Historic Treasure of the Week - November 22, 1992
By David M. Buchanan
Vigo County Historical Society
Historic Treasure of the Week - November 22, 1992
By David M. Buchanan
Vigo County Historical Society
Settlers brought grandfather’s clocks to America
To quiet a lonely puppy, there is an old trick of placing the dog next to a ticking clock that has been wrapped in a blanket. Supposedly the puppy thinks the muffled ticking is the heartbeat of its mother. Whether that is true of not there is something quieting about the muffled, stately tick of a clock.
The earliest forms of timekeeping were based on the sun’s motion. The Romans invented a clock, called a clepsydras, that was run by water. The clock was used in Roman law courts to determine the length of time someone was allowed to talk.
In the seventh century, Pope Sabinianus decreed that monastery bells had to be rung seven times per day. Mechanical clocks had to be invented to keep track of the time between the ringing of the bells.
At that point, the average person did not need to keep track of the time, especially down to the minute. It wasn’t until the industrial age that the necessity of keeping track of time down to the very second became necessary.
The concept of a mechanical clock grew in popularity, though not necessarily in accuracy. In the 14th century and 15th century, clocks were developing into art forms. Clocks were capable of doing astronomical predictions, making music and performing in a variety of theatrical ways through the use of tiny moving figures. Timekeeping was included in those performances, but reliability wasn’t considered all that important.
The use of a pendulum was introduced in the 1660s, greatly improving the accuracy of the clocks. Most of this type of clock was run by gravity pulled weights. Clocks were simply hung on the wall where their works would quickly become covered with dust. As clockworks became finer, dust could quickly stop the mechanical action.
In the 1670s, tall wooden cases were introduced to help keep the clock free of dirt. This type of clock was known either as a "tall case," a "long case," or a "coffin" clock.
Mechanical clocks came to American with Dutch and English settlers. These early clocks were small, usually meant to sit on tables and shelves. Bringing a tall case clock from England wasn’t unknown, but it was rare.
The term grandfather’s clock appeared in the early 1800s, but didn’t become truly popular until 1876 when Henry Clay Work wrote the song lyrics, "My grandfathers clock was too tall for the shelf so it stood 20 years on the floor . . ." The popularity of that song led to all tall case clocks being called grandfather’s clocks.
A true grandfather’s clock stands at least 6 1/2 feet tall. If the clock is between 5 1/2 feet and 6 1/2 feet tall, it is referred to as a grandmother’s clock. Granddaughter’s clocks first appeared in this century and stand between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 feet tall.
The Blumberg grandfather’s clock sits in the entrance hall of the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, one of the first pieces the visitors see. The clock recently was restored to keep accurate time and to strike both the hour and the half hour. The chimes and the ticking are soft, audible only when you want to be aware of the sound.
The clock originally stood in the South Fifth Street home of Max and Theresa Blumberg. Their son, Benjamin, gave the clock to the Vigo County Historical Society.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.