Mapping and Research for Clay County, Indiana
Organized April 1, 1825, and formed from parts of Vigo and Owen County,
Clay County was named for Senator Henry Clay who was three times a
presidential hopeful and famous for the 1850 Compromise, an attempt to
prevent the Civil, which helped delay it for ten years.
Bowling Green, which was laid out in 1825, was the first county Seat and
held that distinction until 1851 when the Court and all the records were
burned and a fight was begun to select a new location for County Seat,
Bellaire being the chief contender. On February 23, 1853, the advocates
of relocation got an act through the Legislature providing commissioners
to select and locate a new seat of justice and for the second time
Bowling Green was selected.
In 1872, The County Seat was ordered removed to Brazil, as a result of a
petition on the part of those favoring that place and the formal
transfer was made January 26, 1877.
Five buildings have served as Courthouse: first at Bowling Green, 20 x
30 hewn log, 1827; second at Bowling Green, 40 x 50 brick, 1839, burned
1851; third at Bowling Green, completed 1853; fourth, records were moved
to a brick building in Brazil, 1877; present building in Brazil, built
1912-14, the Corner Stone being laid by the Grand Lodge F & A M of the
State of Indiana.
In 1849 Bowling Green contained a brick Courthouse, a County Seminary,
two hotels, four stores, 100 houses and 300 inhabitants while Brazil was
just a small village fortuitously located on the National Road.
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