Vaughan Kester (1869–1911) was an American novelist and journalist whose literary career was deeply influenced by his travels across the southern and western regions of the United States. Born in 1869, he was the older brother of the dramatist Paul Kester. His writing style and thematic choices were also guided by his mother's cousin, the prominent realist author and critic William Dean Howells, who served as an important literary connection and influence.\n\nKester's literary output reflected his observations of American life. Among his notable works is The Manager of the B & A, a novel that was later adapted into a silent film in 1916 by director J.P. McGowan and reissued in 1921 under the title The Man from Medicine Hat. His most celebrated work, The Prodigal Judge, was written during his later years while residing at the historic Gunston Hall estate in Virginia.\n\nIn 1898, Kester married Jessie B. Jennings, though the couple had no children. He and his brother Paul purchased and restored the historic Woodlawn Plantation in 1902. Kester later relocated to Gunston Hall in 1907, where he lived and worked until his death in 1911. Following his passing, his mother established a memorial in his honor at Pohick Church, the historic parish associated with his final home.
