The village of Bryson was named after the honorable John Bryson, MP for Pontiac. Incorporated in 1873, its first mayor was Walter Rimer.
Located on the banks of the Ottawa River, Bryson was an inland port for passengers and freight heading north-west-ward during the era of steamships. Near Bryson, there are ruins of an old grist mill. People came from as far away as Fort Coulonge to have their grain milled.
A disastrous fire destroyed most of Bryson village in 1914. About 94 buildings went up in smoke including Henry Walsh's hall used as a chapel for worship. The village was dormant until 1924 when the Gatineau Power Company built a hydro plant at the foot of the Calumet Chutes. This plant now belongs to Hydro Quebec.