Early Days of Greenbush: Payton A. Vaughn

EARLY DAYS IN GREENBUSH

PAYTON A. VAUGHN.

Payton A. Vaughn was born in Dinwiddie county, Virginia, March 31, 1810. He was a son of John E. Vaughn. Payton came with his father to Logan county, Kentucky, in 1829. They moved to Todd county, Kentucky, where PaytonÕs father died in 1831. Mr. Vaughn came to Adams county, Illinois, in February, 1832; came to Greenbush, Illinois, in June, 1837, and located on the southwest quarter of section twenty. Here he built his house. This house was sixteen feet square and was built of hickory and elm logs hauled together with cattle; the chimney was built of sod and the roof was made of boards, rived out with a fro, fastened on with knees and weight poles. The door was made of boards and was set in the south side; the floor was made from hickory logs split and hewed on one side, and was called a puncheon floor. This house had no window. They had one bedstead when they moved in, so they made another by boring holes in the log wall and running small pieces of timber to a post in the floor. This frame was then corded with green hickory bark. After the bark dried, this proved to be a very good bedstead. He was married to Mary Darneille, July 18, 1834. She came from Bourbon county, Kentucky, to Adams county, Illinois, in 1832, and was a daughter of Henzie and Elizabeth (Congleton) Darneille and a sister of Thomas and Henzie Darneille, who came to Greenbush in an early day.

To Payton A. Vaughn and wife were born the following-named children:

Elizabeth, married David Smalley. He died October 20, 1873. Her second marriage was to Elder John Ward.

Martha, who died at the age of two years.

Parthena, married David B. Keith. He died September 27, 1899.

James Thomas, married Susanna Johnson. She died February 9, 1886, at the age of 39 years. His second marriage was to Inez Stice.

Mary Z., married William C. Rush, December 4, 1866; and was afterwards married to James C. Donaldson. He died in 1893.

George E., married Josephine Welsh. He died March 17, 1893.

Douglas, married Clara Butler.

Mary, wife of Payton A. Vaughn, was born February 13, 1820, and died in December, 1898. She was for many years before her death a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In religion Mr. Vaughn is a member of the same church. He votes the democratic ticket.