148                 HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

and Washington township, while yet others, residents of localities more
remote, became citizens of the town by adoption succeeding their terms of
official service, engaging in commercial pursuits or otherwise contributing
their influence to the prestige of the town. Bowling Green was one of
the but few county seats in the state of Indiana which did not have any
railroad facilities. To this, in the main, is to be attributed the loss of its
prestige.
    Of the early resident attorneys and members of the bar who achieved
distinction in the profession and gave reputation and credit to the town
and county were James M. Hanna, Delany E. Williamson, Henry Secrist,
Samuel Howe Smydth, William Farley, John Osborn and Allen T. Rose,
and those of a later generation, W. W. Carter, James G. Miles, Enos
Miles, George D. Teter, George W. Wiltse, S. D. Coffey and others.
    In recognition of their ability, honors in both state and federal
administration came to members of the Bowling Green or former Clay
county bar. James M. Hanna and Silas D. Coffey were called to seats
on the Supreme Bench of the state, Delaney E. Williamson elected Attor-
ney General, Henry Secrist honored with candidacy for Congress, W. W.
Carter made collector and custodian of government revenues, Samuel H.
Smydth, John Osborn, Allen T. Rose, and George D. Teter chosen mem-
bers of the law-making assembly of the state.
    Numerous disciples of the healing art have practiced at Bowling
Green, some of whom became locally eminent, to say the least, in their
profession. All of this array of medical talent worthy of mention and
memory cannot at this day be recalled. Dr. Charles Moore is said to
have traveled over more territory in answer to professional calls than
any of his contemporaries. Dr. Sewell Moore, a brother, was also a pio-
neer practitioner here, as were Drs. Burton, Shields, Lindley and Woods.
One of the earliest and best known physicians of primitive times in this
part of the county was Andrew Davis. Drs. U. G. McMillan, W. B.
Gwathmey, John Williams, R. H. Culbertson, W. C. Hendricks and Dr.
Reynolds were also prominently identified with the profession both before
and at the time of the Civil war. A little later were Drs. Stephenson,
Duffield, Pickins, Black, Craftop, Talbott, McGregor, Hochstetler and
others. At a still later day, Drs. Allen. Jones, Spelbring, Griffith.
    The Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists and Christians have main-
tained organized societies here for many years. Of the three houses of
worship the Methodist, a brick structure, in the north part of the town,
was the oldest, said to have been built by William K. Houston at about
the same time that he put up the Masonic hall and the two-story brick
residence building on the north side, now the property of Dr. John Will-
iams. This pioneer brick church, having fulfilled its mission, is now being
displaced by one of modern design and structure, the contract having
been let for its construction, to be completed by the 15th day of October
of this year. The estimated cost of the new building is between $5,000
and $6,000. The “life and times” of this original brick church covers a
period of two-thirds of a century in the history of the town. The frame
church, on the east side of the public square, which was built at some time
in the early fifties, was, in some sense, a jointure in ownership and use
between the Presbyterians and the Baptists. The Christian church, in
the northwest part of the town-plat, was built in 1867-68 and dedicated in
the month of May of the latter year.
    In mercantile pursuits more individuals and firms were engaged here