 Despite never having lived there, he explored the area during the seven years he lived in Trois-Rivières.The area was originally settled by the Abenaki tribe, who knew it as "Pithigan" or "Pithiganek", meaning "entrance".French colonial settlement of Nicolet area began in the late 17th century, with Pierre Monet de Moras constructing a seigneurial manor on what is now known as Moras Island.