The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 713 

JAMES WILLIAM VAUGHN.

Agricultural interests of Kittitas county find an active and foremost
representative in James William Vaughn, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, born
August 3, 1859, and a son of Drake and Jennie (Jackson) Vaughn, the former a
native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Kentucky. During the early history of
Kansas City the parents removed to that place, near which the father
successfully cultivated a farm. In 1861 the family removed to Leadville,
Colorado, and Mr. Vaughn was numbered among the discoverers of the famous mines
there. Later he took up his residence in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he was
employed as a blacksmith on railroad construction work, being connected with
the construction gang which built the road up to Corinne, Utah. In 1870 he and
his family made their way by wagon to Seattle, passing through Kittitas county.
The next year, however, they returned to this county. theirs being the seventh
fancily to settle in the valley. The father took up government land, to the
improvement of which he gave his undivided attention. and he continued in the
successful cultivation of his fields, until a few years before his death, when
he retired. His demise occurred in 1914. He was at the head of the first
postoffice to be established in the valley, which was known as Pleasant Grove
and which opened its doors in 1872. He was postmaster there for four or five
years, or until an office was started at Ellensburg. He suffered to some extent
from Indian depredations although no serious consequences resulted. Once three
Indians came to his home, asking for supper, and on being refused for good
reasons, they burned up a lot of valuable fence rails which Mr. Vaughn had
brought together with much labor. His wife is still living in Ellensburg and has
now reached the venerable age of eighty-four years.

James W. Vaughn, having made the various removals with the rest of the family,
was reared under the parental roof and attended public school in the
neighborhoods in which the family resided. At the age of twenty-four years he
bought one hundred and sixty acres of land six miles southwest of Ellensburg,
but he has since sold most of his property, retaining only forty-five acres. He
raises hay and also gives considerable attention to live stock. being
successful along both lines.

On the 18th of April, 1886, Mr. Vaughn was united in marriage to Miss Lavinnia
Haynes, a native of Oregon and a daughter of William and Amelia (Stephens)
Haynes, pioneers of that state. In 1876 Mr. and Mrs. Haynes came to the Kittitas
valley and here the father engaged in ranching. He now resides in Hunters,
Washington, but his wife has passed away. He conducted the first hotel-
restaurant and harness shop in Ellensburg. To Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn were born the
following children: Lottie, who married Grover Castor, of Ellensburg; Millie,
the wife of Norman Bland, who successfully follows ranching in the Kittitas
valley; Benjamin, at home: and Archie, aged eleven.

In his political affiliations Mr. Vaughn is a republican, loyally supporting the
candidates of that party. He has ever taken a great interest in local
advancement and has contributed toward the upbuilding and growth of Ellensburg
and vicinity. He is numbered among the early farmers of his district, where his
family arrived at an early day. There they lived amid the pioneer conditions
that prevailed upon the frontier among the red men. In those days the family had
to freight their flour from Walla Walla to Ellensburg and later had to bring it
from The Dalles. Such were the conditions when hardly a furrow had been turned
in this section of Washington and Mr. Vaughn is thoroughly conversant with
conditions as they existed in the primitive days and also with the development
of the present day, having in no small measure contributed to this development.
He has a large acquaintance in the Yakima valley and those who know him are
agreed as to his high qualities of heart and character. He holds friendship
inviolable and has ever been a public-spirited, loyal citizen, ready to
sacrifice his private interests where national objects were involved.

********************************
Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.