Rindge Town Clock

Jaffrey Recorder, Thursday, June 23, 1965.

The Rindge clock celebrated its 70th birthday Tuesday. In the clock tower, written in pencil on the wood guides for the weights are the following notations:

“Started, Saturday, June 22, 1895–2:15 p.m.–E. H. Eldridge. GWS Platts, Rindge, N. H., Boss. Calvin Allen, Charles F. Platts, Frank F. Wetherbee, selectmen 1895.”

It is believed that E. H. Eldridge was a representative of the Howard Clock Company. George W. S. Platts, then about 15 years old, was a son of Charles F. Platts, selectman.

Before the clock was installed, the bell was rung by hand several times a day including the 9 p.m. curfew.

The clock was purchased with the Otis Hubbard Estate legacy of $600 for a town clock given in 1895 through Herbert E. Wetherbee, administrator.
The men in charge of the clock over the years included Mr. Allen, Charles F. Platts, Henry M. B. Stearns, Frederick F. Barret, Charles L. Baldwin and Roland C. Goddard, Sr, for about 27 years until his illness in December 1963 caused his son, Roland C. Goddard, Jr., to assume the duty of winding the clock once a week.

George Ingraham’s request at town meetings in 1897 and 1898 to stop the clock from striking at 9 p.m. each night because of his wife’s illness was granted. Mr. Ingraham paid Carles F. Platts for stopping and starting it each day. The Ingrahams lived where Mr. Eugene A. Fuller now resides.
When Mr. Goddard, Sr. took over the care of the clock, the selectmen provided an electric motor and he and his father, Charles Goddard, altered it so the clock could be wound by electric power instead of by hand.

By Roland Goddard,, circa 2023

Before the Clock. The clock was a gift to the town from Otis Hubbard in 1885 and installed by Calvin Allen at a cost of $621.54.

Gift. Prior to the installation of the clock, the town hired a resident at $25 a year to ring the bell at 9 a.m., noon, and at the 9 p.m. curfew. After the clock was installed, the town paid $15 a year to the person who cared for and wound the clock.

Starting. The clock was started June 22, 1895, at 2:15 p.m. It was started by Elt Eldridge, Gus Platts, and P Hale.

Clock Description. The clock is similar to a cuckoo clock but much bigger. The clock was installed and wound up with a hand crank which through a set of pulleys raised two heavy weights to keep the clock going. These weights kept the pendulum going. The pendulum, about 6’ long, swings back and forth to turn the several gears. They then turn a rod running to the bell and clock face. In the clock face there are 4 miter gears that turn the face.

Hot Job. It was a very hot job to wind the clock in the summertime and you could work up quite a sweat. My father and I often took turns at winding.

Clock Electro Feed. Roland Goddars Sr. designed a system with belts and pulleys to wind the clock with a belt and pulley driven by an electric motor. This was much easier and quicker.

Bell. The bell is a Menedy’s, cast in West Troy, NY in 1856. The bell tower is supported by four 16” square hand-sawn timbers. The bell can also be rung by hand, and it was rung for fires in days gone by. The bell was also rung for church services for a while.

Clockfaces. Above the bell is a housing which contains the gears that feed the four faces.

Dangerous Jump. There is a 2’ x 3’ square opening to the clock housing. The bell had a 6’ 6” wheel to ring the bell by rope. I used to stand on the wheel, grab on the opening, and pull myself up into the opening of the clock face (about a 5’ distance). My son would hold the wheel and he said he was a little nervous. Anyway, I hurt my shoulder by slipping in the snow (not in the bell tower) and the Selectmen bought me a ladder.

Big Mistake. Once day I had wound the clock as far as it would go. My dad was in a party in the Town Hall. He wished to show a lady how the clock works. He stated winding the box of stones without looking that the box was at the top. What happened … the box of rocks went up and borke the cable. The box of rocks went crashing down. It went through one floor and stopped at the next. Just above the vestibule floor. My Dad and Uncle fixed the broken floors.

Fourth of July. The rope that rings the bell by hand was originally run to the first floor. On the night before the Fourth of July, we were allowed to jump on the rope, pull and ring the bell. We did this many times and it was fun for 16-year-old boys. There was Martin and Wallace Seppala, Wayne Hoyt, and me, all friends.

Troubleshooting. When the clock stopped it took a lot of searching to find out the reason it stopped. I had to examine the four faces of the clock. I often used field glasses to examine each face of the clock. Once it was a nail that had worked loose from one of the four faces and stopped the hands. Another time one of the hands broke and stopped the clock. Other times it might be just heavy snow or ice on the face. Snow or ice storms are a difficult problem. They stop the clock. If you try to turn the hands the time will be all messed up. The solution is to wait until the weather warms up and the hands are not frozen.

Clock Service. The Goddard Family has spent a total of 99 years servicing the clock. The clock is wound once a week. There are 67 steps from the entrance to the clock. In 99 years, which is 344,916 steps that have been taken to service the clock.

Frederick Barrett (Ancestor to Roland Goddard Sr.) – 15 years
Roland Goddar Sr. – 27 years
Roland Goddard Jr. – 40 years
Earl Goddard – 17 years (Present)