The earliest settlers to the area arrived between 1803 and 1811, most of whom were of English or Irish descent. The area was called "Green's Creek" after Robert Green who operated a sawmill on the creek. By 1834, the timber was exhausted and the government lands had been sold to farmers who began to settle in the area. These people had to clear their own land and build their own roads and schools. In 1850, Richard Dagg donated the land for the first school in Blackburn. The area was subsequently called "Daggsville" after three families that settled there.