HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                      275

county, Indiana, in 1864, where the subject of this sketch was appren-
ticed to the shoemaker’s trade, under William Megerlein, at Patricks-
burg; having completed his apprenticeship he worked at Worthington,
and while there became acquainted with Miss Mary C. Switzer, of Greene
county, whom he married February 27, 1873. In 1878 he came to Clay
county, locating at Clay City, engaging in the manufacture and sale of
boots and shoes, In 1892 he was nominated by the Democratic party
and elected county recorder. In 1896 he was nominated and elected joint
representative for the legislative district composed of Montgomery, Put-
nam and Clay counties. Subsequently he engaged in the hotel business at
Clay City for a short time, then resumed the shoe trade, advertising him-
self as the “Anatomical Shoemaker.” An anatomical shoemaker is one
whose specialty it is to make to order shoes for deformed feet, for which
he designs and makes his own lasts over which to shape the shoes. Being
the only workman of this class within the area of several counties he has
a considerable patronage in this line. In the year 1900 he was before the
Democratic primary for nomination for trustee of Harrison township,
when William Malsom was chosen as the candidate. In 1902 he sub-
mitted himself to the Patricksburg convention for nomination for joint
representative for the district composed of Owen and Clay counties, but
was defeated. In 1908 he won the race before the county primary of his
party for representative, over Hon. M. B. Frump, by the majority of 49
votes, and was elected, November following, by a majority of 425 over
his competitor, Silas Foulke, of Perry township, and was an interested
and active participant in the proceedings and legislation of the sixty-sixth
general assembly.

    John Picard, native of the state of Georgia, born December 15, 1773;
came to Clay county in 1835; bought land in the locality of the Old Hill,
south side of Splunge Creek Reservoir, where he lived until the time of
his election to the office of county treasurer, in 1850, when he moved to
Bowling Green and lived there during his three years’ term of official
service, when he returned to the farm. He was the last county treasurer
under the old constitution, retiring from the office at the age of 79 years,
the oldest retiring treasurer or other officer in the history of the county.
During the time of the existence of Splunge Creek postoffice he was post-
master. In the days of Wabash and Erie canal transportation Mr. Picard
made occasional trips to Toledo, Ohio, to purchase his family groceries
and other supplies. He died January 16, 1854, aged 80 years, 1 month
and 1 day. Of his eight children, two lived to be older than their father,
one of whom passedthe four score and ten limit. A surviving daughter,
Mrs. Lena Tinsley, resides at Clay City.

    William L. Buckallew, native of Indiana, son of James and Mahala
(Holt) Buckallew, born in Crawford county, June 6, 1827. The parents,
natives respectively of Virginia and Tennessee, came to Clay county in
the year of his birth, locating in Harrison township, a mile south of Mid-
dlebury. In 1835 the family located in Lewis township. where they
entered land, and the subject of this sketch grew up on the farm. Though
his opportunities for acquiring even a common school education were
limited to the minimum, he taught several terms of public school. In
the month of October, 1850, he married Elizabeth Goble. To this union
were born three children—two sons and a daughter. In 1852 he was