Portland Street Names – October 29, 1921 – Vaughn

The sixth man to serve the city in the capacity of mayor was George Washington Vaughn, for whom V street was renamed when the old alphabetical order of lettered streets was done away win in 1891.

For 27 years he was acrive in the civic and industrial affairs of the city. A native of New Jersey, born in Blairstown in 1809, he came to Portland from Canada in 1850 and established a hardware store on Front street. He was mayor or Portland from April 5, 1855 to April 7, 1856, and he also bore the distinction of having been the judge at the first county court ever held in Multnomah county. This began in January 17, 1855.

His commercial activities held the greater part of his interest, however, and were varied. In partnership with Alexander Ankeny, he operated the boats Independence and Wasco on the river. His hardware store seems to have been his principal pursuit, and he conducted this business until it was destroyed by fire on December 22, 1872.

In 1865 he built the first steam flour mill ever run in Portland. This was on the corner of Front and Madison streets, and was destroyed by fire on August 2, 1873. His lossed by fire were estimated at $120,000, but they did not leave him insolvent, and he was in good shape financially when he died on March 4, 1877.

The house in which he lived stilled stands on the southeast corner of Fifth and Columbia streets.