Like so many other things, the clock and bell on the Wright County Courthouse took a break over the last year. This hiatus didn’t have as much to do with the pandemic as with needed repairs and other factors. After taking a rest, the clock and bell were finally back at it last week when they were restarted on Friday.
Wright County IT Director Andy Flagge explained that the clock has been off since last May. At that point, the motor had broken down. This required Flagge to get busy with some research into the innards of the clock and assume the role of an amateur horologist – someone who makes clocks or watches.
To understand the needed repairs, Flagge had to dig into the history of the clock and bell. When the Wright County Courthouse was built in the early 1890s, it did not have a clock. There was a clocktower, but blank faces where the clock should be. Over the next couple of decades some discussion about the clock must have ensued since in 1908, a clock and bell were ordered. The clock came from the Seth Thomas Company. Interestingly, a ladies group ended up paying for the purchase because the county supervisors declined to do so.
The clock was installed in 1910. Flagge explained that it was electrified in the years that followed. It had previously run with weights and a pendulum. The electrification made it so constant winding was not necessary. The breakdown of the electric motor caused the recent need for repairs.
Because COVID offered some downtime, Flagge said he had ample time to research the clock. He worked with County Buildings and Grounds Director Andy Yackle to find and install a new motor and make it safe.
The repairs were put on hold a bit as roof work was done to the courthouse, including some work to the tower. Yackle said the work included removing the wooden panels on all sides of the belltower, which will allow it to ring louder than ever now.
The clock and bell were restarted at the stroke of noon last Friday. The bell proudly rang out as the clock ticked away.
Flagge is happy that everything is in working order again since the clock and the bell are a landmark for the county. He also added that he has been in contact with a clock expert in Minneapolis and hopes to eventually restore the clock to run as it did upon its original installation.
