Author: Daniel Flores

Publisher:

Published: 2013-09-20

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 9781492772927

Vaughn is a present-day community located in southwestern Guadalupe county at the junction of three highways, US 54, 60 and 285. It is also located at the junction point of two railroads, the AT & SF, popularly known as the Santa Fe, and the Southern Pacific. The area was originally a site on the Stinson cattle trail from Texas to the Estancia Valley. The Stinson cattle trail was pioneered by Jim Stinson in 1882. In 1901 the El Paso &Rock Island began building a railroad through the area and the community of what eventually became Vaughn was born. The El Paso & Rock Island referred to the community as Tony and early railroad maps show Tony located where Vaughn eventually came into existence. The community was named Vaughn for Major G. W. Vaughn, a civil engineer for the AT & SF railroad. The Santa Fe railroad began building its Belen Cut Off through the area after the El Paso & Rock Island had established itself in the area. The Belen Cut Off was a railroad route that the Santa Fe hoped would be more attractive to passengers and companies shipping freight to the West. The route would avoid the mountains of northern New Mexico that the Santa Fe had to deal with when it entered the territory through Raton Pass in 1879. The Belen cut off entered Vaughn from the west in 1905 and from the east in 1907. The Santa Fe railroad decided to build its railroad facilities, a railroad depot, its reading room, and the eating house, the Harvey House, about a mile east of the community that came into existence with the coming of the El Paso & Rock Island. Because of that decision, East Vaughn was born. East Vaughn was essentially an AT & SF community and Vaughn was an El Paso & Rock Island community. The two communities eventually merged into one incorporated town, Vaughn, in 1920, and elected a mayor and had a town council. Each had its own post office. Before the merger, there were two mayors and two governing councils. They also consolidated their schools and built a new school between the two former communities. It Happened in Vaughn is a collection of assorted stories gathered from several sources. Most of the vignettes are from old newspaper articles about Vaughn and the surrounding area. Many of the vignettes are illustrated with period pictures to help provide a visual account of Vaughn rich and colorful past.