Claiborne Vaughn
Claiborne Vaughn -- ... is one of the well-known ...
horticulturalists of his section. He came to the Azusa in 1872
and took up a Government claim of [80] acres in the Outside school
district of Azusa, about [2.5] miles southeast of ... Azusa City,
and one mile northwest of Covina. ... He [has] made many
improvements ... in horticultural pursuits and seeking a water
supply for irrigation ... he has [40 acres] in a fine state of
cultivation, having ... [13] acres of Washington Navel oranges,
and ten acres in lemons. ... he has ten acres ... in apricots,
... peaches, apples, prunes, etc. Six acres are producing large
yields of alfalfa. He also has some [3.5] acres (among his young
fruit trees) which are producing strawberries. This land ... was
entirely wild and uncultivated, and he has devoted years in bringing
it to its present productive state. It is well watered from the
Azusa Water Development and Irrigation Company's ditches.
Mr.
Vaughn was born in Shelby County, Indiana in 1832. His father,
James Vaughn, was a native of Virginia, who, in childhood,
accompanied his parents to Kentucky, where he was reared until he
reached manhood, and then became a pioneer of Shelby County,
Indiana. There [James] married Miss Mary Williams, a native of that
state. [Claiborne] was reared to farm life upon his father's farm,
receiving but a limited education. With the exception of four
years spent in Southern Illinois, [Claiborne] lived in the county
of his birth until 1859. He married [there] in 1854, Miss Lewis,
a native of Indiana. In the spring of 1859 he took up his
westward march, intending to locate at Pike's Peak. This
journey was performed with ox teams. Not being pleased with the
reports ... of the Pike's Peak country, he continued his
emigration to California. ... in the fall of that year he took
up his residence in Sonoma County, about one mile from Petaluma,
where he engaged in farming. He spent [13] years [there], and was
... engaged ... in the city of Petaluma, grading and paving
streets, etc. In 1872 he came to Los Angeles County, and ...
obtained employment with Batemen & Buell, having charge of their
ditches in the San Gabriel Canyon. In the fall [of 1872], he took
up his present residence [and has] devoted himself to ...
horticultural pursuits ... and developing the resources ... of the
San Gabriel Valley. He served as the water commissioner ... from
1875 to 1880 ... Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn have no children. They
adopted a son, Frank White, who is now (1889) a resident of
Washington Territory. They have also reared from early childhood Gertie M.
Williams, the daughter of George and Alice (Williams)
Williams. Her mother died in Sonoma County, and her father is a
resident of Indiana.
From pp. 664-5 of An Illustrated History of Los Angeles County, California, Lewis Publishing Co., 1888
Condensed and submitted by Don T. Mitchell. This bio was found by Kathy Bargerhuff, a Vaughn descendant.
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