The man surprisingly embraced Lee and told him how grateful he was for getting him to sell his land. The man had taken a job in a Columbus factory and was making more money than he had ever made in his life.
In 1927 the State legislature passed legislation enabling county commissioners to purchase land for state parks within their counties. 200 signatures were required for a request to the commissioners. The following year Lee obtained the signatures and the commissioners purchased 1059 acres for less than $ 15,000.
This land was deeded to the State Department of Conservation. In 1929 Brown County State Park was officially established. The game preserve land previously purchased by Lee was later added to the Park land for a total of about 16,000 acres.
During the early 1930’ s a CCC camp was established in the park and most of the labor for roads, trails, and park buildings came from the camp population. Carl Zody was appointed the first Park Superintendent.
Lee was asked by the Kentucky Park System to establish the Pine Mountain State Park near Pineville, Kentucky. With the change of political parties in the Indiana Legislature, Carl Zody was replaced. Lee brought Carl to Pine Mountain to become Park Superintendent there.
Lee took his son Bob with him to Pine Mountain Park while he was overseeing its development. There was a CCC camp there also. Lee was called to Missouri on another park matter leaving his son with the camp director. Bob, 12 years old, stayed in the camp for six weeks while his father was away in Missouri. That experience was memorable enough that many years later he took his wife there for their 50th wedding anniversary.
Lee Bright saw the fruition of his park dream effort come true while still maintaining his insurance business in Nashville. Good things often do not come easily.
Bob Bright thinks there should be a plaque in the park honoring Fred Ahlers. Had Lee not stopped by his desk after his third rebuff at Mr. Lieber’ s office, we might not have Brown County State Park. Sometimes the success of large events turn on the smallest of incidents. Is it Destiny? Who knows?
The next time you visit the park, appreciate it. If it weren’ t for the way events in this story evolved, there might not even be a park.•
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