Crossroads

Crossroads. of the burgeoning city. , Main east-west corridors were Portage Trail and Broad Street, now Broad Boulevard, while Front Street ran north-south through Downtown., The 1879 brick Italianate style Vaughn Mansion stands in a prominent location on Broad Boulevard as a testament to the enduring legacy of the entrepreneurial family. James A. Vaughn founded the Vaughn Machine Company in the mid-1800s as a regional producer of machinery that supplied the rubber, steel, copper and clay industries., The factory operated until 1971. It towered over the River's edge where the Sheraton Suites now stands. It put the city on the map as an integral part of the city's economy and with its industrial and entrepreneurial ingenuity., The City Sees the Light: An 1888 City Council resolution authorized the Falls Edison Electric Light and Power Co. to erect pole lines to supply electric street lighting., The Vaughn Machine Co. expanded in 1866 with the addition of an iron foundry that operated until 1928. This photograph was taken about 1900 and shows the foundry in the center, the original office building to the right and the machine shop on the left. Laura Vaughn stands on the "new" Broad Street Bridge., In this photograph, taken between 1883-1900, the photographer was standing on Broad Street facing east over Front Street. The left side of the photo shows the City Hall built in 1882. You can see lights hanging from wires over Broad Street.