Archie Elbert Ross (March 8, 1924 – February 24, 2002) was an American
sea captain
A sea captain, ship's captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel.Aragon and Messner, 2001, p.3. The captain is responsible for the safe and efficie ...
and
shipwright
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
. He was captain of the ferry which runs between
Bustins Island and
South Freeport, Maine
South Freeport is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated village in the town of Freeport, Maine, Freeport, Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The community is located on Casco Bay, south of Freeport (CDP), Maine, t ...
, for over fifty years.
Bustins Island's
public landing is now named for him.
Life and career
Ross was born in
Massachusetts in 1924 to Eli Freeman Ross and Marie Lavinia Hatfield.
["Archie Ross Tribute"](_blank)
– ''Chebeague Island Annual Newsletter'' (2002) He was raised on
Chebeague Island
Chebeague Island is located in Casco Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Maine. It was originally used as a fishing ground by Abenaki Native Americans. Also known as Great Chebeague (pronounced "sha-big") Island, today it is a town in Cumberland Count ...
,
Maine, which was then part of
Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
. He began his working life, until the outbreak of
World War II, as a
deckhand
An able seaman (AB) is a seaman and member of the deck department of a merchant ship with more than two years' experience at sea and considered "well acquainted with his duty". An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination ...
aboard the ferry ''Nellie G'', which ran between
Falmouth Foreside and
Cousins Island
Cousins Island is an island in Casco Bay within the town of Yarmouth in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. It is listed as a census-designated place, with a population of 490 as of the 2010 census. The CDP is part of the Portland– So ...
,
Littlejohn Island
Littlejohn Island is an island and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Yarmouth in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population of the CDP was 118 at the 2010 census.
It is part of the Portland– South Portland–Bid ...
and Chebeague Island during the high seasons. During the war, he captained boats for Captain William V. Benson from
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
to the military installations in
Casco Bay.
After the war's conclusion, he obtained a
ship master's license, which was a requirement for captains of passenger boats. He returned to working aboard the ''Nellie G'', then the ''Nellie G III'' and, finally, the ''Victory''. He purchased the latter vessel from the Swett family and began captaining the
Bustins Island ferry, which is the ''
Lilly B
The ''Lilly B'' is a ferry owned by Bustins Island, Maine, United States. It runs several times daily between South Freeport and Bustins Island from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. It is named for Lilly May Brewer (1906–1977), who, along with he ...
'' as of 2023, for fifty years (1946 to 1996). He was also the island's
mail carrier until 1997.
The ''Victory'' was shipwrecked while attempting to rescue another vessel caught in a storm in 1949. The residents of Bustins Island raised funds for a replacement ferry, which he named the ''Marie L'', after his mother.
During winters, he enlisted as a
merchant marine. He also worked on the old ''Portland Pilot'' boat until 1963, as well as building wooden boats as part-owner (with Carroll Lowell) of Even Keel Boatyard in
Yarmouth, Maine. Their last vessel was the ''Calliope'' in 1989.
On July 20, 1996, the
United States Postal Service honored Ross with a special cancellation. A year earlier, the
United States Coast Guard honored him for his safety record.
Upon his retirement in 1996, he returned to Chebeague Island, where he and his wife, Claire, lived for the rest of his life.
Death
Ross died in 2002, aged 77, after a long illness.
He was interred in Chebeague Island Cemetery alongside his parents. His father lived to the age of 92.
Legacy
In 2022, to mark the 25th anniversary of Ross's retirement, Bustins Island dedicated its
public landing in his honor.
"2022 Summer Newsletter
– Bustins Island Village Corporation
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Archie
People from Massachusetts
People from Yarmouth, Maine
1924 births
2002 deaths
Sea captains