As we continue our research into the men who served as keepers at our two lighthouses in South Portland, we take a look this week at the first lighthouse keeper to serve at Spring Point Ledge Light.
William Asa Lane was born in 1838 in Bristol, Maine. During the American Civil War, Lane enlisted on Nov. 1, 1861, in the 32nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. After completing 11 months of service, he mustered out in October, 1862, and two months later married Melissa Tibbetts in Bristol. William and Melissa moved to Peaks Island where they lived and raised three daughters – Nellie, Lillian and Mabel.
William Asa Lane South Portland Historical Society photo
For much of his life, William Lane worked as a fisherman. In the early 1880s, though, he was hired by the United States Lighthouse Service to serve as mate on the lighthouse tender Myrtle. He served on that steamer for nearly 15 years, learning the ins and outs of the lighthouse service, until his appointment in 1897 as lighthouse keeper of the newly-constructed Spring Point Ledge Light.
Spring Point was a stag light, meaning that the men who served there would sleep out there when working, but their families did not live there, so when the keepers were not working, they would go home to their families. In comparison, the keeper at Bug Light lived in its keeper’s house with his whole family.
Lane served as the head keeper at Spring Point until 1901, when he left the lighthouse service and retired. Before his death in 1915, Lane would often split his time between living on Peaks Island in the summers where his daughter Lillian Brackett lived with her family, and winters in New Hampshire, where his daughter Mabel Orr had settled with her family.
Leave your mark with an engraved brick
The Engraved Brick Program, at the South Portland Historical Society’s museum at Bug Light Park, helps raise important funding each year. Brick orders can be made at any time of year, but we are currently preparing our order for the engraver, so if you would like a brick installed this year, please let us know as soon as possible.
The Engraved Brick Program, at the South Portland Historical Society’s museum at Bug Light Park, helps raise important funding each year. South Portland Historical Society photo
An engraved brick would make a unique gift for any friend or loved one, or even yourself. The engraved brick walkway and patio were initially installed in 2010 and they have been an attractive and meaningful addition to the museum grounds. A walk along the path reveals many names of current generous families who have supported the museum effort, as well as the names of many wonderful people who have come before us and who have been honored with a memorial brick.
There are also several local churches, businesses and groups, such as South Portland High School graduating classes, which have had bricks engraved and placed in the walkway and patio. It truly is a walk down memory lane.
A standard sized 4 x 8-inch brick is only $150 and includes three lines of engraving with 18 characters per line, including spaces. A larger 8 x 8-inch paver is also available with six lines of engraving for $250.
To purchase a brick, mail or drop off a check to the South Portland Historical Society at 55 Bug Light Park, South Portland, ME 04106, or to use a credit card, either call us at 767-7299 or go online to www.sphistory.org and use the Donate Now button. A brick engraving form is available at the museum or may be downloaded from the website.
New officers at the historical society
As our fall season begins, the board of the South Portland Historical Society has recently undergone some changes.
Bob Blackwood, formerly the society’s vice president, has now stepped up to become the board president. Seth Goldstein, formerly an at-large member of the board, has stepped up to become the society’s vice president. Chuck Carbonneau and Emily Scully remain as the society’s treasurer and secretary, respectively. Our thanks to these officers and all of our board members for their role in helping guide our historical society through these challenging times.
With the virus numbers still on the rise, the museum will remain closed for the remainder of 2021, but we are already looking ahead to reopening in the spring.
The society’s current focus is on continuing to move more digital content online so that residents have 24-hour access. South Portland Historical Society maintains an online museum that is growing weekly and now features 14,000 digital images and a significant amount of South Portland’s written history.
To access the online museum, visit https://sphistory.pastperfectonline.com. The historical society is always seeking pieces of our community’s history; if you have items to share, please contact the society by mail at 55 Bug Light Park, South Portland, ME 04106, by email at sphistory04106@gmail.com, by phone at 207-767-7299, or message us on Facebook.
Kathryn Onos DiPhilippo is executive director of the South Portland Historical Society. She can be reached at sphistory04106@gmail.com.
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