The most important history of the municipality is based on the once very lucrative lumber industry. All three Wards have histories unique to them, but it’s the history of the lumber trade that unites them solidly together. The municipality as a whole was abundant, not only with standing timber lumber camps, but also the resource of waterways permitting numerous and valuable lumber production and processing mills that in turn contributed to many settlements developed around and because of the lumbermen and their families. It was hard, dangerous work, and made many non-resident lumber barons rich. When the lumber markets and the forests began to fade, so did many of the settlements. French Canadian, Irish immigrant and other lumber labourers pulled out to try their hand at work to support their families elsewhere. Handfuls remained. Galway, Cavendish and Harvey all have remnant ghost settlements and stories of communities near forgotten. Some names remain but the once thriving communities complete with schools and post offices are gone; hamlets with the names of Silver Lake, Rockcroft, Scotts Mills, Fortesque are a few. Other communities were able to continue to various degrees of success such as Buckhorn