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The town clock located in the pedestrian way in the down town Dubuque has a
long history. In 1864 Doctor Asa Horr raised the funds to purchase the
town clock, and George D. Wood, a local merchant, gave to the city the lease
to the building roof for the town clock.
The first town clock was purchased at the cost of $2,000.00. The bell was
an additional $304.00. George D. Wood put up the clock for $1,000.00. William
Longhurst of Dubuque designed the trim. This was to protect the clock
from frost, snow, rain, and sleet. W.W. Wormwood was in charge of
keeping the clock running.
The first town clock was located on the top of the John Bell and Company
which sold dry goods and notions. Workmen working on the construction
site next door, the Plein Building, noticed cracks in the Bell building and
warned people. Saturday May 25, 1872, at 5:16 P.M., the town clock and the
John Bell and Company building collapsed. Two women and a child were
killed.
The primary cause of this accident was the construction site next door.
The other cause was that the foundation was not strong enough to hold
the town clock and the building at the same time.
Architect Fridolin J. Heer Sr. designed a new building and the roof would
be the foundation of the new town clock. April 17, 1873, at a cost of
$5,309.45, Dubuque had its new clock. Over the years, this clock was
repaired and cleaned. In 1927, the city purchased a modern Seth Thomas
clock movement.
In the 1960s Dubuque’s down town had a major make-over and
it was moved from the store at 825 Main to the Town Clock Square. The
pedestal, base, and clock stands 108.05 feet above the plaza. Friday,
August 13, 1971 that the Town Clock Plaza was dedicated.
- East Dubuque Local History Project
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