David Vaughn

active 1849-1864

Irish/American (Albany, New York)

David Vaughn (or Vaughn) was a prolific draftsman who also executed many large scale canal maps. An Irish immigrant, Vaughn moved to Albany, New York, in the late 1840s already skilled in the tools and techniques sorely needed by New York State as it resumed its first enlargement of the Erie Canal and started construction of the Adirondack reservoirs. Vaughn soon became nationally recognized for his talent in drafting maps and plans for that work, and for his keen observations of life along the Erie Canal. He was known for the artistic embellishments he added to his maps that depict local wildlife or notable local stories.