In the early 1800's, Chico was an important center for gold mining, railroad construction and ranching. By the late 1800's, Chico had grown into a charming Victorian community. The quaint atmosphere soon created one of the most distinctive valley towns in California. About 1893, one characteristic home with a carriage house was built in the historic Oriental section of town. Located between Orient Street and Flume Street, this site was destined to play an important role in the story Orient & Flume. In l972, the house was purchased by Douglas Boyd and was transformed into an art glass studio. Early work of the studio was directed toward recreating the silver-luster of iridescent glass of such turn-of-the-century artists as Tiffany, Steuben, and Loetz. In time, this led to their current creations of intricate, three-dimensional designs encased in clear glass. By 1973 the carriage house proved to be too small for a rapidly growing business and was relocated to 2161 Park Avenue. The work of Orient & Flume can be found in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum, the Smithsonian Museum, the Chicago Art Institute, the Chrysler Museum, the Corning Glass Museum and fine stores and galleries throughout the world.