New England Hall of Fame
/Lester Lane////

Organizer
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1989
Lester became interested in horseshoe pitching in 1929 when he met Sam Bartram of Bridgeport, Connecticut. He immediately started a Stamford-Greenwich Horseshoe Club and became Secretary-Treasurer until World War II ended the club's activities in 1942.

Between 1929 and 1935 Les had his club playing on any type of court, at any place, and at times traveling out of town. The important thing to him was to keep the members pitching horseshoes.

The first City Championship of Stamford was organized by Les in 1930.

Lester decided in 1932 that the increased membership should be more orderly and started club meetings. This was followed in 1935 with twelve permanent horseshoe courts in Greenwich. With these courts Les was able to organize a Tri-County League. This league included parts of New York and continued through 1938. He also organized a Four-County Horseshoe Tournament.

The Connecticut State Horseshoe Association was formed in 1935 with Les Lane being its first Secretary-Treasurer. This year he began running the state tournaments and organized various leagues and matches.

To keep horseshoe pitching going in winter, Les had a team entered in an Indoor "B" League played in White Plains, N.Y. which they had organized. A team pitched there for five winters (1936-1940).

Lester organized the Connecticut State Horseshoe League, which consisted of over one hundred men pitching. This lasted for three years (1939-1941). He also tried an Industrial Horseshoe League.

It was Les Lane who put in a bid, which was accepted, for the 1939 New England States Horseshoe Championship Tournament to held in Hartford.

Les was a pitcher of average ability; his main interest was organizing new clubs, that is, going around the state promoting interest in horseshoes.

After activities ceased due to World War II Les did not return to horseshoes.

As tournament director of the 1939 New England Meet, he was the first to initiate the concept of having more than A Class. There were 4 Classes, A,B,C,D, with a total of 42 men entering.