"Highway #518 meanders east from the intersection at Hwy #592 in Emsdale taking you to the Town of Kearney, home of Ralph Bice, legendary guide trapper, outdoorsman, author and newspaper columnist. Kearney, "The Biggest Little Town" is situated at the crossroads of three access routes to Ontario's first provincial park, Algonquin Park ... Kearney was born in Perry Township in 1908 of 600 acres and continued to grow until December 1, 1979 when legislation was passed to amalgamate the town of Kearney and the geographic townships of Proudfoot, Bethune and portions of Butt and McCraney. Kearney's fame was a great logging town with many sawmills and lumber camps. The logging still remains today.

Among the first settlers and perhaps even before the first railroad, were A.J. O'Neil and his partner William Kearney who opened a store where the roads match going toward the north side of Sand Lake and on towards Beaver Lake. Before the arrival of the railway, trading with the natives took place at the flying post. However boom times commenced when the railroad became operational. A siding was built at the foot of what was known as Loon Lake (now Perry Lake). Logs could be loaded onto the trail after only a few days drive, saving about a month's time in getting to Montreal."--Www.townofkearney.com "Community Profile."

"Info on lumbering, commerce, baseball, early churches, local minerals, schools, early settlers, and Ravensworth. Also includes short family biographies."--Antiqbook.com.