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Barking Dog LbNA #17126

Owner:'DDD'
Plant date:Aug 5, 2005
Location:
City:Hollis
County:Hillsborough
State:New Hampshire
Boxes:1
Found by: BoxingNewf
Last found:Oct 11, 2009
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Nov 6, 2015
THIS BOX REPORTED MISSING 5-11-14

Stamp: Hand Carved
Terrain: Easy, level trail
Time required: about 30 minutes

This is the fourth in a series of letterboxes depicting hobo symbols. (First is Kind Hearted Woman in Wolfeboro, NH, 2nd is Good Campsite in Townsend/W Groton, 3rd is Sleep Here in Hollis NH/Pepperell MA)

Hobo is the name coined for men (or women) who left friends and family during the Great Depression of the 1920’s & 1930’s or after wars when there was no work in their home cities. They traveled as migrant workers or just to avoid the stress and strains of life in a family they could not support. They would hop a freight train and ride in boxcars to the next city in search of temporary work, perhaps in construction or on a farm. There is resourcefulness to the idea of being a hobo that says you will survive by doing what you have to do.

Hobos developed a system of symbols - a code through which they gave information and warnings to their fellow travelers. Usually these signs would be written in chalk or coal on a trestle, fence, building, sidewalk, or railroad equipment to let others know what they could expect in a given area - where it was safe to camp or sleep, whether the local authorities were friendly or not, where a free meal might be available. All these symbols aided the hobo in finding help or steering clear of trouble.

The symbol on this stamp let the hobo know to beware of a barking dog. Very important to know if you were trying to be stealthy!

To look at other hobo signs and symbols try this web site… http://www.slackaction.com/signroll.htm#

Directions: Follow Route 111 to Hollis, NH. Cross the Nashua River and take a right on Depot Road. Take the 1st left onto Twiss Lane. At the end of Twiss Lane, go left and then an immediate right onto Blood Road. At the end of Blood Road take a right and then an immediate left on to Worcester Road. Follow Worcester Road to the end and take a left. You’ll see the Beaver Brook Association W. Hollis Street parking lot next to the Nissitissit River.

Or… you can follow 111 to where it takes a sharp left (Right would take you on to 122). Bear to the left and take the next right which is Brookline St. This turns into W. Hollis Street. Go about 3 miles to the parking lot on the right.

Clues:
The trail is clearly visible from the parking lot. According to my Beaver Brook Association Trail map, this is the old railroad grade for the Potanipo Rail Road – though I have not been able to find anything about such a railroad. I suspect that it was part of the old Fitchburg Line (aka Brookline & Milford Railroad)

Follow the old railroad grade, not the path that goes along the river. You’ll pass by Great Meadow, a large swamp/pond where I saw a great blue heron while planting the box. Cross a wooden bridge. Ahead the trail is crisscrossed by a tangle of tree roots. Keep a lookout to your left and you’ll see a granite boundary marker inscribed with “P MASS” and a date. (I think it was 1894 but my trusty tape recorder chose this time to die). You’ve now crossed over to Pepperell, MA and left Beaver Brook land. Continue on until you come to a 4 way intersection in the trail. Turn right. Soon after, the trail forks. Take the right hand fork. In a short time you’ll see an old 50’s era abandoned car. Walk to the rear bumper on the passenger side. Look off to your right and you’ll see a ring of oak saplings in a little clearing. The box is safely nestled in the middle.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REHIDE EXTREMELY WELL SO IT IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE CAR.