Editorial-Jan. 13, 2005

Lewis memorial fitting reminder of generous man

By: Mae Rhine
   We applaud the efforts of a group of Lambertville residents, who are in the process of constructing a memorial to honor Fred Lewis.
   And we urge others to get involved by donating to the cause.
   Mr. Lewis died in April 2004 at 88. His family name has been synonymous with shad fishing for 116 years.
   Ed and Suzanne Padilla are coordinating plans for the memorial, which will include an 8-foot memorial bench mounted on a concrete pad. A bronze dedication plaque will be embedded in the concrete, and there will be a flower bed outlined with Belgium block.
   The memorial will be on Lewis Island on the Delaware River, once known as Holcombe Island for the founder of the fishery. It has been known as Lewis Island for more than 100 years.
   Here, for many years, Mr. Lewis and his family lived in a cottage for about six months of each year, returning to their Elm Street home the rest of the time. Although he owned the property, Mr. Lewis always considered the island the public’s sanctuary, where, he said in a Beacon interview in 1995, people come to think and "walk out their problems."
   The island also brought solace to Mr. Lewis that year as he was diagnosed with colon cancer and prepared to turn over his nets to his grandson, Steve Meserve, who began fishing with his grandfather at age 13.
   The Lewis family has the only freshwater commercial shad fishery left above the Delaware River’s tidewater save for a few eel racks in Hancock, N.Y. It was founded in 1771 by Richard Holcombe and taken over by Mr. Lewis’ father, William, in 1888. At that time, there were five commercial fisheries, and the river was lined with boats of fishermen seeking the bony, strong-smelling fish. Mr. Lewis and his crew used the old method of seining to catch shad with nets they hand-mended themselves. That method was taught to early settlers by native Americans.
   We agree with Mr. Padilla, who notes that Mr. Lewis and his family had, over decades, "given great pleasure to our community by allowing people from all over the area to enjoy the island and have access to the Delaware River."
   The Padillas say work on the memorial has started with the concrete pad in place and the bench and bronze plaque ordered. It should be done in late February or early March. A dedication ceremony is planned for spring.
   We also join the Padillas in thanking Chuck Jones of Charles Jones Masonry for donating his time and that of his crew in installing the base and JDM Concrete for donating the concrete for the base.
   We ask others to make donations for this most-fitting tribute to a fine man. Checks can be made payable to the Fred Lewis Memorial Fund, 25 Lambert Lane, Lambertville, 08530.
   All contributors will be invited to the dedication.