[3] McNaughton served in the Michigan Senate, where he represented the 12th district, in 1853 on the Free Soil ticket, which was organized to stop slavery.

[9] McNaughton spent 12 years in Jackson practicing as a medical doctor and then got involved in other business activities.

[8] For example, he secured a large amount of property north of I-94 along Cooper Street—this was in addition to land he purchased in Rives Township.

[1] As a pioneer, he was the original owner of the land that the Jackson District Library's Carnegie Branch is located upon.

[1] To honor the McNaughton clan, he secured a plot in the Oaks Cemetery and imported a 30-foot marble monument from Scotland.

[1][2][3][5] This included being present at an anti-slavery convention in Kalamazoo, Michigan on June 21, 1854, that led up to the first official Republican meeting that was held in Jackson on July 6, 1854.

[3] Due to his business successes, McNaughton built a mansion that was located on a hilltop on W. Trail Street.

[9] However, the Jackson legend and the events surrounding it have been strongly disputed by her youngest sibling (Donald McNaughton).