In the beginning of the 1800s the area was covered in large white pines which were quickly cleared and hauled south to Johnstown, to then be shipped to Quebec City to later become masts for British naval ships. Once the forest was cleared, the area was left with shallow, sandy soil and rocky ridges, creating terrible farm land; the early settlers quickly became dependent on buckwheat which proved to be the most productive crop or sought income in fields unrelated to agriculture. Into the early 1800s, the community began to grow; before 1850, Groveton was home to a school as well as an inn run by a Thomas King; the inn began operation around 1842 with nine rooms for rent, horse stables as well as a tavern.