Dwight & Dwayne Lewis
Southport Bridge Tenders
Boothbay Harbor, Maine
What do you call a set of twin brothers who took on their father's legacy as the bridge tender after his 40+ year career? Whatever--you will never imitate their Maine accent which is a thick cup of coffee for anyone. They completed 43 years last fall, and after plans to retire, they stuck with it. The bridge does more than connect Boothbay Harbor with Southport Island. The Lewis boys like to say that "they open the way for the boats to navigate up the Townsend Gut (or river)." One way or another--they open the way for people. They are living bridge builders. Many cars stop on the bridge and the news from in-town or up-river is shared. They are more than familiar faces. They embody the can-do Yankee spirit which forges a way in any climate or condition--and that includes people! They tell the story of the woman who ran off the side of the road and into the water. When they pulled her out, she cussed them out because the bridge was too small for her to see at night. Dwayne still took her flowers in the hospital.
When the town council wanted to rename the bridge--The Lewis Bridge--the brothers refused, not so much from humility, but because they said the bridge belonged to everyone. They were there to make it work for everyone. So not to be deterred, the council did find another way to honor them by starting with their father--and this plaque, the brothers gratefully accepted.
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