William McDonald Vaught, educator and business man, now in charge of the Elizabethton office of the Watauga Power Company, was born in Johnson county, Tennessee, a son of Joseph L. and Louise (Mast) Vaught. His ancestral line can be traced back through several generations to John Vaught, who emigrated from Virginia and settled on Roane Creek, a tributary of the Watauga, in Johnson county, then Washington county, North Carolina. In the land office in Virginia is a record of a land survey to John Vaught for three hundred and ninety acres on the south fork of Holston river, dated February 28, 1775. There are also deeds in Jonesboro, dated July 17, 1792, conveying to John Vaught from Thomas Payne a tract of four hundred and fifty acres on Roane Creek and another of four hundred acres located on Flannery’s Fork of Roane Creek, since known as Vaught’s Creek. These lands were granted to Thomas Payne in November, 1784. John Vaught also purchased other lands adjacent from Reuben Stringer. He built and operated the first mill in this section and the forge on his place was one of the first to be established in the county. He donated land for the first schoolhouse in the community and assisted in erecting a log school building, which became known as Vaught’s schoolhouse and in which the Pleasant Grove Baptist church was organized. John Vaught was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and his great-grandson, John L. Vaught, at the time of his death in 1907, had a part of the uniform which John Vaught had worn in the service in the Continental Line. He was a justice of the peace and member of the first county court of Carter county, which he had assisted in organizing July 4, 1796. His wife’s name was Esther and they had two daughters, Elizabeth Heaton and Barbara Howard. His will, dated June 6, 1806, is on file in the courthouse in Elizabethton.
As stated, the seventh child of the family was William McDonald Vaught, who after attending the public schools of Johnson county entered Holly Springs College at Butler, Tennessee, and was graduated A. B. in 1891, having the distinction of delivering the first graduating address for the first graduating class of that college. He was afterward professor of mathematics at his alma mater from 1891 until 1892, after which he spent two years in the state of Washington, teaching and attending the State Normal. Following his return to Tennessee in 1894 he taught in the schools of Watauga valley for four or five years and afterward at Elizabethton. In 1902 he was elected county superintendent of education for Carter county and served most acceptably and satisfactorily in that position for three years. He was then again teacher at Elizabethton from 1905 until 1907, after which he withdrew from educational work, taking up bookkeeping and office work. Since 1910 he has been connected with the Watauga Power Company at Elizabethton, first as bookkeeper and since 1912 as manager of the local office. This company owns and operates a hydro-electric power plant on the Watauga river, seven miles above Elizabethton, and furnishes electric current for lights and power for Elizabethton, Bristol and Bluff City. Mr. Vaught has proven a man of keen executive ability and his close application to the thing at hand has been a dominant factor in his continued success.
Mr. Vaught gives his political allegiance to the republican party, and although he has never sought nor desired political preferment, he is always interested in party affairs and never too busy to give his aid in furthering any movement for the benefit of the community. He served as a member of the board of aldermen from 1917 until 1919. Fraternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows and represented the local lodge in the grand lodge ofTennessee for two years. He also belongs to the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Patriotic Order of Sons of America. In September, 1887, he united with the Baptist church and he has served as clerk of the Watauga Baptist Association. For a number of years he has filled the position of church treasurer and always takes an active interest in the various lines of church work.
On the 16th of June, 1896, Mr. Vaught wedded Elizabeth C. Carriger, daughter of Jackson and Edna Carriger and a descendant of Gotfried Kercher (Godfrey Carriger, Sr.). The name was originally Gotfried Von Kaercher, but afterward the “Von” was dropped and later Godfrey Carriger, Sr., dropped the “a” from the name. The German pronunciation of “Kaercher” is “Carriger” and all deeds and other written documents, including his will, bearing date March 30, 1808, are signed in his own handwriting “Gotfried Kercher,” while in the body of all said deeds, documents and will his name is written “Godfrey Carriger, Sr.” He was born March 7, 1732, in Stuttgart, Germany, and in his seventh year came with his parents, brothers and sisters to Burks county, Pennsylvania, sailing on the vessel “Friendship,” Henry Beech, commander. They landed at Philadelphia, September [p.421] 20, 1738, and at that time the father, Michael Kercher, was forty-six years of age. He took the oath of allegiance to the province of Pennsylvania and he left his native land on account of religious persecution, being a Lutheran. His son, Gotfried Kercher, signed a memorial in 1779 against calling a convention for the purpose of aiding British rule, he being strongly in favor of American independence. His wife was Margaret Hanchpaugh, or Anspaugh, a very devout Christian woman. Their children were: Johan Nicholas, who was born February 28, 1761, and married a Miss Millard and emigrated to Middle Tennessee; Johan Michael, who was born April 26, 1764, and wedded Elizabeth Worley; Johan Lenhart, who was born January 3, 1766, and who was killed by the Indians in 1780; Gotfried, whose birth occurred May 13, 1767 or 1769, and who married Elizabeth Lovelace Crawley; Elizabeth, whose natal day was May 12, 1771, and who became the wife of John Nave; Johan Henrich, who was born February 26, 1774, and died in early life; Johan, who was born February 24, 1777, and wedded Margaret Elliott; and Christian, whose natal day was July 28, 1779, and who married Levisa Ward. Gotfried Kercher bought land in Brunswick township, Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1760 and also in 1765. In 1779 he sold his eight hundred and twenty-five acres and the following year removed to the Watauga settlement in Tennessee, traveling with four six-horse covered wagons, bringing his family and ten negro men and their families, together with thirty-two thousand dollars in money. He brought also the first cook stove ever used in the Watauga settlement, and it was such a great curiosity that the settlers came for many miles to see it. His son Leonard, while the family were en route to Tennessee, left the camp with his gun to hunt game and was killed by the Indians. Gotfried Kercher became the owner of much land on the Watauga and built and operated the first mill in the eastern part of the settlement. Legal documents show that he and his sons owned and operated a number of forges in upper East Tennessee. The Carrigers were leaders in church and school work and after coming to Tennessee united with the Baptists.
Transcribed from: Tennessee, The Volunteer State, 1796-1923 by John Trotwood Moore and Austin P. Foster published by S.J Clarke Publishing Co., 1923.
