From the archives: Jesse Bryson

From the traditional territories of the First Peoples of Turtle Island, to a farmland community, to a bustling city centre and everything in between – Vaughan's transformation is a story worth telling. The City of Vaughan’s popular monthly series continues, with historical content from  Vaughan Archives.

Scroll through memory lane, learn about the city's past and explore the places, people and events that were pivotal to the development of the Vaughan we know today. This month, the City is highlighting Jesse Bryson.

Jesse Bryson was a politician, historian and conservationist from Maple who held many political offices between 1957 and 1965, including Councillor, Deputy Reeve and was Chairman of the Fire and Police Committee, the Vaughan Township Planning and Building Committee, the York County Board of Health and Executive Director for the International Plowing Match.

In addition to these political roles, he was also an inaugural member of the Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (MTRCA) – now known as the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority –and instrumental in the success of Black Creek Pioneer Village. Jesse served as a member of the Vaughan Museum Committee, the Vaughan Township Historical Society, the Soil Conservation Society of America and the Agricultural Institute of Canada, in addition to sitting on the Board of Directors for the York County Federation of Agriculture, now known as the York Region Federation of Agriculture and as a trustee for Purpleville School.

The City’s Jesse Bryson fonds consist of various reports, legal documents and correspondence related to the development and governance of Vaughan, including Council minutes from 1867 to 1972, voters’ lists, annual reports from 1947 to 1964, reports of the Vaughan Planning Department, Vaughan Treasurer Accounts from 1893 to 1905, and more. There are also reports related to other organizations within Vaughan, including papers from the Soil Conservation Society of America, the MTRCA, the York County Federation of Agriculture, Black Creek Pioneer Village, and many more. Interested in viewing these records? Contact the Archives at archives@vaughan.ca or by calling ext. 8793 to schedule an appointment.

ABOUT VAUGHAN ARCHIVES

Established in 1988, the City’s Archives is home to more than 600 collections, consisting of both City records and cultural records about Vaughan from 1860 to the present day. Records include, but are not limited to:

• City business records with long-term legal and administrative value, such as Council meeting minutes, by-laws, assessment rolls, financial records, reports and official correspondence
• church, community and school records
• census records
• historical photographs
• land records
• historical maps, plans and aerial photographs
• newspapers
• personal papers of past residents and founding families, such as diaries, family histories, journals and letters
• records of local organizations, both past and present

VIEW VAUGHAN'S ARCHIVES ONLINE!

The City's Archival Collection is on digital display for all to explore! The below galleries are available in the City's online gallery on Flickr:

• Archival Awareness
• Early Churches of Vaughan
• Early Communities of Vaughan
• Early Pioneers of Vaughan
• From Township to City: The Evolution of Vaughan
• Featured Artists of Vaughan
• Historical Families of Vaughan
• Historical Figures: Lord Beaverbrook
• Historical Photography
• Historical Schools of Vaughan
• Recollections of Rural Vaughan
• The Mary Wood Collection
• The Way We Were: Representations of Vaughan's Past
• Vaughan Working Environments
• Vaughan Through the Ages: Medicine, Music and Sports and Recreation

A personal Flickr account is not required to access the City's online gallery, which contains only a small selection of the full archives collection. If you are looking for a particular image, original file, primary source record or more, please visit the Archival Database, or contact the Vaughan Archives by calling 905-832-2281 or emailing archives@vaughan.ca.

By managing and preserving both City and community records, the Enterprise Information Management Services team ensures that Vaughan's rich and varied history will continue to be available for future generations. Learn more at vaughan.ca/archives.

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