Vaughan, Mississippi
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Vaughan (sometimes spelled Vaughn) is a town in Yazoo County, Mississippi. It is 32 miles from the state capital of Jackson, Mississippi and 12 miles east of Benton, Mississippi. It was founded in 1830 and named for Henry Vaughn. The town was established on an old stagecoach line and was for many years the main trading center of Yazoo County, including a large part of Madison County, Mississippi east of the Big Black River.
In 2000 Vaughan had a population of 1,417 people.
Latitude: 32.84928 Longitude: 90.05976 Altitude: 264 Feet above sea-level.
The famous railroad accident which killed 37-year-old engineer Casey Jones happened near Vaughan in the early morning hours of April 30, 1900. On July 24, 1953, a ceremony was held at Vaughan, where more than 3,000 persons gathered to witness the unveiling of a bronze marker at the spot where Casey met his fate. In attendance was Sim Webb, Casey’s fireman, and Janie Jones, Casey’s widow. Beneath Casey’s name, the following legend appeared: “A famous ballad, the folklore of American railroading, and a postage stamp commemorate the colorful and courageous engineer who was killed in a wreck here in 1900." The marker is now missing.
The Casey Jones Railroad Museum State Park at Vaughan was designated a State Park on April 27, 1980. The museum began as a project of Massena Jones (no relation) in a building he owned across the road from the present site. The centerpiece of it was the damaged bell which was salvaged from the wreck site. In 2004 the museum closed. Massena Jones, a former postmaster for Vaughan and a long time resident, was also the author of a book entitled "The Choo-Choo Stopped at Vaughn: a Vivid and Accurate Account of Casey Jones' Fatal Train Crash at Vaughn, Mississippi" published in 1982.
Vaughan was the birthplace of professional baseball player Laurin Pepper on January 18, 1931. Pepper was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on July 4, 1954, with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His final game was played on June 6, 1957.
Vaughan is also the home of Greg Harkins, internationally known for his rocking chairs. Greg's chairs reside in places like the White House and the Vatican.
