Waseca business: Barber Shop. Cloth fits around neck to protect clothing from collecting hair during a hair cut. Used by donor's father, Charlie Luther, in his barber shop located in basement of First National Bank building on corner of N. State St. & E. In the early days Barber Shops were called Tonsorial Shops. In 1915, Charles N. Luther rented the basement area from the First National Bank of Waseca for his barber shop. (Frank Sankovitz was president of the bank at that time.)
To enter the shop, one needed to walk down the steps on the outside of the south side of the building. A door and long windows were installed. The steps have since been removed and the wall and step area have been closed up.
In Luther’s barber shop, there were three chairs with counters and mirrors behind them. The floors were covered in linoleum. Chairs for waiting customers were on both sides of the entry door. There was also a deacons bench. At the front end or west end of the room, there was another room used at one time by Marie Eustice (Mrs. Joe) as a beauty shop. Next to the right of that room was a room with a clawfoot bathtub, a chair, a railing for a towel and a small mirror. The charge for using the tub and soap and water was 25 cents or 50 cents. The bathtub was mostly used on Saturday evenings by men preparing for Sunday church services. The east end of the building’s basement contained the furnace and utilities and custodian, George Krenke’s shop and workbench.
Harvey Larson worked with Charles N. Luther at the barber shop. When Charles retired, he brought his barber chair home and used it to cut family member’s hair.
