The Northern Pacific Railroad constructed a siding at the site of what is now Oriska in 1873, known as Fourth Siding. (Judge) John Dennett purchased the townsite from Charlemagne Tower, a wealthy Philadelphian, and platted a townsite south of the tracks in 1879, naming it Carlton after Mary Carlton, who later became John Dennett's wife. In 1881 a new plat was tiled encompassing land on both sides of the track and on September 19, 1881, John Dennett was named the postmaster. In the following month the town was re-named Oriska after an Indian Princess mentioned in "Poems and Legends of the West" by Mrs. Lydia Sigourney. Legend has it that Dennett and John H. Hubbell did the naming.

Dennett built a hotel (rooming house) which housed the post office also, and a depot was built by the railroad.

A lumberyard was built in 1883 and the Bloss Hotel in 1884. Nick Gauche and Peter Ottinger started a large general store in 1886. The village grew rapidly following the establishment of the post office and the hotel. The first church was a Congregational church and the next a Lutheran church. In 1908 the Catholic church was erected.

Oriska attained its zenith in the early 1920's but fire, the automobile and better roads have taken their toll. In 1952 the school building was burned but a new school was built the following year.

Like Sanborn, Oriska once had pretensions to securing the County Seat from Valley City.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 287