FRANK HAWKINS VAUGHAN.
Mr. Vaughan is a native son of New England. He was born in South Pomfret, Windsor county, Vermont, July 23, 1852, his parents being Chauncey and Luvia (Perrin) Vaughan, the father devoted his life to farming, to dairying and to blacksmithing and was a well known agriculturist of the Green Mountain state, but both he and his wife have now passed away.
Frank H. Vaughan, after mastering the branches of learning taught in the public schools, continued his education in a normal school in Vermont and in young manhood he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and dairying, thus gaining the initial experience which has prepared him for his success in later life. He continued in the east in that connection until 1887, when he resolved to try his fortune in the west and made his way to Fremont. Nebraska, where he purchased a dairy. In 1902 he sold his interests there and came to Cheyenne for the purpose of engaging in the dairy business. He met with discouragement at the hands of the grocers and all of the residents of the community except E. W. Stowe. While there were many cattle raisers, they did not raise cows and there had been no attempt to use dairy products. In 1902, however, Mr. Vaughan located in the Taylor block and established his creamery interests, first churning about three hundred pounds. From the outset the business proved a success and the first year he sold fifty thousand pounds of butter. In 1903 because of the increase of his business he had to remove to a new location and rented the Tilden block at a cost of five thousand dollars. Originally he conducted his business under the name of the Excelsior Creamery and on the 1st of January, 1904, incorporated it under the name of the Cheyenne Creamery with a capital stock of ten thousand dollars. At that time he was using an investment of one hundred thousand dollars in the business and selling his products to the amount of over a quarter of a million dollars annually. In 1904 he also engaged in a small way in handling milk and now uses five wagons in the delivery of dairy products, selling five hundred gallons of milk and eighty gallons of cream each day. In 1908 he further extended the scope of his business by beginning the manufacture of ice cream and this branch has also proven a source of gratifying profit. The gross business will now run about four hundred thousand dollars and he employs forty people in the manufacture of butter, in the handling of dairy products and in the manufacture of ice cream. His work has not only been a source of individual profit but has constituted one of the important commercial interests of Cheyenne. It has been even more than that, however, for with the coming of Mr. Vaughan to Cheyenne he began to educate the ranchers and show them the possibilities of dairying. He sold them separators and although it was hard, uphill work at first, even the grocers being difficult to convince, he persevered and notwithstanding the fact that they at first hesitated about handling the butter of his creamery he soon demonstrated that his products were of such excellent quality that a great demand would be created. The creamery is now paying to the farmers two hundred thousand dollars a year and the growth of the business is further shown by the fact that they now make over five hundred thousand pounds of butter per year. All their cream is received from Wyoming ranches and only a small part from other sources within the state. When they began their creamery business its opening was quite extensively advertised and they naturally expected the farmers to bring a liberal supply of cream, but their surprise and disappointment was great when only one can was brought in by Martin Willardsen, of Granite Canyon. From this beginning their enormous dairy and creamery business of today has developed.
On the 14th of March, 1885, Mr. Vaughan was married in Woodstock, Windsor county, Vermont, to Miss Lilla Pratt, and to them have been born two sons: Harold, of whom more extended mention is made on another page of this work: and Stanley. The latter was born in April, 1893, in Fremont, Nebraska, and in the pursuit of his education attended the common schools and the University of Colorado. He came with his parents to Wyoming and has since been connected with the creamery business, being thoroughly familiar with its details and of invaluable assistance to his father in directing its executive in connection with his brother Harold. He was married on October 14, 1916. at Glenrock, to Miss Edna Smith, a daughter of Edward and Eleanor Smith, of Glenrock.
Frank H. Vaughan is a Congregationalist in religious faith. In politics he is a republican and has served as a member of the city council. He is much interested in all that has to do with the welfare and progress of the municipality and of the state. He is now practically living retired from business but continues to advise his sons concerning the management and conduct of the creamery. For the past three years he has not been in the best of health. In April, 1915, he suffered from a shock of paralysis but recovered partially. Soon thereafter a second shock came, it affecting his throat, interfering with his power of speech. His interest in matters of public concern has not abated, however, and he has studied the possibilities of the state for agricultural development and has become thoroughly informed concerning conditions, with a knowledge that has led to his election to the presidency of the State Dry Farm Board. Those who know him, and he has a wide acquaintance, speak of him highly as a business man, as a citizen and as a friend. He is loyal in every relation of life, faithful to every cause which he espouses and throughout his entire career has been actuated by a spirit of enterprise and progress.