Chapter
IV: 1915 to Present,
Evolution of the Hortense Myth &
City Hall Through the Years
You've
probably encountered
the following stories,
or a similar one, about
Hortense Oppenheimer,
Ye Towne Cryers,
and their 1914
efforts to fund a
clock for Tampa's
new City Hall.
Dr. Oppenheimer,
the Final Years
The
City Council of Tampa and
Celebration of Old City Hall's
Centennial
"The
Oppenheimer children, five
daughters and a son, were no
less vigorous or gifted than
their father. Growing up in
a world filled with fine
books, music and sober
industry they found it easy
to share and to emulate
their father’s
accomplishments. Daughter
Hortense became
incensed at the city fathers
in 1914 because the
City
Hall had no tower clock to
give the proper time.
Yielding under the pressure
of
Hortense and her irate
band of ladies the mayor
erected a large
clock in the
City Hall tower
with four faces.
Inevitably, it
was named
"Hortense" and
it still keeps
accurate time
today.
You may have even
found
it right here on TampaPix, because
it's what
Dr. James M. Ingram wrote in
1977 in the
Journal of the Florida Medical
Association about Dr. Louis S.
Oppenheimer in "Culture among the
Sandspurs" reprinted in the
Sunland Tribune, Journal of the
Tampa Historical Society, Vol.
3, No. 1, Nov. 1977.
At the time, the Tampa
Tribune described the new
building as “Tampa’s City
Hall Layer Cake.”
City Council, however,
did
not find the funds for the
clockworks. Hortense
Oppenheimer, the daughter of
prominent Tampa physician
Louis Sims Oppenheimer, led
the campaign by the “Town
Cryers”
that raised $1,200
to help pay for the clock.
W. H. Beckwith Jewelry
Company donated the
remainder necessary to
provide the
2,840 pound,
four-faced clock, which was
built by the Seth Thomas
Company of
Vermont.
Prior to
the completion
of
City Hall, the clock was
nicknamed “Hortense the
Beautiful”
in honor of its
benefactor, and it retains
this name today.
Click the cover to see this
publication online.
Then scroll to Page 4..
Over the years,
these two stories,
or some similar
combination of the
two, have made their
way into every telling
of how Tampa got its
City Hall Clock, who
it was named for,
and why. It is
even part of the
Historic American
Buildings Survey
report of 1981 when
City Hall was
awarded historic
building status in
1974. Some accounts
combine both stories
into one. But
they
just don't fit
together sensibly.
NEITHER STORY
CORRECTLY REFLECTS
WHY, HOW,
OR WHEN IT REALLY
HAPPENED.
As Ernest L. Robinson
appropriately wrote
in his 1928 book,
The History of
Hillsborough County:
The City Hall, finished
in 1915, rises eight
stories, the last five
forming a tower that is
topped by a balcony and
another, smaller tower
containing a clock.
The clock, known
affectionately to city
officials and newspapermen
as "Hortense," has had manyfantastic and
romantic tales
woven about it..."
THROUGHOUT
THIS FEATURE, "old City Hall" will refer to
the one built in 1890, "new City Hall" will
refer to the one built in 1915.
LISTEN, STRANGER: THE TAMPA TIMES TELLS THE
WHOLE HORTENSE STORY
THE REAL HISTORY OF HORTENSE
THE BEAUTIFUL, TAMPA'S CITY
HALL CLOCK As published by the
Tampa Times on Aug. 28, 1915,
bracketed info added
by TampaPix
Several years ago
[December, 1911]Miss
Oppenheimer began a movement
to buy a clock for the city.
She organized and headed a
number of young women under
the name of Ye Towne Cryers,
the sole object of the
organization being to raise
funds to buy a clock for the
city. But the public
wasn't sufficiently
interested in buying a
clock, and not near enough
money was raised.
Despairing of ever raising
enough to fulfill the object
of their organization, Ye
Town Cryers counted their
money [$150,]
turned it over to a local
charity [the old
folks home, in May 1912]
and disbanded.
When
Tampa came to
think of
building a new
city hall, a
clock tower and
clock were among
the things
discussed.
When plans were
drawn
[Jan. 1914], a clock
tower was
included, and
when bids were
received, they
included
quotations for
furnishing a
clock. And
after the clock was
installed [July 8,
1915], Willis Powell,
editor of the Clearwater
Sun, who was secretary of
the Tampa Board of Trade
during the time Miss
Oppenheimer was trying to
raise money for a clock,
remembered this young lady's
efforts and suggested that
the clock be named for her.
