Prescott in Pierce County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

History of Clock Towers in Prescott

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2012

1. History of Clock Towers in Prescott Marker

Inscription. 1887 With Prescott growing rapidly the first modern brick school is built on Elm Street. A local teacher, Roxanne Bailey, donates the money to purchase the first tower clock in Prescott; it is installed on top of the new school.

1924 With more classrooms needed, a new addition is added to the south side of the 1887 school.

1935 On December 8th the Prescott School burns to the ground. Despite the combined efforts of the Prescott and Hastings fire departments, the fire is too intense to save the 1887 school; efforts are focused on saving the 1924 addition. At 3:00 am, shrouded in smoke and flames, the bell rings for the last time. At 3:20 am the clock and bell fall into the ruins of the school. After keeping time faithfully for 48 years, the first tower clock in Prescott is destroyed.

1937 The clock and bell are sorely missed by the people of Prescott. Although mechanical clocks are no longer in fashion, the community wants a clock identical to the one destroyed in the fire. A local fundraiser collects $2,100 to purchase a new clock and bell. The 1924 addition is repaired and a new building is constructed on the site of the

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destroyed 1887 school. A steel clock tower is erected over the main entrance.

1965 After keeping time for over 25 years, the plywood faces begin to deteriorate and the clock no longer runs consistently.

1977 The Prescott Bicentennial Committee finances repairs of the clock and tower, but due to water leakage into the tower, repairs are temporary. By the 1980's the clock stops functioning completely. The bell and hammer are removed due to weight restrictions on the school roof.

2003 With the clock silent for over 15 years and the steel tower frame deteriorating, the tower and clockworks are removed from the school. The clock and bell are donated to the Prescott Historical Society. Restoration begins on the Seth Thomas clock in the fall.

2004 The Seth Thomas clock is fully restored and functional. The Prescott Historical Society begins fundraising to construct this tower.

Our Seth Thomas Tower ClockThe Prescott clock was built in 1937 by the Seth Thomas Company of Connecticut. This was the second Seth Thomas tower clock installed in Prescott - the first clock was destroyed in the 1935 fire. The last mechanical clock of this style built by

History of Clock Towers in Prescott Marker<br>(<i>panel 2</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2012

2. History of Clock Towers in Prescott Marker
(panel 2)

Seth Thomas was number 3232; ours is number 3176. Seth Thomas produced only 56 more clocks of this style before World War II halted production and ended the era of large mechanical tower clocks.

Bell ParkThere are two bells in Bell Park; both were cast by the McShane Bell Foundry of Baltimore, Maryland. The bells are identical in shape and markings, but differ greatly in size and casting date. The large bell mounted at ground level weighs 3,500 pounds. It was cast in 1878 and brought by steamboat to Prescott for the Methodist Church. Its "little brother" is mounted 40 feet above you in the clock tower. It weighs 350 pounds, was cast in 1937 and delivered to Prescott by train for the school clock tower.

Prescott Clock Tower
Constructed for the City of Prescott in 2006 by
The Prescott Area Historical Society

Thanks to the following companies, organizations, and all the
residents of Prescott for their support on this project

Founders
Prescott Foundation
Cedar Corporation, Clock Tower Architect and Engineer
Friends of the Clock Tower

Time Keepers
Annmarie Foundation • Phillips Plastic Corporation • Baard and Diane Webster • Bailey and Malaby • First National Bank • River Falls/Prescott

