Vivian was originally known as Sexsmith’s Corners after George Sexsmith, who operated a general store and inn. The community was an important lumber area known for its white pine forests. The McCormick family arrived in 1866 and was important to this development, as they owned a sawmill, shingle factory, general store, blacksmith shop and maple sugar bush. Vivian became the hamlet’s official name with the opening of a post office in 1866. By 1900, the local timber industry had become a victim of its own success. The great pine forests had been destroyed and the area looked like a desert by 1920. Today, Vivian is a testament to reforestation.