It was taken up and has been
christened Hortense
[by the Times], in
honor of Miss Hortense
Oppenheimer, "the girl who
wanted to buy a city clock."
The
clock was built
at Thomaston,
CT. (not
Vermont),
purchased by
Beckwith Jewelry
Co. who sold the
clock to the
City.
WHEN
AND HOW
DID THE EVENTS
THAT WERE SO
WELL KNOWN IN
1915 BECOME THE
"THE HORTENSE
MYTH"
OF TODAY?
In the ensuing
decades, the
story of "How
Tampa got its
City Hall Clock"
would take on
different
details but one
basically
similar central
plot.
The differences
were sometimes
the
fundraising,
which would come up
with anywhere
from a "mere"
$1,200 and up,
with some
stories have the group raise
the entire cost
of the clock,
others say the
local jeweler, Beckwith,
provided the
rest of the
amount needed.
None mention any
cost to the
City.
Some versions
have drama, which was
something the
papers would
have been eager
to print.
One version
turns a young
lady who wants
to give the
people of Tampa
a gift, from a
talented
musician,
singer, and
daughter of a
socially
prominent
physician
father,
into the
incensed leader of
"band of irate
ladies" who
"pressured the
mayor."
Costs of the
clock were quite
consistent until
articles of recent times.
Over
the years, a
city worker or
public official
would tell their version
of the tale of Hortense
to a
newspaper
reporter, so the
altered story
would becomes
entrenched in
City Hall
history.
It made its way
into more news
articles, historical
publications, ceremonial
brochures, centennial
celebrations,
a historic
buildings
report, and even a
fundraiser
Christmas
ornament.
But it's the "How"
that evolved
over the years.
The "Why"
of the clock's
name is
still basically
unchanged.
"To honor a
young lady and
her efforts in
organizing a
group of
volunteers who
wanted to
raise funds for
a town clock."
The degree of
their success
for
their
fundraising is
what changes,
and the
conclusion is
completely
reversed,
stating that we
would have no
clock at all if
it wasn't for
Hortense
Oppenheimer.
And
an important
part of the
story was
forgotten--the
little money
they raised they
happily donated
to a charity
that was in
need.
THIS QUESTION IS
ANSWERED LATER
ON THIS PAGE.
CITY HALL AND HORTENSE
THROUGH THE YEARS
1916 -
HALYARD REPLACED BY "SHORTY"
FRAZIER
The city electrician who
tended to the city's
police and fire alarm
system climbed the city
hall flag pole to
replace the "old
halyards" which were
rotting with age.
This was needed in order
to raise a new flag.
(How does a halyard rot
with age after only a
year?)
The earliest
known
existing
photo of
completed
City Hall,
1916.
Floors 5
through 8
appear to be
at least
partially
vacant.
Burgert
Bros. photo
courtesy of
the
Tampa-Hillsborough
Co. Public
Library
System.
Mouse-over
the photo to
zoom in on
Hortense.
This photo
was taken
from the
roof of the
Elks Club.
The base layer of the
building consists of three
floors and contains five
bays on each façade. The
north and east elevations
are clad in rusticated
granite on the first story.
A 1915 cornerstone sits at
the northeast corner of the
first floor. The City seal
is cast in stone over the
main entry doors on the
north façade. While buff
brick is the dominant
material on the second and
third stories, six limestone
columns are found on the
north and east elevations.
The south and west
elevations use brick
pilasters to separate the
bays. A terra cotta
entablature, complete with a
frieze that reads “CITY
HALL” and an urn-shaped
balustrade, tops the third
story. The brick-clad shaft
contains the fourth through
eighth stories of City Hall.
It is set in from the
three-story base and
consists of three bays on
all façades.
Aluminum windows are set in between the buff brick pilasters at each bay. The fourth story is demarcated by arched bays with terra cotta keystones topped by a terra cotta band. Four cast heads of Seminole women cap the brick pilasters on each façade at the eighth floor. A terra cotta cornice and balustrade tops the building’s shaft.
This
structure
can be seen
in the
background
of many of
the early
City Hall
photos taken
looking
southward.
The
domed tower
in the
background--What was
it? This photo
is a crop of
the 1916
Burgert
Brothers
photo just
above it.
