Artifact of the Month: December 2023

Still Keeping Time

If you have visited Whale Park, chances are that you have seen the ornate iron clock, recalling the early days of Ketchikan. The timepiece is often referred to as the Billingsley Clock, after one of the businesses it was associated with. The clock's history goes back nearly a century. In spring 1924, the Knox brothers, petitioned the City Council for a permit to install a "regulation two dial electric street clock" on Front Street in front of the space they were leasing. The store, named after the brothers, sold watches and jewelry, specialized in optometry, and later sold curios. When Knox Bros. moved onto Mission Street, the clock went with the business.

Around 1932, Frank Billingsley took over the store and renamed it the Billingsley Jewelry Store. Under the new ownership, the numbers on the clock face were replaced with the letters of Billingsley. The owner's ailing health caused the store to abruptly close in 1954, and the clock was taken down shortly afterwards and put into storage. In 1974, Ralph Bartholomew donated the clock to the Tongass Historical Society and plans were set in motion to find a suitable location for it. The original location was no longer an option and eventually its present location at Whale Park was agreed upon. To honor the clock's earlier history, the clock face was repainted during its restoration with numbers and the Knox Bros. name.

Although the clock is electrified, its maintenance has been an ordeal. After years of operational issues, the clock is functioning once again thanks to the efforts of Ketchikan Gateway Borough's Public Works Department in partnership with the Tongass Historical Society and Ketchikan Museums. The clock motor and lighting have been repaired, the clock face glass was replaced, and selective tree trimming was done in the park to increase the clock's visibility. After almost 100 years, this beloved clock is once again keeping time.


Object ID #: THS 73.5.14.10

Caption (modern photo): Daryl Hert, Maintenance Tech II on scaffolding making repairs to the Billingsley Clock in Whale Park.

Caption (historic photo): Mission Street circa 1935. Note the Billingsley Clock on the left and the old plank street.