Wordless Wednesday - Time Marches On and ON

Editor's note: Today's post was written by Sandra Gardner-Benward


My mother, Mary Jane (LITTLE) GARDNER received this clock in 1979 from her mother Emma May (BRISTOL) LITTLE-MARVIN who received it from her Grandfather, Ambroid SHEERAR of Cortland, New York. 

The clock has since been passed down to my son Michael John ABERLE in October 2013. He wanted the clock and wanted to fix it so it would work. Yes, we still have the key, thank goodness. But like any curious person would do is take off the back cover to FIND ALL the wonderful information on the inside of the back cover. As you will see, the owers signed the piece with whatever they had. My 2x Great Grandfather just signed it and it is very readable,(but not really sure who signed it) but my Grandmother (actually my Grandfather) signed it with a felt tip pen and you can see how it is absorbed and runs and is very hard to read now. My dad must have used a ball point pen but printed and it is difficult to read. I never even thought about doing that. And so my son signed it too, readable too. Thank you Michael.

 

Above it reads on the face of the clock: H. B. Horton's Patents April 18, 1865 and August 23,1866  The Ithaca Calendar Clock Co (which is what the "ICCCo" stands for at the top of this section) Ithaca, New York.  Ithaca, Tompkins Co., New York is just down the way from Cortland, Cortland Co., NewYork where he lived. So I know that my 2x Great Grandfather Ambroid SHEERAR bought this clock in the Ithaca, New York.

 

Above: This is the top half of the inside back cover. It shows the clock was first cleaned by R.M. GRISWOLD February 18 1886 again in 1893, 1952 and again in 1974 (Wellington, Lorain Co., Ohio- this is a mystery place and needs some attention)

Above: This is the bottom half of the inside of the back cover. The bottom area shows the owners of this clock. Starting with my 2x Great Grandfather Ambroid SHEERAR and ending with my son Michael John ABERLE.

 

What an exciting find! I have not done any research on the clock maker yet but I will when I have time. If anyone has any information about the clock or clockmaker please let me know. Thank you. 

 

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