Courtesy of
the
Tampa-Hillsborough
Co. Library
System.
It can
clearly be
seen here in
the below
1913 Burgert
Bros. photo
taken from
the roof of
the Bay View
Hotel on
Jackson St. MOUSE
OVER THE SKY
IN THE PHOTO
BELOW TO SEE
IDENTIFICATION,
CLICK
VARIOUS
AREAS AND
BUILDINGS TO
SEE THEM
LARGER
(When the
image opens,
click again
to see full
size.)
Two
buildings in
this photo
still exist
today,
beautifully
restored and
renovated.
NOTICE:
THE MAPS ARE
PRESENTED
HERE ROTATED
WITH SOUTH
AT THE TOP,
IN ORDER TO
BETTER
REPRESENT
THE
ORIENTATION
OF THE PHOTOS.
The building
with the
domed tower
was
originally a
Masonic
Hall, built
sometime
from 1899 to
1903. The
first floor
was occupied
by the Tampa
Herald print
shop and a
hardware
warehouse.
In 1903 the
future lot
of the Buick
dealer was
vacant, the
the lot
where the
Hotel Olive
would be
built was
occupied by
a wood frame
hand powered
print shop.
The
Masonic hall
building was later
called the
"Franklin
Square
Building"
when it was
extended all
the way to
Florida
Avenue (to
the left.)
Since Aug. of 1900, at
the age of 11 years,
Hortense would be
mentioned in the
newspapers over a two
hundred
times by 1912. Her
childhood years news
articles consisted of
numerous topics such as
family gatherings,
attending parties,
hosting parties, social
events, travels with
family, and her musical
talent.
In Oct. 1908, Hortense
sang alto in the new St.
Andrew's church choir.
It was directed by Mrs.
J. S. Dinwoodie who
"will be sure to bring
out the best that the
choir contains.
A crucifer or
cross-bearer is, in some
Christian churches
(particularly the Roman
Catholic Church,
Anglican Communion,
Lutherans, and United
Methodist Church), a
person appointed to
carry the church's
processional cross, a
cross or crucifix with a
long staff, during
processions at the
beginning and end of the
service.
FIRST MEETING OF THE
SEASON FOR THE FRIDAY
MORNING MUSICALE
The Friday Morning
Musicale was something
that Dr. Oppenheimer
started soon after
moving his family to
Tampa.
Being the first meeting
of the season, a speech
was made by the group's
president, Mrs. E. H.
Hart. Normal
meetings consisted
mostly of the musical
performances and
readings, such as the
one given this day on
"How to listen to
Music." Hortense
Oppenheimer, who was
almost always present,
performed a piano solo
"To a Lily" by Edward
McDowell, "given with
fine poise and charm of
expression."
On May 2, 1916, Hortense
was elected president of
the College Women's
Association at their
annual meeting.
RIGHT: On May 8,
1917, an elevator
repairman of McGucken &
Hyer was sent to repair
the first floor stop
which was sagging and
hitting the elevator
cage as it descended.
He told the elevator
operator he could
continue using the
elevator from the 2nd
floor and up. But
he didn't consider the
counterweight, which
came down all the way
when the elevator went
all the way up to the
8th floor.
"ENTER THE GIRL"
- 1917
The musical director/organist for the
Strand Theater, RALPH
WALDO EMERSON (no, not
the literary Emerson)
decided to enlist in the
Army and do battle on
the WWI front lines.
Mr. Cooley, manager of
the Strand, "had
forty-eleven fits."
Not that Cooley wasn't
patriotic, but he
couldn't see how the
Strand could get along
without him.
Remember, this was the
era of the silent film
and live stage
performances.
"Enter, the
girl--Hortense
Oppenheimer "a gifted
pianist, learned of the
difficulty and she
volunteered to take
Emerson's place at the
Strand keyboard so
Emerson could "go to the
front." She
considered it her
patriotic duty.
For several weeks, she
had been taking lessons
from Emerson on the
difficult Bartola
instrument,
and on Jun.
10 she took
over his
position.
Emerson left
on June 11th
for Boston,
hoping to be
on the
firing line.
Hortense
served her
duty for the
country by
enabling him
to go,
holding his
job until he
returned.
But fear not
for Ralph
Waldo
Emerson; he
had a change
of mind.
