The company that is today Vaughan & Bushnell Mfg. Co., was founded in Peoria, Illinois by Alexander Vaughan. It began as a plumbing business, which in those days consisted of digging wells and piping water into the kitchens of the local citizenry. Alexander's business prospered, but the inventive, 18-year old blacksmith had his eye on bigger things.
The split-rail fencing of farmland was beginning to be replaced by steel posts and wire. Alexander had an idea for improving the design of the augers used for digging post holes. He turned idea into reality, and believing that Chicago would outstrip Peoria as a business center, moved to the Windy City. He set up a blacksmith shop in a room behind a hardware store owned by Sidney Bushnell.
Today's Vaughan & Bushnell is of a size and sophistication that Alexander Vaughan could scarcely have imagined. While new manufacturing techniques and processes have played a part, the people of Vaughan are the true foundation of the company's success. Dedicated to the goal of producing the finest striking tools in the world, they have helped transform Vaughan from a small maker of hand tools to one of the world's largest manufacturer of striking tools. Vaughan tools are made with an attention to detail that is exceptional. Five generations of the Vaughan family and the dedicated craftsmen who produce their products care a great deal about the tools that carry the Vaughan name, and the care is obvious.
