AUBURN — Wanted: A man whose name is Joe but who is better known as “Frenchy” to his friends. The candidate would have a French accent, would be a former football coach, would have lived on Skillings Corner Road and would be handy with a hammer and tape measure.

Purpose: A ceremonial ribbon-cutting at Taber’s Restaurant and Driving Range.

How hard could it be?

The people of Taber’s have turned into gumshoes, trying to track down the person who helped design and build the original mini-golf course at the popular Lake Shore Drive range. The hunt has turned into a full-time affair two weeks before the new course is to be unveiled.

At Taber’s on Thursday, Daniel Hargreaves was working his leads. It was known that Don Taber himself worked on the original course, but it was also established that he had help. Enter this elusive “Frenchy” character, who was either a handyman on the job or the designer.

“We’re not sure exactly how it worked out,” Hargreaves said.

The “Frenchy” lead — which would make a heck of a good movie title — came about when an employee at Taber’s searched her memory. She recalled that the man’s name was Joe, but that few people called him that. She remembered that he lived on Skillings Corner Road, but she didn’t remember which house.

It’s all very murky.

“So far,” Hargreaves said, “nothing has come of it.”

Well, not yet. Sleuthing takes time and witnesses must be cultivated. To help with that end, Hargreaves and his cohorts have been working on several fronts. They’ve sent an inquiry to SunSpots, the Sun Journal’s version of crowdsourcing.

They’ve also inquired on the Facebook group “Growing Up in Auburn,” where a dozen people had weighed in by Thursday afternoon, offering up leads and sharing memories of summers at Taber’s.

It probably doesn’t help that Taber’s itself is nearly 75 years old. It was founded at a vegetable stand in 1941 before evolving into the summertime Mecca of golf, burgers and ice cream that it’s become. The golf course, on which “Frenchy” worked his considerable skills, came along later, around 1950.

The old course was torn down last fall. The new course has been mostly built — workers are coming to put down a floor over the weekend.

Dan Hargreaves, his mother, Maureen, and others plan to continue searching for “Frenchy” until the mystery is solved. What they would like is for the original builder — or his surviving relatives — to be on hand for the ribbon cutting set for 4 p.m., Friday, May 15. 

After that, he can take the rest of the day off. 

Anyone with information is asked to call 207-333-2566.