Do you wonder why I started with a birthday wish for the Labor Day Holiday? Well, it’s a very simple explanation: On September 2, 2019 (first Monday of September) it will be the 125th anniversary of Labor Day being celebrated as a national holiday. The request for such a holiday first came through a municipal ordinance passed in 1885 and 1886. From this there was a movement to secure state legislation. This was first introduced to New York state, but the first state to pa

I bought a clock recently from an online site. It is very pretty and was described as a rare Big Ben. I didn’t buy it because I thought it was “as advertised”. In fact, I strongly suspected it was not a “rare Big Ben”, but the price was reasonable, so I bought it to satisfy my curiosity. I was absolutely correct that it was not a rare Big Ben, but it wasn’t exactly what I expected either. I thought I was going to find that this was a case of someone re-purposing a Big Ben

A century ago, Westclox lost its patriarch. F. W. Matthiessen, who had faith in a fledgling, floundering clock factory and saved it from the clutches of near-death passed quietly away on February 11, 1918 at the age of 82. He had been ill for about a week, following a stroke. His condition was serious, and at times the doctors held little hope for his survival. He improved greatly in the few days before his death, and on that morning, as his nurse prepared to serve him br

When the Western Clock Company (a.k.a. Westclox) began producing its world-famous timepieces, about the only way to get from the factory in Peru to LaSalle and back again was via St. Mark’s Street (now Fifth St.) in Peru, across a rather rugged bridge over a nasty ravine to Third St. in LaSalle. Early bridge across ravine between Peru and LaSalle on St. Mark’s Street (East 5th St.) Looking east into 3rd St. in LaSalle (This bridge was later replaced by a “modern” structure kn

One hundred years ago this week, the United States entered World War I. In the nearly two years that followed, 147 Westclox employees left their jobs behind to answer the call to defend their country. The bronze plaque that once hung inside the main factory entrance lists the names of those brave men. The plaque is now on permanent display in the Westclox Museum. It appears that none of these employees lost their lives during this great war, but our research is continuing

This is the first in a series of articles on “Things You Might Not Know About Westclox”. This first article is written in response to a question from a former employee via Facebook. I hope you enjoy it and will check back for future articles covering a wide range of topics. About a year ago, we had a group of Cub Scouts visiting the museum, and I was reminded that, in spite of having numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, I was a little out of touch with today’s ca

One of the most frequently asked questions in the museum is, “Why does everything Westclox say LaSalle if the company was in Peru?” That’s very good question that has caused me to spend many hours in researching an answer, only to find that there is no definite or simple answer. As I grew up, I heard all kinds of rumors about the Westclox address. The most common were: · Westclox was mad at, or had a disagreement with Peru, so it changed the address to LaSalle. · LaSal

As most of you know, I’ve spent a little over a year scanning and reviewing more than 50 years worth of Tick Talk Magazine - the monthly employee magazine published and distributed in-house to all Westclox employees. These little books have a wealth of information in them, but the sections devoted to departmental “news” have been of great interest to our visitors. Each department had its own designated “reporter” who saw to it that the latest gossip was duly reported and reco

I don’t care who you are or where you live or if you work or are retired, Payday is likely to be one of the most important days on your calendar. We all know what it means and how important it is to us. Today, most of us are likely to receive our pay by means of direct deposit or “electronic funds transfer”, but that was not always the case. In the 19th and most of the 20th century payday meant you would receive either cash or a printed check which you could take to the ban

As I write this, I find the lyrics of the Al Stewart song “Time Passages” floating through my mind. I guess it could be because it is late in December and the sky is at least threatening to turn to snow, or it could be because this time of year is traditionally one to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. Please bear with me . . . . This past year has definitely been one of activity and reminiscing. Less than eleven months ago, we opened the new Westclox Muse

I’m guessing that the majority of you who read this column are at least one generation removed from World War II, and many of you are two or three generations removed from that troubling time. That’s why I decided that the story of Westclox during World War II needed to be shared now – 70 years after the war ended. I don’t know why, but the 1940’s was the last decade that we had left to scan for our Tick Talk project. When I began 1942, I was stunned. The amount of informa

You might think I’m about to talk about the tragic New year’s Eve of 2011, when arson ignited a roaring blaze in a section of the long-closed Westclox factory – a fire that continued to smolder for several weeks. Well, you’re wrong. I want to go back more than a century before that fateful night! Western Clock Company, a.k.a. Westclox, organized its own fire department in 1909, to act as a first-line of defense in the event of an accidental fire within the factory complex.

Have you been to the Westclox Museum? Are you even familiar with Westclox? Before you say no to the second question, consider this third question. Did you or a family member ever have a Big Ben or Baby Ben alarm clock? Probably most of you can answer yes to that one. Well, those Big Ben alarm clocks were manufactured by Westclox in Peru, Illinois for 70 years, along with his little brother, Baby Ben, and numerous cousins. Westclox was the world’s largest producer of key-

In my first Curator’s Corner article, I talked a lot about the Tick Talk magazines and our project with them. Today, I’d like to touch on some information from one of the magazines from 1929. About 90 years ago, the Company was already attempting to establish a museum of Westclox timepieces within the confines of the plant, but with little success. In 1929 there was “…a collection of battle-scarred World War “vets”, fire victims, and several other timepieces that were made

“You never know what you might find at the Westclox Museum!” It seems I’ve been saying that a lot lately, because it’s true. Every day is a new experience – new visitors, new donations and especially new stories. Yes, I’ve read and reviewed the history of Westclox as compiled by the company, and both of my parents and innumerable relatives worked here (I did not.). My husband and co-curator worked here for 17 years, until the plant closed, and his job in the machine and t