Website Links
Description
HISTORY OF THE ITHACA CALENDAR CLOCK COMPANY AS WRITTEN IN THE ITHACA DALY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 20TH 1875 THE MANUFACTURE OF CALENDAR CLOCKS HAS GROWN, DURRING THE PAST 10 YEARS TO BE ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST PROFITABLE OF THE INDUSTRIES OF ITHACA. FROM A SMALL BUSINESS EMPLOYING HALF A DOZEN HANDS AND LESS THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CAPITAL, IT HAS DEVELOPED TO SUCH PROPORATIONS THAT THERE IS WORK ENOUGH FOR HALF A HUNDRED MEN AND MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ARE INVESTED. SINCE THE MANUFACTURE OF THESE CLOCKS HAS BECOME OF SUCH IMPORTANCE HERE, AN OUTLINE OF THEIR HISTORY MAY BE OF INTEREST. IT IS WORTHY OF REMARK THAT ALL THE CALENDAR INVENTIONS WHICH ARE OF ANY VALUE, WITH ONE EXCEPTION HAVE HAD THEIR ORIGIN AND BEEN PERFECTED IN ITHACA, NY. WHAT IS PERHAPS EQUALLY NOTEWORTHY, NONE OF THE INVENTORS WERE CLOCK-MAKERS, OR HAD EVER WORKED IN THE CLOCK BUSINESS. THE FIRST MACHINE TO KEEP A CALENDAR CARRIED BY THE CLOCK WAS THE INVENTION OF J.W. HAWES, ESQ., OF ITHACA, AND WAS PATENTED IN 1853. THIS MACHINE WOULD NOT OF ITS OWN MECHANISM SHOW THE 29TH OF FEBRUARY, IN LEAP YEAR, AND SOON FOUND ITS PLACE ON THE SHELF. SOON AFTER, MR. WM. H. ATKINS INVENTED A CALENDAR WHICH WAS AUTOMATIC IN ITS OPERATIONS, ADJUSTING ITSELF AND SHOWING ALL CHANGES, INCLUDING THE 29TH OF FEBRUARY. A PATENTWAS ISSUED TO ATKINS AND JOSEPH C. BURRITT FOR THEIR IMPROVEMENT, ON THE 19TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1854. THESE GENTLEMEN DISPOSED OF THEIR PATENT IN 1854 AND 1855 TO MESSRS. HUNTINGTON AND PLATTE, WHO OBTAINED ANOTHER PATENT ON THE SAME MACHINE IN 1857. THE ATKIN MACHINE WAS PLACED IN THE HANDS OF JAMES E. AND EUGENE MIX FOR MANUFACTURE AND IMPROVEMENT, AND THEY GAVE IT SHAPE FOR PRACTICAL USE. IMPROVEMENTS MADE BY THE MIX BROTHERS WERE PATENTED IN 1862. THESE LATER GENTLEMEN SUBSEQUENTLY SOLD TO THE SETH THOMAS CLOCK COMPANY, OF PLYMOUTH HOLLOW, CONN., THEIR PATENTS ON THE CALENDAR AND IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE WINTER OF 1864-65, MR HENRY B. HORTON, OF ITHACA, INVENTED A NEW AND MORE PERFECT MACHINE TO KEEP THE CALENDAR, AND IN APRIL, 1865, OBTAINTED HIS FIRST PATENT OF EIGHT CLAIMS. MR HORTON KNEW THAT HIS INVENTIONS WERE VALUABLE , AND EXPECTING TO MAKE HIS FOURTUNE BY THEIR SALE, LIKE MANY OTHER INVENTORS, HE WENT TO THE LAND OF YANKEE CLOCKS-CONNECTICUT. BUT ALSA FOR HIS EXPECTATIONS ,HE FIRST WENT TO THE SETH THOMAS CLOCK COMPANY THINKING THEY WOULD GRASP HIS PATENTS AND THUS PREVENT OPPOSITION. LOOKING THEM OVER THEY SAID: "NO, THEY WILL NEVER INJURE US , OR BE HEARD OF AGAIN." NOT ENTIRELY DISCOURAGED, MR. HORTON THEN APPLIED TO THE WATERBURY CLOCK COMPANY. AFTER A LONG CONSULATION, THE PROPRIETORS CONCLUDED TO OFFER HIM $300.00 FOR HIS CALENDAR, IF HE WOULD GUARANTEE THAT THERE WERE NO INFRINGMENTS UPON IT. QUITE DISCOURAGED IN HIS ATTEMPTS TO SELL THIS DARLING PRODUCT OF HIS BRAIN, MR. HORTON RETURNED HOME, AND DETERMINED TO UNDERTAKE MANUFACTURE OF CALENDAR CLOCKS. IN AUGUST, 1865, HE ASSOCIATED WITH HIMSELF, FOR THIS PURPOSE, MR. CHARLES D. JOHNSON, MR. HARVEY PLATTS, AND MR. JOHN H. SELKREG, AND THE FIRM ASSUMED THE TITLE "ITHACA CALENDAR CLOCK COMPANY." EACH OF THE FOUR PARTNERS INVESTED $200.00, AND WITH A CAPITAL OF $800.00, THEY RENTED THE SECOND AND THIRD STORIES OF THE MACK BUILDING(where Crozer & feely