Spot A Clock: Clock Tower Building, N. Prospect Ave.

September 2014 “Spot a Clock”
This month’s ‘Spot a Clock’ is the Clock Tower Building, located at 2266 North Prospect Avenue in Milwaukee.

The portion of the building with the clock was constructed in 1926 by Coakley Brothers, a Milwaukee-based warehousing and shipping company.. Alexander Eschweiler, the architect of the Wisconsin Gas Building, designed an addition that was constructed in 1928. The current building owner leases space out to a variety of businesses, and features the clock in their promotional materials.

The NAWCC’s Seth Thomas records indicate that the movement for this clock was a Seth Thomas Model 6, serial number 2504. A trip to the clock tower, however, found an electrified movement. The transfer gears from the original installation are still present and in use.

According to the Seth Thomas records, the clock dial was constructed with the letters “COAKLEY BROS” instead of the standard numerals. The current dials feature numerals, and show evidence of modification at some point in the past.

One may ask, what happened to the original movement. If you have been to the NAWCC Museum, you have seen it. The Seth Thomas tower clock movement from this building is on display.

If you would like to suggest a clock for the newsletter’s ‘Spot a Clock’, please contact Ed Buc at the Chapter meetings or by email.

September Spot a Clock— Can you guess the location of this clock? unnamedSeptClockThe answer will be posted at the September meeting, by the coffee.

Recent Posts

Next meeting is November 17, 2024. Note: Meeting to be held in lower hall

Presidents Message,
We will continue to need some help setting up and taking down.  So arrive at 9:00 and help setup and stay after the educational talk to help return the room in the condition we found it in.  Thank you for your help in this.

Opens at 9:00 for setup and mart. Mike Dempsey will be continue discussing Balance staff and hairspring replacement beginning at 10:00 during the mart.  The first part was presented in the October meeting.  Educational talk at 11:00 by Craig White entitled “Interesting Horological Finds in Europe”.  Come see a ticking Rotisserie and one powered by a dog.  Also see a decimal metric clock!  Cleanup at 12:00.

We also need a new secretary.  The main job is just to put this newsletter together.  Please offer to help so no one is overburdened, only takes around an hour per meeting.

We have some demonstrations planed for upcoming meetings as follows:

  • Nov – Balance staff and hairspring replacement, part 2 (Dempsey)
  • Jan – Winding and Letting Down clock & watch mainsprings (Danno/Dempsey)
  • Mar – Resilver dials (White)

 

Thank you, Amelia, for giving your PowerPoint talk on Chauncey Jerome vs PT Barnum: The Great Bankruptcy of 1856.  PT Barnum born in 1810 and got into the curiosity business in 1835 and then created the American Museum in 1841.

Chauncy Jerome worked for Eli Terry making clock cases.  Jerome and Barnum went into business together but the stories greatly differ on who was at fault in their transactions. 

A visit to the Halim Time and Glass Museum was suggested.  I have not received feedback of enough people interested in the tour.  The good news is that the Time Symposium is planned there in October 2025.  This will give all of us an opportunity to visit the museum and all the other activities of the symposium so close to home.

The Midwest Regional has been disbanded and the funds distributed between the chapters that were involved.  Chapter 47 received approximately $5000 for our share.  A discussion was held with those of us in attendance and we agreed to buy a new projector and reduce dues and attendance fees to run the chapter slightly at an operating loss, and use this extra money to supplement our expenses for the next 10 years.  This will continue to be monitored and adjusted if necessary.

Current Fees:

  • Dues      $25
  • Admission  $5
  • Gold Card $15

NewFees:

  • Dues      $15
  • Admission  $5
  • Gold Card $10

Link to the 2025 Membership form

This months meeting is to be held in lower hall due to Packer Party in regular upper hall. We will meet in the lower hall whenever there is a Packer game at noon on Sunday of our meeting.  The hall is much larger and we get it for the same price.  That gives the hall plenty of time to set up the upper hall for a Packer Party.

This months  educational talk:
Nov 17 – Craig White will make a presentation “Interesting Horological Finds in Europe”. 

Educational Talks Planned for 2025:

  • Jan  2025         Restoring a Scottish Musical Tall Case Clock
  • March 2025      The one that got away: Moving a Schwalbach Tower Clock.
  • May 2025         Open
  • Sept 2025         Open
  • Nov. 2025         Open

We still need some volunteer for talks for 2025.  Please contact Harry Schulz or myself with ideas or suggestions.
Free tables!!  A free silent auction table will also be available. 

Hope to see you all there. 
Thanks,
Craig

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