Archaeological findings in the general area indicate that natives lived here for thousands of years.

The first Europeans arrived in the area in 1615. At that time the native Mississauga Indians established a trading relationship with the French.

In the early 1700's, the Mississauga Indians, part of the Ojibwa nation and also part of the Algonkian nation, moved from the north shores of Georgian Bay to the Credit River valley.  Previously the Iroquois occumpied this area.  The Credit River valley was exclusively the domain of the Mississauga Indians from the late 17th century to the early 19th century.  They were nomadic hunters and fishermen who traveled the enitre length of the valley from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay.

By the early 18th century, the Mississauga Indians had established a wigwam village at the mouth of the Credit River. The Indian word "Mississauga" means river of the north of many months.  The Credit River received its name from the trading relationship developed between the Indians and the French.

In 1847, the surviving Mississauga Indians were relocated to the "new Credit" region, which is part of the Six Nations Reserve in the Grand River Valley near Hagersville, Ontario.

Gordon Woods was formerly called the Parker Estate and was part of Toronto Township. It belonged to the Sir William Parker family who had come from England in 1841 and settled in Cooksville.

The Parkers had three sons — Albert, Henry and Melville. Albert was a land agent and commissioner. Melville sold horses, cows and oxen. The Parkers were also involved in the growing of grapes. They were part of the formation of the Canada Vine Growers Association. There are some wild grape vines growing in Gordon Woods, but this land was not acquired for the purpose of growing grapes. In 1877, Melville Parker and Commander Gordon were running an oil refinery on land adjacent to the winery in Cooksville. Oil was found on Mrs. Gordon's farm on Centre Road but they didn't drill in this area of the Melville Parker lands.

Messrs. Parker and Gordon hada large oil refinery about a mile from the village of Cooksville They also made gas oil, which was becoming generally used for the manufacture of gas, used at the Barber Brothers' factory in Streetsville.

In July 1885, Sir Melville Parker, Baronet, applied to purchase 95 acres from the Crown.  The lands were willed to his only daughter, May Elizabeth Gordon.

May Elizabeth Gordon died in January 1914, In her will, the Credit Indian Reserve Lands were to be sold off to the best advantage inside of three years to her family. After family members released and quit claim to the lands, the lands went to Arthur Lindsay Gordon in June 1919. In 1920, Arthur Lindsay Gordon put in an application to subdivide part of Lot 2 (Plan E 20). William Rein Wadsworth purchased a part of the land in 1922. Restrictions were put into place at that time.