168                 HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

three years, the people of the town having tired of maintaining the incor-
poration, voted it out in 1880. Population 350.

                            POLAND.
    Poland, the only town in Cass township, lying within a half mile of
the Owen county line, six miles north of Bowling Green, dates its begin-
ning back to 1841, when John B. Nees, John Chance, Isaac Anderson and
James Crafton, owners of the lands cornering at the crossing of the roads.
contributed to the plat and founded the town-site. The name conferred
was but a selection by mutual agreement on the part of the proprietors.
This town is pleasantly situated in the midst of an industrious, prosperous
farming community, of which the population is largely German. Soon
after the founding of the town a postoffice was established, served by
star route from Bowling Green. A man named Wittenberg was the
first merchant of the town. Nees & Peyton engaged in merchandising
at an early day in the history of the place and did business for a number
of years. Their successors in mercantile pursuits, along the line, were
Lawrence Athey, Adam Tressel, Tressel & Kattman, R. M. Wingate,
Stwalley & Son, William S. Walker, J. C. McGregor, Henry Spelbring,
Calvin B. Moore, Baumunk Brothers, Dr. Chamberlain, and others.
    The two-story graded schoolhouse was originally built by Trustee
Adam Tressel in 1872. Two churches are maintained in the town—
Presbyterian and Methodist. The present M. E, church was built and
dedicated in 1873, the dedication taking place on the 21st day of Septem-
ber. The Presbyterian was built three years earlier. Of the practicing
physicians were Drs. Cornwell, Stone, Bartholomew, Chamberlain and
Elliott. Of the postmasters remembered John J. Hoffman, John Schroer
and N. B. Bartholomew.
    Poland, it is said, was at one time an incorporated town, and that
within the time of the existence of the municipality a vote was taken to
express the sense of the population on the question of tolerating the
saloon, the election resulting in favor of a “dry” town. This was at some
time in the early fifties. Thomas Marsh, who died at Bowling Green a
good many years ago, is said to have been the Marshal of the town.
However, Poland had saloons in the later years. It is the only town in
Clay county, in the State of Indiana, and perhaps within the whole
United States, in which a saloon was advertised and did business under
the name of “The Symposium,” in bold-faced letters.

                            MARYVILLE.
    Maryville, a town in the northeast corner of the county, in Van
Buren township, on the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, laid out by
Mary Wyatt, in 1870, so named for herself. Though a separate town plat,
this place is, practically, that part of the town of Lena lying on the south
side of the railroad and in Clay county, Lena proper being in Parke
county. The business houses at this point and postoffice have all along
been on the north side of the county line.

                           HOWESVILLE.
    Howesville, a town and postoffice in the extreme south part of the
county, within half a mile of the Greene county line, in Lewis township,
seven miles southwest of Clay City, and twenty-four miles a little east
of south from Brazil, founded by Robert Howe, in 1856, and so named
for him. Having failed to make any record of his plat, the town was
not formally and officially recognized until platted and put to record by
William Muir, in 1867. The pioneer man of business on the site of the