One of the coolest things Friend Shari and I got to see – and hear – when we were given courthouse tours by IT director Eric McGowen and public works director Don McQuay was the clock that lives in the dome of the Jackson Courthouse.
The outside view is pretty neat (even though a Dec. 17, 1934, Missourian story said that the workmen had to remove the dial on the south side of the courthouse to repaint the numerals because they had faded to the point where they were unreadable).
Tick Tock Tick Tock
The sound of the ancient mechanism ticking away is relaxing. Here’s a short video that shows what it looks and sounds like.
Concessions to modern times
There have been two changes in modern times. The clock was originally wound by hand. Now it’s done by an electric motor. At one time, the clock struck the time on a huge bell in the tower. The huge tolling hammer is still there (you’ll see if when I do the next story on the courthouse), and there’s a cable running up to the clock, but it looked disconnected.
Earlier stories about the Courthouse
- The history of the courthouse
- World War I Memorial
- Aerial photos of the courthouse
- Jackson’s Hanging Tree
- Miss Missouri visits the courthouse
Photo gallery of courthouse clock
Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the image to move through the gallery.
