In 1825, Pascal Taché identified the river by Peribonka. Thereafter, this name and the Péribonca variant will generally be used. Way of penetration relatively little frequented by trappers and merchants of the XVII and XVIII century, the Péribonka sees arriving, in XIXth century, the colonists and the workers of the industry forest. One establishes building sites in its basin and one uses its course for the descent of the logs and, in 1887, the first inhabitants settle near its mouth. In 1928, the river emerged from its bed and flooded, with Lake Saint-Jean, several villages. However, this drama does not prevent the region from thriving.