246	HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

frequently presided at county conventions and other councils of his party.
He was three times a member of the state legislature and delegate to the
constitutional convention of 1850. The subject of this sketch died on the
19th day of January, 1884, aged 76 years, 1 month and 13 days.
	William Yocum, father of Francis B. Yocum, who was also a min-
ister of high standing and much usefulness in the Bee Ridge church and
community in early pioneer times, and the second member of the state
legislature elected from Clay county as a separate representative district,
died November 4, 1840, aged 66 years, his wife, Sarah Yocum, having
preceded him, in the month of October, 1837, aged 58 years. Both father
and son were buried at the Williamstown cemetery, but no monuments
designate their resting places.

	William F. Bright, native of Clay county, born in Perry township,
April 26, 1842, his training that of the farm. He continued to reside in
his native township until nominated by the Republican party and elected
sheriff in the fall of i886, when he moved his family and became a citizen
of Brazil. Having served his term of two years, he retired to private life.
For many years he was an invalid during the latter part of his life, his
death taking place March 1, 1909, aged 66 years, 10 months and 5 days,
survived by his wife and seven children—four sons and three daughters.
He was a veteran of the Civil war and was getting the largest pension
being paid to any man in the county.

	John C. Ackelmire, native of Prussia, born January 12, 1827, the
family immigrating to America in 1833, landing at Baltimore in the month
of March, where they remained about one year coming to Terre Haute
in 1834, where the father (lied, the family then locating at Cloverland the
following year (1835). Here the mother married a blacksmith, with
whom our subject served an apprenticeship and continued to work until
the year 1848, when he bought out the interests of his step-father and
conducted the business himself until the year when, in company
with Jacob A. Carpenter and George W. Eppert, he built the Buffalo
flouring-mill at that place, the second steam flouring-mill in the county.
Meanwhile, on the 2d day of July, 1850, he married Miss Sarah A.
Goodrich. In 1860 he was nominated on the Democratic ticket for county
treasurer and elected, then re-elected in the fall of 1862 by a largely
increased majority. At some time during his public service he disposed of
his milling interests to his partners and at the close of his second term
located at Brazil. Here, in company with Jacob Thomas and A. W.
Turner, he built a woolen mill in 1865, and also played an active part in
the relocation and removal of the county seat. In 1873 he was elected
the first mayor of the city of Brazil, having previously been a member
of the hoard of town trustees for four or five years. His wife having
died September 8, 1876. on the 16th day of October, 1877, he married
Miss Nellie Russell, of Irish nativity. Mr. Ackelmire was the contractor
on the construction of Hendrix Chapel, the Kruzan block, the courthouse
and a number of the best buildings of Brazil, erected about that time.
In the years 1873 and 1874 he was associated with ex-Sheriff John
Weber in the hardware and implement trade, who were known as “The
Old Dutch Firm,” doing business under Turner Hall. At a later day
he was chosen justice of the peace. and during his term of service recog-
nized as “The City Court.” In the year 1888 he bought the old frame