Note: This article was provided to SETCLOCKS by Dale French of Linton, Indiana and was used as historical information for the master clock that has been restored and put on display in the school.
The clock equipment for the school was ordered on June 14, 1922, from the Standard Electric Time Company. The company sent two copies of the contract, dated July 10, 1922, to James T. Roach, Trustee, Linton Township High School.
The original clock was located on the north wall of the hall on the second floor. The clock was the focal point as one came up the center stairs from the front outside entrance. Trophy cases flanked the clock.
The school clock was purchased from the Standard Electric Time Company, whose headquarters was located in Springfield, Massachusetts. All correspondence between the school corporation and the clock company was with the branch office located in the Monadnock Building in Chicago, Illinois.
The clock included a bell system, a two-circuit, minute-interval program clock. The cost of the clock was $975, which included:
1 - 60 beat, self-winding Master Clock, regulator has a wooden rod, metal ball pendulum, a hard oak case with a medium finish
17 - Secondary clocks, square wooden cases with 12-inch dials.
17 - High resistance buzzers installed in secondary clock cases.
The clock system had an automatic shifting device for silencing bells at night, Saturdays, Sundays or any 12-hour period desired.
In the 1948 yearbook, The Revue, the clock in the main hallway was used as the theme for the book. At the beginning of each section, the clock was pictured along with a short poem.
The bell system was modified and updated over the years. The clock originally was battery-operated but later wired for electricity. Because the bells could not be heard in some of the classrooms, the original bell system was disconnected. In the fall of 1988, a bell system connected to the intercom in the principal's office was put into operation. The replacement system was installed by David Adler of Advanced Data Systems, Terre Haute, Indiana. It has the capabilities of having different bell tones -- most of which teachers and students voiced their dislike of the sounds. Finally, one tone was selected that suited most people -- however, many still considered the sound as not being people-friendly.
During the 1991-1992 school year, James Hegg, high school principal, worked on the old clock system and got it working again. The clock kept excellent time, the bell on the clock could still be rung by hand.
Return to SETCLOCKS - A Tribute to The Standard Electric Time Company