My Genealogy Hound

JAMES M. VAUGHAN. The subject of this sketch is a native of West Virginia and was born in Wood county, March 14, 1857. He is the fourth of a family of eleven children born to Irvin C. and Lida (Barnett) Vaughan, both natives of Virginia. His father, Irvin C. Vaughan, is a substantial farmer and is now living on the old homestead in West Virginia.

James M. Vaughan was reared on a farm and received a good common-school education. He remained on the farm till coming to Nebraska in 1878, being then twenty-one years of age. He settled in Harlan county and located a homestead and timber claim, but relinquished the timber claim to his brother-in-law and held the homestead. He had borrowed money to pay his fare to the state and afterwards borrowed $15 more to make his filings. His venture was not to be foiled for want of money, for he belonged to that old Virginia stock that knew no failure, and he at once went to work as a farm hand and labored for four years for the same man. At the end of that time he had paid all his debts and had some money left to improve his land.

In 1883, after a four years’ residence in Nebraska, he married, taking to share his life’s fortunes Miss Mary A. Bass. Her parents were natives of Canada, moved from there to Butler county, Iowa, and there died. To Mr. and Mrs. Vaughan have been born three children. The first died in infancy, the second, a son, Harry E., is now living, and the third is a fine boy four months old and weighs twenty-five pounds.

When Mr. Vaughan married he was then fully settled and began the struggles of life in earnest. Being strong and healthy, labor had no terror for him, consequently he was successful in all his undertakings. His timber claim was in section 29, and he owns all of section 28 except one tract of eighty acres, and has eighty acres in section 29, making him a full section of land, having about one hundred and eighty acres under cultivation and breaking about one hundred acres more. He raises mixed crops and stock and has a good herd of cattle and one hundred and fifty head of hogs and ten horses.

Mr. Vaughan has made all he has since coming to Nebraska and is truly a self-made man. He has never had any failure in crops, although he has lost some stock. Taking everything into consideration, he has prospered well and has the foundation laid to make him one of the wealthiest men in his county, although he is comparatively a young man. He has served two terms as justice of the peace and two terms as road overseer, and is also a member of the Farmers’ Alliance in Harlan county, taking an active interest in all matters relating to that organization. He and his excellent wife are both zealous members of the Baptist church. Politically, Mr. Vaughan is independent.