Barbers Pole

[.:Wakeboarder180SS:.]

What is the point of the Barbers Pole in Tuftonboro (Moultonboto Bay)?

[Lakegeezer]

The barber pole is pretty cool - or at least it was. The winter was not kind to it, and it is just a pole now. All white. It needs a spring paint job. What's the point? Nothing special - its just cool.

[hazelnut]

There are many stories about the pole.

#1 story you here is that there used to be a barber shop on the mainland there and that pole indidcated to boaters where to go. Of course I beleive this story to be false.

#2 (The true story?) They used to float logs on Winni (for what I don't know, maybe building/paper mill?) One day when they floated the logs through that narrow channel where the barbers pole now stands, one end of a log sunk and hung up in rocks standing it on end. All the logs around it rubbed most of the bark off in a striped pattern. What was left was a log standing on end witha spiral striped pattern on it (like a barbers pole). It stayed that way for a little while and when it eventually fell it was replaced with a wodden pole painted to look like a barbers pole. Now a plastic pole with faded paint on it.

Any corrections on my misinformation welcome. This is what I heard and I don't remember where I heard it.

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by hazelnut

There are many stories about the pole.
[snip]
#2 (The true story?) They used to float logs on Winni (for what I don't know, maybe building/paper mill?) One day when they floated the logs through that narrow channel where the barbers pole now stands, one end of a log sunk and hung up in rocks standing it on end. All the logs around it rubbed most of the bark off in a striped pattern. What was left was a log standing on end witha spiral striped pattern on it (like a barbers pole). It stayed that way for a little while and when it eventually fell it was replaced with a wodden pole painted to look like a barbers pole. Now a plastic pole with faded paint on it.

Any corrections on my misinformation welcome. This is what I heard and I don't remember where I heard it.

This is similar to the story I've heard. During the logging days on Winni, bundles of logs would be towed from up past Cow down to Paugus "Bay". To help negotiate the channel near Cow, a rope was run from the bundle to a tree on the shoreline. As the bundle moved down the channel, the rope would wind on the tree causing spiral cuts, which made it look something like a barber pole. Sometime after the tree was gone, somebody who remembered the old tree, got the notion to mark the rock with a real barber pole. It became lake lore. When the original barber pole was lost (don't know how or when) people remembered the "kewl" pole marker and wanted it replaced. It was 3 or so years ago that it was replaced ?? So goes the legend I heard ...
Next up

[Island Girl]

The Barber's Pole was replaced on August 1, 2001. It was made by Nicholas Salta and Allen Veazey. A ceremony was held to put the new pole into place by the Marine Patrol. Attending were some press, a few guests and those of us who came by to watch. The story was in the Citizen. This story has been told on the forum in the past. (click on pictures for larger version;these are in photopost)

[Zee]

I looked on a map of the area dated 1907 and the area is marked as Barber's Pole even then. It's too bad the historical article didn't reference the date of origin.

[hazelnut]

Island Girl thanks for the info again.

I have the distinct pleasure of viewing the Barbers Pole every single day I am on Cow Island at my house because we sit directly across from it. Now as I drink my morning coffee on my waterside patio I will have a new appreciation for it.

On a selfish note we use it to give directions to friends who are boating over to our place.

[madrasahs]

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In 15th century England, barbers were licensed as surgeons.

Blood-letting was a common practice, and the alternating red and white spirals on the barber's pole represented blood spiraling down the patient's leg. Blue spirals were added later.

http://www.webfeats.com/LyndasBarberShop/pole.html

Glad you asked.


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