Edmund James Lane was born in Stratham, NH on June 6, 1802 one of nine children of Jabez and Eunice (Colcord) Lane. He taught school in Durham for five years before coming to Dover in 1831 to teach at the Pine Hill School.
On Feb. 1, 1832 he bought the stock of books and stationery owned by Eli French and ran the book store for the rest of his life. He joined the First Parish Church on July 25, 1832 and immediately became involved in the work of the church. On Dec. 30 1838, Mr. Lane was elected a deacon of the church, a position he held for 45 years. He was superintendent or treasurer of the Sunday School for seventeen years and treasurer of the Strafford Conference of Churches for thirty years.
He was a selectman in the town of Dover in 1851 & 1852, representative to the General Court in 1855 & 1856, Alderman to the City of Dover 1864 & 1865, City Treasurer from 1865 to 1874 and trustee of the Savings Bank for the County of Strafford (later known as Strafford Savings Bank) from 1871 until his death.
Edmund J. Lane was married twice, first to Elizabeth Barker who died April 23, 1838 and then to Martha Barker who died in 1870. Edmund J. Lane died Feb. 28, 1884 and was survived by a son Edmund B. Lane and a daughter Miss Abbie Lane. The family lived at 189 Central Avenue across from the Woodman Institute.
Edmund B. Lane (son of Edmund J.) was born Dec. 23, 1837, just four months before the death of his mother. After the death of his father, Edmund B. took over the book and stationery store of his father and ran it until 1904 when he retired. Edmund B. Lane died Dec. 5, 1924 and was survived by his half-sister Miss Abbie Lane, who died July 27, 1925 in Stratham, N.H.
Photograph from Dover Public Library archives, text from Marston, Robert, Dover, NH: People, Businesses and Organizations: 1850 to 1950. Dover, NH, 2004.