Dr. Carl Williamson McGaughey, a well-known and progressive young physician of Greenfield, this county, is a native Hoosier, having been born on a farm in Marion county, this state, nine miles southeast of the city of Indianapolis, near New Bethel, July 29, 1880, son of the Hon. John E. and Mary B. (Lowes) McGaughey, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of Kentucky.

John R. McGaughey was born on a farm near Brookville, in Franklin county, this state, July 1, 1848, and when a boy moved with his parents to Marion county, where he spent the remainder of his life. He grew up on a farm in the New Bethel neighborhood and there married Mary B. Lowes, of Indianapolis, who was born in Covington, Kentucky, in April, 1856, daughter of a Cincinnati dry-goods merchant, who was killed by being run down on the street by a fire engine, following which his widow and her children moved to Indianapolis. John E. McGaughey was the youngest of twelve children born to his parents, there having been six sons and six daughters in the family, and he remained on the farm after his marriage until 1896, in which year he and his wife retired and moved to Irvington, a pleasant suburb of Indianapolis, where he died in 1908. Mr. McGaughey was a Republican and for years was one of the leaders of that party in Marion county. In 1878 he represented his district in the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly and was county commissioner of Marion county for two terms, from 1904 to 1908. In other ways he took an active part in public affairs and was ever regarded as an influential and useful citizen. He was a Mason and a member of several other secret societies, including the Knights of Pythias, and took a warm interest in the affairs of those organizations. He and his wife were members of the Presbyterian Church and their children were reared in that faith. There are four of these children, all still living, as follow: Clara, who maried Frank Williamson, a well-to-do farmer of Darke county, Ohio; Carl W., the immediate subject of this biographical sketch; John E., Jr., a civil engineer and superintendent of construction of the plant of the Eli Lilly plant at Indianapolis, and Robert M., who is prominently connected with the moving-picture business in new York City.

Carl W. McGaughey was reared on the home farm in Marion county, where he spent his youth, receiving his elementary education in school district No. 8, and as about sixteen years old when his parents moved to Irvington, the seat of Butler College. He entered the preparatory department of that excellent old institution and later matriculated at the college, from which he was graduated in 1901, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then entered the Indiana University School of Medicine at Indianapolis and was graduated from that institution in 1904, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Upon receiving his diploma, Doctor McGaughey was appointed an interne in the Eastern Indiana hospital for the insane at Fairhaven, Richmond, and spent a year there. He then was appointed surgeon to the Indiana state soldiers' home at Lafayette, in which capacity he served o one year, at the end of which time, in 1907, he returned to Indianapolis and served as county health officer there for two years. In the spring of 1909 Doctor McGaughey moved to Greenfield, this county, where he opened an office for the practice of medicine in the New block and has ever since been thus engaged, having built up a fine practice and created for himself a high place in the esteem of his associates in the profession throughout this part of the state. Doctor McGaughey is a Republican, and has served as secretary of the Greenfield city board of health, of which board he still is a member, and in all proper ways gives his thoughtful and intelligent attention to the political affairs of the county, taking a arm interest I all movements having to do with the advancement of the general welfare hereabout.

On March 14, 1905, Dr. Carl W. McGaughey was united in marriage to Helen Downing, who was born in Greenfield on April 9, 1882, daughter of Charles and Angie (Williams) Downing, prominent residents of that city, the former of whom, a former clerk of Hancock county and former prosecuting attorney for this judicial district, has been secretary of the Indiana state board of agriculture since 1899, and to this union two children have been born, Carl and Elizabeth. Doctor and Mrs. McGaughey are members of the Presbyterian church, in the various beneficences of which they are warmly interested. They also take a general interest in the social and cultural activities of their home town and are held in high esteem throughout this whole section. Mrs. McGaughey was graduated from the Greenfield high school and later attended Butler College, from which she was graduated with the class of 1903, and is a valuable and competent helpmeet to her husband in the exacting duties of his profession. Doctor McGaughey is a Mason, a member of the chapter of that fraternity, and takes an active interest in Masonic affairs. He is a member of the popular college fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, and still retains a warm interest in the doings of that organization. In his college days the doctor was quite an athlete and continues to give considerable attention to the questions involved in college and professional sports. For some time he was a professional baseball player, a well-known and popular pitcher, first attached to the Northern League as a member of the Duluth team and later to the American Association as a member of the Kansas City team. He also was a member of the Young Men's Christian Association champion team of basketball players, playing center, and played in the first game of basketball ever played in Indiana.

Transcribed from History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman, B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Pages 917-919.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI October 7, 2001.

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