Josiah Clyde Bright was born February 12, 1876, the son of W.J. and Nora Mitchell Bright. Nora was the daughter of Eli Mitchell, one of the early settlers of DeWitt’s Colony. On May 11, 1898, Clyde married Effie Wells. Effie, the daughter of James Bailey and Josephine Henry Wells, was born February 17, 1877, in Gonzales. Family members stated that while J.C. and Effie were on their honeymoon their parents built this wonderful house to surprise the couple when they returned. The Victorian style house, built in 1898, was restored in 1997.
Clyde served as president and cashier of the Gonzales State Bank for many years before becoming a pharmacist. He owned and operated the Bright Drug Store on the north side of what is now Confederate Square. The Brights lived in the house until their family outgrew it. With two daughters and two sons they needed a larger house, prompting them to sell this house in 1910 and build the one that still stands at the corner of Bright and St. Matthew Streets.
