Thought, produced $180,000 of ore. After a few years, the town's town hall, school, and newspaper all opened in Orient,