146                 HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

Fulkerson, J. M. Bowen, with W. D. Black, president; W. H. Guirl,
vice-president; J. M. Bowen, cashier. This corporation retired at some
time within the succeeding year, perhaps in the month of July, and after
an interval of two years was succeeded by the Farmers and Merchants
bank, conducted by J. S. Goshorn, now the Goshorn Brothers, which
began business on the 13th day of May, 1895. The safe in this bank was
blown and wrecked on the night of April 20, 1904, and looted of several
thousand dollars in cash. Three years later, Joseph L. White was tried
in the Vigo Circuit Court on charge of having committed the crime, but
was acquitted.
    Of the fraternal organizations maintained here are—
Martz Lodge, No. 360, I. 0. 0. F., originally instituted at Middle-
bury, January 27, 1871, moved to Clay City in 1881.
    Clay City Lodge, No. 562, A. F. & A. M., instituted in 1880.
    Clay City Lodge, No. 2240, Knights of Honor, instituted in 1880.
    Uncas Tribe, No. 68, Improved Order of Red Men, organized April
4, 1882.
    Mutual Love Lodge, No. 221, Daughters of Rebekah, organized
November 1, 1882.
    Knights of Pythias; Eastern Star, and Pocahontas.
    A private census of Clay City, taken in the summer of 1884, as
reported to the Independent in the month of August, by P. T. Jett, showed
the following enumeration, classified according to age:
    Under 21 years of age....................................435
    Over 21 and under 60 years...............................375
    Over 60 and under 65 years................................13
    Over 65 and under 70 years................................11
    Over 70 and under 75 years.................................8
    Over 75 and under 85 years.................................3
    Over 85 and under 90 years.................................1
        Total population.....................................846

    This was three more than the enumeration of Brazil as taken in 1866
with the view to incorporation. A year later (1885) it was 864. Early
in the year 1888 a petition was filed with the board of commissioners
asking an election to be ordered to vote on the proposition to incorporate,
which was held on the 16th day of July, 1888, when 169 votes were polled
—92 for and 77 against it. The board of commissioners, in recognition of
the action taken, declared the prescribed territory incorporated, when,
on the first Monday of September following, the first election of officers
took place, resulting as follows: Trustees, N. B. Markle, J. M. Travis,
J. W. White; Marshal, Jas. T. Buck; Clerk and Treasurer, D. C. Mid-
dlemas, Jr. There was no contest, but one ticket, composed about equally
of Democrats and Republicans, and only 139 votes were polled.
    The period of greatest activity in substantial building improvements
in the progress and history of Clay City was the three years from 1889
to 1892, during which period more than $100,000 is said to have been
expended in the erection of brick business blocks and residences. Within
this time were built the Peerless flouring-mill, the Middlemas, Burger,
Moody, Fulkerson, Danhour, Travis & Oberholtzer and other business
blocks.
    The telephone found its way into Clay City with the beginning of the