From the archives: Lawrence Two-Axe

Oct. 12, 2022 10:00 a.m.
​Learn more about the city’s history from the Vaughan Archives

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. As part of a monthly series, the City of Vaughan releases historical content from the City’s Archives.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 Lawrence Two-Axe.

Lawrence Two-Axe was originally from the Kahnawà:ke Mohawk reserve in Quebec. This reserve was established on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River as part of an area that the French Crown gave to the Jesuits in 1680. Many band members also lived off the reserve, just as Lawrence Two-Axe’s family chose to do in the early 20th century.

After leaving the reserve, Lawrence Two-Axe and his family settled in Pine Grove, a hamlet north of Woodbridge in the city of Vaughan. He was the representative for the First Nations of North America at the League of Nations, an international organization that was founded after the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. The goals of the League included disbarment, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes between countries through negotiation and diplomacy, and improving global welfare. They had a mixed track record of success and effectively ceased operation during the Second World War. The League of Nations formed the basis of the organization that we know today as the United Nations.

Lawrence Two-Axe spent most of his life undertaking humanitarian service and advocating for Indigenous rights. He also acted as the Chairman of the National Organizational Council of the League of Nations of North American Indians, the largest Indigenous organization in the world.

ABOUT VAUGHAN ARCHIVES
Established in 1988, the City of Vaughan 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, the following:

  • 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 now available in the City's online gallery on Flickr:

  • From Township to City: The Evolution of Vaughan
  • Featured Artists of Vaughan
  • Historical Families of Vaughan
  • Historical Figures: Lord Beaverbrook
  • Historical Photography
  • 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
  • Vaughan Through the Ages: Music
  • Vaughan Through the Ages: Sports and Recreation
  • Stories of Remembrance
  • Vaughan's Forgotten Heroes
  • Early Churches of Vaughan
  • Historical Schools of Vaughan

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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