Two tribes of natives already populated this region before the white man arrived. One tribe was the Montagnais led by Chief Antoine who's hunting area was to the north of the Mattawa River, and then you had Chief Amable du Fond who's hunting ground was to the south of the Mattawa River. The first white settlers to arrive in this region was in the 1840s. They were lumbermen who came to work for the Mackey Lumber company or farmers that wanted to work the land and sell their supplies to the lumber companies that were working in this area.