THOMAS G. VAUGHTERS, M. D., was born in Caroline county, Virginia, in 1823.  His father was of English descent but a native of Virginia.  His mother Catherine Mason was of Scotch descent, but a native of Philadelphia.  His father died when he was quite young and his mother, three brothers and a sister came to Ohio in 1830.  They located in Jackson county.  From 1834 until 1838 he attended the country schools walking three miles to the school house.  He burned pine knots to study by at night.  He god beyond his teacher and walked eight miles to another school.  In 1842, he obtained a teacher's certificate and taught three months in Ohio and Kentucky and then began the study of Anatomy and Physiology.  In the fall of 1842, he began the study of medicine with Dr. D. H. Mitchell of Jackson, Ohio.  He studied there from three years and then went into the office of Dr. J. M. Keenan in Hamden and read, studied and practiced until 1850.  He visited one of his brothers in Scioto county and met Dr. J. W. Dennis, who persuaded him to locate at Friendship, Ohio.  In 1851 and 1852 he took a full course of lectures at Louisville, Kentucky.  In March, 1872, he obtained the degree of M. D. from the Ohio Medical Society for two years and after the Hempstead Academy of Medicine was organized became one of the Trustees and was its first vice president.  He was also a member of the Ohio State Medical Society and held a diploma from it.
     He was married May 25, 1851 to Miss Ara B. Jennings, daughter of Enos Jennings of Vinton county.  She was a sister of the late Sanford Bundy Jennings.  Six children were born to them:  James S., Enos J., married Anna Reinhardt, resides at Dennis, Ohio; John E., Alice H., Flora M., married T. J. Lauter, and Loulie K. the wife of W. L. Baker of Dennis, Ohio.  John E. is deceased.  Alice H. is married and lives in Wisconsin.
     When Doctor Vaughters was about to die he made all arrangements for his funeral and selected his pall bearers.  He was the true type of the humanitarian.  He wore himself out in the service of others.  The editor of this work often said to him, that he deserved one of the highest seats in heaven.  The Doctor was a practical Christian.  He believed in good works and performed them himself.  He took the part of the good Samaritan every day of his life and acted it out to perfection.
Source:  History of Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. 1903 - Page 1168

JAMES SANFORD VAUGHTERS was born in Nile township near Friendship, July 19, 1852.  He is the son of Thomas G. Vaughters and Ara B. (Jennings) Vaughters.  His father has a sketch herein.  His mother was a daughter of Enos Jennings, who emigrated from Juniata county, Pennsylvania to Muskingum county, Ohio, where she was born Apr. 12, 1832.  The Jennings family later moved to near Hamden, Vinton county, Ohio, where at the age of nineteen, she was united in marriage with Thomas G. Vaughters, by the late Hon. H. S. Bundy, who at that time was a local Methodist preacher.
     Our subject was very mischievous when a boy and that trait persists in exhibiting itself to this day.  In attending the common schools, he was always considered a very apt pupil.  He had an especial fondness for geography, spelling and history, mathematics being as dry as chaff to him. He taught the Friendship school four years and was successful in its management.  After completing the common schools, he attended the National Normal at Lebanon, Ohio, the Central Ohio Normal at Worthington, Ohio, and at Oberlin, Ohio.  Our subject was too young to be in the Civil war, but had three uncles: Ervin, Oren and Sanford Jennings, who were in the service and consequently he has a warm feeling for the old soldiers.  He was Assessor of Washington township for two years.  This is the only office he ever held, with the exception of being Postmaster at Dennis, Ohio, since Sept. 15, 1893.
     He is a republican but an ardent supporter of the "free-silver" theory.  He is very independent in his political course and votes for the man rather than the party label.  Though not a rich man, he owns a good farm, unincumbered, all under-drained, very productive, and with good improvements.  He is a good financier in a small way.  He is always liberal and willing to help those in need of help, and has always felt a pleasure in  doing so.  Mr. Vaughters was Editor of the Piketon (Ohio) Courier in 1879 and 1880.  He says he did not accumulate two cents during that time, but had two million dollars worth of fun.  He has been correspondent for several city papers before and since.  He owns a general store at Dennis, Ohio, and has been conducting it since 1892.
Source:  History of Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. 1903 - Page 1168

JOHN ALEXANDER VAUGHTERS was born Aug. 9, 1814, in Caroline County, Va., a son of John and Catharine (Mason) Vaughters.  The family was English.  The form of the name as used in Virginia was Vawter.  Among the Revolutionary Continental Land Warrants issued from the Land Office at Richmond, Va., was one to William Vawter for 2,666 2-3 acres of land, another to Benjamin Vawter for 200 acres.  These are believed to be members of the same family.  Our subject's father died in Virginia, and his mother moved with her family.  Our subject's father died in Virginia, and his mother moved with her family to Ohio, and located in Ross County in 1830; but in 1831, removed to Coalton, Jackson County.  His mother died in 1833.
     Our subject had no means, but he had a good  constitution and a wonderful quantity of energy.  He had his brother came to Scioto County in 1844, and for a number of years he was a tenant farmer.  In 1849, he began to purchase land.  By industry, thrift and economy, he prospered and at his death his farm was one of the largest and best kept in the Ohio Valley.  At that time he was the owner of 503 acres of valuable Ohio river bottom land in the upper part of Nile Township, about seven miles from Portsmouth.
     In 1847, he married Mary Dortch of Kentucky.  They have five children, two of whom lived to maturity: Mrs. Harry S. Grimes, of Portsmouth, Ohio, and George A. Vaughters of Chillicothe.  Mrs. Vaughters died in April, 1860, and in December, 1861, he married Mrs. Ada J. Brouse, who had two children: Mrs. Chancey M. Holcomb of Gallipolis, and Mrs. W. C. Brouse of the West Side.  Mr. Vaughters was always a Republican.  He was a men of the most remarkable energy and strict integrity.  He was more successful than either of his brothers in accumulating property.  He died Apr. 14, 1891, honored by all who knew him.
Source:  History of Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. 1903 - Page 852

WILLIAM VAUGHTERS was born in Caroline County, Virginia, in 1817, the third of a family of four sons: John, Thomas G., and Richard M. and one daughter, Mary L.  In  1831, his father settled in Ross County, and in the same year in Jackson County.  In 1838, he moved to Scioto County.  In 1842, he married Miss Sophia Graham by whom he had two sons and one daughter: John of the West Side, Thomas of Wetmore and Mary Margaret in Illinois, all married.  In 1850, he married Mary Bryson by whom he had five children, four sons and a daughter: Richard, William, Carey, Sherman and Ella.  He died July 26, 1880.  His wife survived him.  He was a Republican and served two terms as Infirmary Director from 1871 to 1874 and from 1875 to 1878.  In 1871, the vote stood: Vaughters, 2,546; Luther Jones, 2,387; Majority, 159.  In 1875 he received 3,293 votes to 2,989 for his opponent, C. F. Bradford, majority 304.  He was a prosperous and successful farmer and left a good estate.  He held the confidence of his neighbors and associates as a just man.
Source:  History of Scioto Co., Ohio - Publ. 1903 - Page 852