HAGERSTOWN, Md. – If you have ever driven down Gov Lane Blvd and wondered ‘where did the name come from?’ You will now know that answer. The heavily traveled road was named after former Maryland Gov. William Preston Lane, Jr. (1892-1967) who served the state from 1947-1951.
Gov. Lane was born in Hagerstown on May 12, 1892. His father, William Preston Lane, Sr., was a Princeton football player who played in the first ever college football game. Gov. Lane took a different route with his college pursuits, seeking a degree in law from the University of Virginia. After receiving his degree in 1915, he returned home to Hagerstown where he joined the law offices of Lane, Bushong, and Byron.
Lane joined the Maryland National Guard in 1916 and a year later answered the call of country and went off to war. As part of the 115th Infantry Regiment, Capt. Lane was part of the French offensive known as the “Meuse-Argonne Offensive.” During the campaign he helped in the evacuation of wounded soldiers from a bridge attack that would earn him a Silver Star.
After the war, Lane returned once again to Hagerstown where he would serve as the president of multiple local industries and begin his journey into the world of politics. It was also at this time that Lane married his sweetheart, Dorothy Byron in January of 1922.
While his initial attempt at a political seat for the Washington County state attorney was met with defeat, it did not dissuade Lane from seeking office. In 1928, he was elected to the board of education, and in 1930 he would secure the position of attorney general of Maryland.
His four years in office were tumultuous and controversial. Lane spearheaded an investigation into two lynching cases that took place on Maryland’s eastern shore. Matthew Williams (1908-1931) and George Armwood (?-1933), both black men, were lynched from captivity after being convicted of violent crimes. Both men were brutally executed by the angry mobs two years apart. Attorney General Lane sought to prosecute the mob, which only led to more violence on the shore.
Not seeking re-election for his role as attorney general, Lane changed his political direction and served as a member of the Democratic National Committee, where he managed Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 Presidential re-election campaign.
In 1946, Lane put his name on the ballot for governor of Maryland and won a close victory against Republican opponent Theodore R. McKeldin (1900-1974) and became the state’s 52nd governor. Lane’s contributions to the state included improvements in mental health when he spearheaded the creation of the Department of Mental Hygiene, which was created to improve the conditions and treatment of those whose suffered from mental illnesses.
His most notable feat was the creation of a bridge that now bears his name. Although most know it simply as the “The Chesapeake Bay Bridge.” The four-mile, dual span bridge that connects the eastern shore to the western shore of the mainland.
Gov. Lane only served one term as the head of the state, but his legacy as a leader and the contributions that he made are still relevant. The bridge he helped to create is one of the most heavily used on the entire eastern shore and is a vital part of many of the state’s employees and travelers.
William Preston Lane Jr. passed away in 1967 from a heart attack. He left behind a wife and two daughters and a lifetime of memories and friendships forged in hard work and dedication to others. Lane is laid to rest at Rose Hill Cemetery.
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