The community was named by Welsh farmers,[3] later it was thought to be named after James Brudenell, 5th Earl of Cardigan, later Duke of Montague. Situated on the Cardigan River and originally named Cardigan Bridge, the community started and grew as a result of the shipbuilding industry and lumber trade.
Today the community's primary industry is manufacturing, followed by fishing, most notably lobster, mussels and clams.
The community is also home to Canada's smallest library.[4]
On September 28, 2018, it was combined with six other municipalities to create the town of Three Rivers.[5]
^"Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1901–1961". 1961 Census of Canada(PDF). Series 1.1: Historical, 1901–1961. Vol. I: Population. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. March 8, 1963. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
^"Table 2: Population of Census Subdivisions, 1921–1971". 1971 Census of Canada(PDF). Population. Vol. Census Subdivisions (Historical). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. July 1973. Retrieved February 2, 2022.