Bell Ringers
Sue and Randy Hendrickson • Cernohous Chevrolet, Ralph and Joan Murphy Family • Randall and Susan Most, Most Pharmacy • Prescott High School Alumnus • Prescott Journal, Gary Rawn, Publisher • Prescott Insurance, Car Magee, Owner • Prescott Area Historical Society • Mavis and Gary Melstrom, Croix Insurance • Ptacek’s IGA Grocery, Jan and Mike Ptacek • Rock’n on the River Committee • Jerome, Deborah, Jennifer & Susanna Voje • Stagecoach Express, Mary Paul • KDWA 1460 AM, Dan and Barb Massman • Michael J. Toninato, D.D.S., Family Practice Dentistry • Helmer Printing, The Shopper • Twin City Brick, Dick Degrood • Stagecoach Diesel Motorsports, Gary Ries • Spot Design, Patricia Voje • William E. Voje, Tower Clock Machinist • Prescott Welcome and Heritage Center • Sally West, Volunteer

Supporters
Don Eggers Family • Franz & Karen Altpeter • Lorraine and Bob Garber • Berg’s Rock Shop, Bob and Jan Berg • Great Rivers Printing, established 1998 • Johnson Construction, Inc., D.L. Johnson Family • M & I Bank, Prescott • River Falls Ace Hardware, Bernie and Christina McCellan • Minnesota Clockmakers Guild • River Road Auto, Keven and Rachel Bowes • No Name Saloon & Pronto Insulation, Paula and Walt Weisbec • Price Rite Liquors, Mike Simones • St. Croix Interiors, Joe and Tracy Franek • The Computer Guys, Inc., Serving Prescott Since 1998 • Tom’s TV, Tom and Barb Thoen • Centurytel, Inc. • Kris Sampson and Family • Prescott Rent-all • Slipp Inn Grill, Matt and Keri Simones • Vandeberg Machine Shop, Darrell and Betty Vandeberg • Muddy Waters Bar & Grill, Patti and Steve

Construction Contractors
Johnson Construction, Inc.
Glenbrook Lumber & Supply, Manager Jason Kirchner • Prescott Electric and Heating, Inc., Owner Michael C. Bjurquist • Roosen Construction, Mike Roosen • E.R. Berwald Roofing

Our gratitude to Jerome Voje for his hard work and dedication to the tower project
including clock restoration, tower design and installation of our historic clock

In remembrance of Roxanne Bailey
The Prescott school teacher who purchased the first tower clock
for Prescott in 1887

Erected 2006

Prescott Clock Tower image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2012

3. Prescott Clock Tower

(marker mounted on back side of clock tower)

by Prescott Area Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Education • Man-Made Features • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.

Location. 44° 44.958′ N, 92° 48.178′ W. Marker is in Prescott, Wisconsin, in Pierce County. It can be reached from Broad Street (State Highway 35) just south of U.S. 10, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located at the Prescott Welcome and Heritage Center, and mounted at eye-level directly on the south side of the Prescott Clock Tower. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 237 Broad Street, Prescott WI 54021, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area

and in Western Wisconsin. It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Clock Mechanism image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2012

4. Clock Mechanism

(visible through clock tower windows)

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Steamboats, Trains, and Barges (approx. 2.3 miles away in Minnesota); Hastings Grows (approx. 2.3 miles away in Minnesota); Veterans Memorial Levee (approx. 2.3 miles away in Minnesota); Gardner House Hotel (approx. 2.3 miles away in Minnesota); Mississippi (approx. 2.4 miles away in Minnesota); 214 & 216 East 2nd Street (approx. 2.4 miles away in Minnesota); The Pringle Hardware Building (approx. 2.4 miles away in Minnesota); Spiral Bridge (approx. 2.4 miles away in Minnesota).

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2012

5. Clock Mechanism

(visible through clock tower windows)

1878 Bell on Exhibit beside Clock Tower image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2012

6. 1878 Bell on Exhibit beside Clock Tower

Cast by the McShane Bell Foundry of Baltimore, Maryland, in 1878. Weighs 3,500 pounds. Brought by steamboat to Prescott for the Methodist Church.

Prescott Clock Tower (<i>in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2012

7. Prescott Clock Tower (in background)

(looking west from St. Croix River Bridge • on approach from Minnesota)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 1, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 692 times since then and 65 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on April 1, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.