History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY 395
Frank C. Vaugban. He is county treasurer and the first democrat
elected in the county in twenty years, a fact which indicates his personal
popularity aud the confidence reposed in him. He was born
in Amboy, Illinois, March 17, 1863, and is a sou of C. D. and Louisa
M. (Balch) Vaughan, who were natives of Plattsburg, New York.
Removing westward to Illinois in 1854, they settled in Amboy,
where the father became the first furniture dealer and undertaker
of the town. For a long period he was an active factor in busi-
ness circles there and was equally prominent in other connections.
He was one of the leaders of the democratic party in this county
and filled the office of clerk of the court of common pleas. He was
also alderman and mayor of Amboy for a number of years and
exercised his official prerogatives in support of many valuable
public measures contributing to the welfare aud advancement of
the city. The public passed high encomiums upon him because
of his fidelity to duty and when he passed away in 1888 the news
of his demise brought a sense of personal bereavement to almost
every home in Ambo,y His widow still survives and is now living
in Amboy, at the age of eighty-four years.
Frank C. Vaughan acquired a high-school education in his
native town. His business training was begun when he was a lad
of fourteen, at which time he entered his father's store, of which
he is now the proprietor. He has the oldest furniture and imder-
taking business in the county. In the conduct of the establishment
he has followed progressive methods, keeping in touch with
the latest things which the furniture market affords, and his enterprising
spirit and progressive methods have brought him
substantial success. He was elected president of the State Under-
takers Association for two years, the only time in the history of
that organization that anyone has served a second term. Mr.
Vaughan first held minor political positions in Amboy and his
faithfulness in that connection led to his selection for higher
honors. In 1910 he was chosen county treasurer, being the first
democrat elected in Lee county for two decades and the first representative
of his party to occupy offices in the new courthouse, which
was completed in 190L He has brought to bear in the discharge
of his present duties the same spirit of fidelity that marked his
course in former official connections and even those holding op-
posing political views have naught to say derogatory to his
service. For twenty years he has been chief of the Amboy fire
department and has thus figured in many public connections, all of
which have been of benefit to the district which he represents.