- a - of the Grand Trunk Railway as well as other roads already in existence, they could travel (by stage, if they had the means) as far north as Katrine. From there it was necessary either to follow surveyors lines or cut their own trail northwards. The difficulty faced by these early settlers was recognized by the government, which provided free land (200 acres) on condition that at least fifteen acres be cleared and a suitable home built upon them. John Paget and his family were the first settlers to see Stoney Lake, arriving in 1877 by way of Magnetawan. Later in that same year the first settlers arrived on the east side of the lake, entering the area by way of Katrine. W. whittington and J.A. Hannaford are thought to be the first two men to arrive by this route, building their farms side by side. They were followed the next year by the Dukes, Dobbs, Wilsons, Gibbons, Cooks, Harknesses, Cunninghams and McCrearys, most of whose names are still familiar. It was not long afterwards that James Dunbar set up his saw mill on the shore of the lake. This mill and the lumber it cut proved invaluable to the early settlers, who were just then engaged in the construction of their homes. Its location, directly on the lake, greatly simplified the transportation of the lumber. The church was not long in reaching these early pioneers. Student missionaries sent by the Knox College Missionary Society of the Presbyterian church were the first to provide the area with some occasional services. The records of this society for the time of its work in Sundridge and area appear to have been lost, with one exception. That report, for the year 1878, reads as follows:"The society has undertaken to send a missionary during the coming summer to the township of Strong, which lies northeast of Magnetawan, and between Nipissing and Katrine; by this means the whole of this northern country will be supplied, although in an inadequate manner, with gospel ordinances." Magnetawan, it must be remembered, was a leading depot for supplies at that time and an important centre with both a flour mill and a power house. No other reports of this society exist to my knowledge, although several others are preserved through a secondary source of unknown date and origin. That source, along with an earlier history written by the Rev. J. Macartney in 1946 and a later, more brief account by the Rev. Robt. J. McCrea in 1963 provide most of the information related here and form the basis of our knowledge of this period in the church's history. It is unfortunate, as is often the case with dated information, that these accounts do not always match, and in some instances (particularly concerning the early Presby- terian roots) they even conflict with one-another. Since neither account may be considered infallible, both are presented along with their sources and the reader may decide for himself which is more accurate.