Samuel Armstrong, Andrew Moore and John McKeown followed an old trail and when they stopped, put a stake in the ground and named the area ‘Armstrong Rapids’. This would become McKellar Village.  Samuel started most of the businesses and 150 years later, streets are still named after Armstrong family members.

The Armstrongs were from Wexford County, Ireland, the Moores from County Kerry, Ireland and the McKeowns from County Down, Ireland.

A first settler David Patterson, Eliza McKeown first white woman to settle in McKellar Village and JW Fitzgerald who surveyed the Township were also Irish.

A few other key families with Irish roots are Moffats, Juncks, Madigans, Thompsons, Robinsons, Jacksons and Stewarts.