A typical rural medical practice operated here from 1881 to 1921. Dr. James T. Gibson began practicing in Porterdale, Newton County, at age 24. He made his calls on horseback, often staying overnight until a patient's fever broke or a baby was born. After marrying Emma Jane Ogletree in 1888, they established a home and a farm and later built a 2-room office on the premises. Though active in county government, banking, and Bethany Presbyterian Church, he was most loved for his care of the sick.