Services Held March 8 for T. L. Bright

Funeral services were held Saturday, March 8, at the Church of the Nazarene, Lone 
Pine, for T. L. Bright who died March 5 at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Paul 
Bagwell in Lone Pine.

Thatcher Lee Bright, son of Lee and Mary Bright, was born January 10, 1881 in 
Treaty, Ind.  He was one of seven children and spent his early life on his father's 
farm.  At the turn of the century the lure of adventure and gold stated him west to 
California and the main part of his long, colorful mining career was spent in 
southern Nevada in the Las Vegas-Searchlight area.

He discovered many worthwhile mines, including the Death Valley Mine, and the 
Lucy Gray, and he worked the latter for over 18 years.  During these years he went 
to Denver on many occasions and met Eunice Burns.  In 1909 they were married in 
Los Angeles.  Seven children were born to this marriage.

Mr. Bright mined many years around Mojave and Lancaster and in 1935 he moved 
with his family to Owens Valley, where he worked the Cleveland Mine, near Fish 
Springs.

In 1936 he took a lease on the Reward Mine, which he and his sons worked for more 
than 15 years, employing many local miners.

After the death of his wife in 1953, he began mining tungsten in the Darwin area 
and more recently at Atolia, until the decline of the tungsten program.

In the summer of 1957, he moved to Lone Pine with his daughter and family, where 
he could be near his favorite fishing grounds.  Many of his leisure hours were spent 
fishing the Owens River.

He is survived by his seven children; Joe of Big Pine; Jack of Monolith; Doris 
Ferber of Yreka; Dick of Azusa; Dixie Sweger of Rivera; June Bagwell, Lone Pine, 
Don Bright, Red Mountain; also 16 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, 
numerous nephews and nieces.

Interment was at Big Pine cemetery.

The Inyo Register, Bishop, Inyo County, California
Thursday, March 20, 1958 – Page 11
Transcribed by Pat Houser for Inyo County GenWeb, July 14, 2005