Page 45 - Spring 2026

Answers to the Spring/Summer ‘25

Test Your Memory

As you know, the Fall/Winter ’25 issue of the North Star Magazine was jammed packed with articles and pictures of
many of the reunions that took place last summer. We didn’t have room for a lot of our regular columns and “Test Your
Memory” was one of them. We weren’t able to give you the answers to the Spring/Summer ’25 “Test”.

As is often mentioned, the Sleuths are not doing well at all with only 2 Solves to date prior to this “easy” one. Whereas
the Contest sits at 5 Stumps! Sad, sad, sad day for The Mudville 9.
Based on this “famous” picture we asked 3 questions and gave a chance at one bonus.

1. . What is the significance of this building other
than the obvious that it is a barber shop? HINT:
More like what important part of town was it
located?
2. When was this picture taken? HINT: An early ‘60’s
class is the same age.
3. Who is this barber? HINT: He played an
important role in Houlton’s history and had
many friends that were tied to agriculture.
As Paul Harvey would say, “Here’s the Rest of the
Story!”
The photo was taken in 1945, and it is the barber
shop located at Camp Houlton, at what is now the
Houlton Airport and Industrial Park, a prisoner of
war internment camp for captured German soldiers.
The camp was established in 1944 and operated until May 1946. At its peak it held about 3500 prisoners.
The barber is a captured German soldier that had a background as a barber back in the Homeland and he is cutting
the hair of a U.S. Soldier! Many prisoners worked within the region, especially on area farms, as there was a shortage of
local men due to the war. The prisoners were treated well, and most were glad to be here as life in Germany was very
bleak towards the end of the war. Locals also treated them well and there were many friendships made that lasted for
years after the prisoners were released to go back to Germany. For more information about this time in Houlton, you
can listen to a narrated video by Katherine Bell on the Aroostook Historical Arts Museum website.

No one even tried to solve this “test” Sadly it is still 2 Solves to now 6 Stumps.

www.houltonalumni.com 45