03-12-01

During the 1920's and the 1930's the roads in the northeastern part of Denton County that were located in the areas that were unincorporated which included the Aubrey area were constructed by a fresno and mule team. The rains that we are having this season would have created a chore to travel since there were few automobiles in the region and the roads were constructed of native American soil and no gravel and more especially no asphalt. The roads ere graded with a mule pulled road-grader after the weather conditions allowed for the horse drawn apparatuses to be pulled down the road.

One such particular area i want to talk about at this time is the part of the county that was called Vaughn Town. Vaughn Town was a very beautiful and quaint settlement that was part of the Elm creek bottom land and was located by a fairly large iron bridge that was the major route crossing from Pilot Point to Sanger. It was about three miles northeast of the famous flowing well that we mentioned a few weeks back.

The business district of Vaughn Town consisted of a grocery, gas oil and general merchandise store that was operated by Merlyn King for a number of years. The store was exactly on the river banks and would overflow on occasions. Much excitement was created when it overflowed because the store was over the water. If one developed the urge to fish and run the store at the same time, the fishing excursion was most certainly no problem as the hook, line, and sinker could be dropped into the water from the store’s back side.

There was another store on top of the Vaughn Hill and it was operated by the Vaughns. These stores served as a vital link to prosperity because it was located mid-way between Aubrey, GreenValley, Sanger and Pilot Point. The settlement was settled during the 1800's as Sam Vaughn, John Vaughn, and George Vaughn, (all brothers) made their way into the area and established farms and a trading post as well as the Baptist Church. The church stood up on top of the hill in the residential area of the town which is now under many feet of water close to the middle of Lake Ray Roberts.

Jim Jones and family were residents as well as the Hammons, Turpins, and Doyles. On the east side of Elm Creek the Cates family lived.

Loy Vaughn is the son of Walter Vaughn and is a grandson of George Vaughn. Loy Vaughn tells an interesting story that happened when he was a youngster in the Vaughn Town Community.

It seems as the story goes that farmers were losing cattle horses and other livestock as well as chickens and wild animals to a very huge hairy beast and everyone in Vaughn Town was getting very upset because the animal had tracks that no one could identify. The tracks were ten times the size of a grown bear and the community became more alarmed as time passed because some people were beginning to see the monster and the tracks; but it was never when they were able to kill it. As time went by a big posse was formed to catch the varmint. It was thought that the monster weighed around 4000 pounds and would shake the earth as he tramped through the woods breaking limbs from the trees.

Most all accounts were that the monster was near ten feet tall and the tracks were about two feet long. The monster was brown and hairy and made a noise that was not familiar to any human ear.

More on the story next week.

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