Almost two years ago, the initial design for a clock tower housing the historic Montgomery County courthouse clock was released to the public. Since then, many have wondered what the future will hold for one of Winona’s pieces of history.
As of now, the sleeping giant of steel and brass gears is collecting dust in the warehouse behind PBR Truck Parts. If approved by the City of Winona, many like-minded business owners hope that in the near future it will have a new home in Winona’s historic downtown, and that its bell-like voice will once again be heard ringing throughout the city.
Currently, $400,000 in grants and private funding have been raised to go towards the construction of the clock tower with the specifications for the design near completion. Frank Weed, chairman of the Clock Committee, said, “If the specifications are approved by the [Winona] Board of Alderman, it is our goal to start construction on the clock tower project later this year.”
Although the clock is not currently functional, Weed said, “The clock is easy to repair since its parts can be easily machined.”
During the interview with Weed, he was wearing a mask because of the city mask order. Even behind the mask, the great affection for the clock shown through his eyes.
“The clock would not just be something that the current residents of Winona could enjoy, but it can be an asset to the community for generations to come,” he said.
It is important to note that if the grant money is not spent within two years after receiving the funds, then it will be given to another city in the state to make aesthetic improvements.
However, the clock tower project is not just an effort to beautify the city, but it also has the potential to increase tourism. The platform in front of the structure could be used as a focal point to hold public events such as concerts and festivals. Said money from these events could be used to further redevelop the downtown area as well as repair infrastructure.
Suggestions have also been made to one day create a walking trail from the Christ’s Cross at the Crossroads at the Highway 82/Interstate 55 intersection to the clock tower in Winona’s downtown. The trail would serve as a stroll through Winona’s history as it would showcase the historic homes, cemeteries, and buildings that help give Winona its identity.
Until recently, the exact history of the courthouse clock was largely unknown. But after talking to several local residents who were instrumental in bringing the clock back to and several hours of combing through the Smithsonian Online Archive, a close to complete history of the courthouse clock was compiled.
To fully understand its history, one must go all the way back to the history of the courthouse itself. After the Civil War in what is known as the Reconstruction Period, all of the former members of the Confederate States of America could not rejoin the Union until governmental reforms were made. Once Mississippi was readmitted into the United States in 1871, Montgomery County was established to lessen the political influence of Carroll County, which at the time encompassed what is now parts of Leflore, Grenada, Webster, and Montgomery counties, in the state.
This is when the first courthouse in Montgomery County was constructed out of a repurposed lumber mill building. Some 33 years later in 1904, the original courthouse burned.
At this point, it was necessary to modernize the courthouse, so that same year construction began on a new courthouse.
February 15, 1905, is the first date the clock was mentioned. M.T. Lewman Company, the contractor who was commissioned with building the courthouse, ordered the clock from the E. Howard Clock Company based in Boston, Massachusetts. According to the purchase order found in the Smithsonian database, the exact model of the clock is a #0 Special Striker Clock. The E. Howard Clock Company though has been known to purposely make their model numbers confusing to protect the company’s clock designs.
With the demolition of the second Montgomery County Courthouse in 1976 due to disrepair and safety issues, the clock then was purchased by local businessman Tom Tardy. From there it made its journey across the country as it changed hands from Winona to an owner in Memphis then California and finally to Washington Commons Mall in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Finally, in 2009 a deal was made between Jim Schmitt, the mayor of Green Bay, and Winona Mayor Jerry Flowers to bring Winona’s oldest and most well-traveled resident back home.
A deal with FedEx was made to ship the relic of Winona’s past back home free of charge.
Since its return home, debate over whether bringing the clock back to Winona was a good use of the city’s money, however for many, the clock brings fond memories of days gone by.
Sue Stidham, Montgomery County Economic Development Director, recalled the times when she was a child coming to Winona just to see the clock. “When I was a little girl living in Poplar Creek, my parents would take the whole family to Winona when my father had business to take care of in town. I remember many nights staying late in Winona just so that I could hear the clock chime.”
