Chauncey Jerome Steeple #5

This steeple clock dates to the period when Chauncey Jerome was affiliated in some way with the U.S. Clock & Brass Co. in Austin, IL. The company was formed in February 1866, but clock production likely did not start until August, when construction of the factory was completed. Operations ceased in January 1868, due to a fire that destroyed the rolling mill building and the movement shop (sparing the case-making shop). Given that the 1867 New Haven directory lists him as living with one of his sons, it appears that he stopped working for the US C&B Co. shortly after it started production. Although described in some accounts as the superintendent of the factory, it may be more plausible that he assisted the company with getting the case-making and movement making operations up and running and then returned to New Haven. Payment may have been, in part, in the form of clocks which he sold under his own label.

Label identifying Chauncey Jerome as the maker and giving his location as Austin, IL. Interestingly enough, clocks with US C&B Co. labels give the location as Chicago. At the time, Austin was on the far outskirts of Chicago. The company had a retail shop in Chicago owned by one of the partners of the clock company. The cast iron bell for the alarm was removed in order to show more of the label.

Typical 30-hr spring-driven movement made by the US C&B Co. Note that the plates are pinned. US C&B Co. movements with plates held together by machine screws are also known (see this shelf clock, for example), and these are presumably slightly later in production.

Rear view of the movement.

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