Lake Pocotopaug Sign Back Where it Belongs

It had stood at Schoolhouse Bay in East Hampton near the intersection of routes 66 and 196 for about 60 years.

You saw it time and time again, a metal bow and arrow with a sign saying Lake Pocotopaug pointing toward, well, the lake, of course.

Then, sometime after the beginning of the year, it was gone.

So, where did it go?

The East Hampton Rotary Club has had stewardship of the sign for many years, including maintenance of it. Members would sand it, paint it, and every several years or so repeat the process.

This time, however, it was decided they would try to repair it, including powder coating it so it would not have to be painted as often.

Out of the ground came the sign.

“Once we took it out, we knew it was ruined,” said Red McKinney, comparing the sign’s condition to Swiss cheese. “It had been up there for 60 years. It had rotted.”

Replacing it would not be an easy undertaking. This sign was as unique as they come.

McKinney, at 34 years the longest-tenured Rotary member, believes the sign was originally erected by Ed and Jim Barton.

“I found that out through their 93-year-old brother [Jarvis] who owns Portland Boat Works, because I went there for some guidance on how to protect the sign. I said ‘Jarv, tell me who the hell put up that sign because we don’t know,’ and he said ‘I think my brothers did.’”

That made sense to McKinney.

“The brothers owned a machine shop in town and they would be the only logical people that could fabricate something of that nature,” he said.

With the sign down, the Rotary Club went about trying to build and powder coat a new one, and with the help of several craftsman, most in town, they did.

Using the old bow as a template, a new piece of metal was bent using a conduit bender and Mike Love of Rite-Way Welding in East Hampton made the string using galvanized steel and also made an arrow using a stainless steel rod that came out of an inboard/outboard boat motor. The sign itself was re-done using reflective material.

A hole was dug the morning of July 4 and the concrete poured on Friday. On Tuesday evening, the sign was put back in its rightful place.

“It looks like a million bucks,” McKinney said. “I’ve had more compliments, horns blowing, thumbs up. The town of East Hampton is absolutely tickled pink.”

The project was paid for by the Rotary Club.

“The Rotary Club is extremely happy to spend their money on something like that,” McKinney said. “I didn’t know how good it looked until I went by [Wednesday] morning and it really just jumps out at you. We’re very pleased.”

McKinney said most of the people helping with the project wanted to donate their contribution, but “We made sure we covered their labor. We gave them something because that’s not fair.”

McKinney estimates the sign was down for about six months.

“Hopefully it won’t have to be touched again for a number of years,” he said.

The origin of the bow and arrow is symbolic of the Indian history surrounding the lake. The prevailing legend has it that Princess Pocotopaug, or Namoenee, jumped to her death over at Markham’s Cove, a willing sacrifice to appease the Great God Hobomoko and bring an end to the many drownings the Wangunk tribe had suffered. The legend goes on to say there has not been a drowning at the lake since.

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