Instead, he
married Miss
Betty Beulah
Baker on
Aug. 22,
1917 in
Topeka,
Kans.
He wasn't
expected to
return to
Tampa and so
his friends
wished him
"all
happiness in
his married
life."
However, that's not (Dr.) Louis S.
Oppenheimer. That is his
son, Louis Nordau
Oppenheimer. Dr. Louis S.
Oppenheimer was born in Jan 1854
and in 1919 he would have been
age 65.
His son, Louis Nordau
Oppenheimer, was born around 1899-1900
and would have been around 19 or
20 here in 1919. Clearly, the
young man
is much younger than 65.
Also, it would make
more sense that a portrait be
made of all the Oppenheimer
children instead of the
doctor and his daughters,
without his son. A session
at home with a professional
photographer in 1919 isn't a
spur of the moment occasion. and
would have been planned for a
time when everyone was present. In 1919 Louis N. Oppenheimer was living
in his parents' home; he married
in 1928.
CAROLINE HORTENSE
OPPENHEIMER MARRIES
RICHMOND HARTFORD FORD - 1919
"Quietly
and without previous
announcement, a marriage
of unusual interest to
Tampans was solemnized
last night."
Hortense Oppenheimer and
Richard [sic] Ford
married at St. Andrew's
Episcopal church on Jul.
3, 1919, witnessed only
by the immediate family
of the bride.
Not even Hortense's closest
friends knew she was
going to marry.
Hortense was "one of the
most attractive and
popular women of Tampa,
whose unusual beauty and
charm, no less
remarkable than her
talents in music and
art, have won for her
the esteem and
admiration of all who
know her." The
writer goes on to say
that Tampa will be
gratified that she will
continue to be a
resident here.
Mr. Ford
was from New York City
and came to Tampa about
a year earlier. He
was "engaged in a large
contracting enterprise"
having worked with the
Oscar Daniels Co, in
charge of the technical
department of the big
shipbuilding plant.
A native of Baltimore,
and son of Rear Admiral
Ford of the U.S. Navy,
who was on the staff of
Admiral Dewey, serving
on the flagship Olympia.
"Mr. Ford is a gentleman
of starling worth and
ability, and has made
many friends in this
city."
Richmond Ford's Sep. 12,
1918 WWI draft
registration shows he
was 42 at the time, born
Aug. 12, 1876, so he was
about 14 years older
than Hortense.
At this time he was living at
707 Swann in Tampa,
working at Oscar Daniels
Shipbuilders in "Naval
Architecture." His
closest relative was
Mrs. Laura Ford in
Baltimore, Md., who was
probably his mother and
the namesake for his 2nd
daughter. Richmond
was med. ht., med build,
and had blue eyes, light
hair.
Hortense
was "one
of the most attractive
and popular women of
Tampa, whose unusual
beauty and charm, no
less than her remarkable
talents in music and
art, have won for her
the esteem and
admiration of all who
know her. She has
been active in woman's
club and other work for
the betterment of the
city.."
and "her
gracious presence and
influence will not be
lost to Tampa, but that
she will continue to be
a resident of the city."
THE FORD FAMILY
GROWS
THE NEW FORD FOR 1920
- Eight lb. Hortense Ford
was born at 11 a.m. on Sep.
5, 1920 at the Plant Park
infirmary. She had the
best of doctors caring for
her, one being her
grandfather, Dr. Louis S.
Oppenheimer.
ANOTHER NEW FORD IN 1925
- By this time, Mrs.
Ford was "formerly of Tampa"
as apparently she and Mr.
Ford had homes in Tampa and
Brooklyn, NY.
Laura Ford was born in
Brooklyn on April 29, 1925.
**The Burgert catalog
says this is April 15, 1919,
but TampaPix has
convincing evidence
it was July 29.
Read on. Points of interest:
On the horizon,
right side, the
marshy flats that
became Davis Islands
in 1926, to the
left, part of the
same that became
Seddon Island, all
when the channels
were dredged deeper.
Lower right, Onion
dome top and weather
vane of the
Hillsborough Co.
Courthouse on
Franklin St.
Far right edge, the
Bay View Hotel.
The only place this
view could have been
shot from is the
rooftop of the
Hillsboro Hotel on
the block just north
of the courthouse,
between Florida Ave.
& Franklin St, on
the north side of
Madison St.
The photo above was
dated April 15, 1919.
Many events were
scheduled for Tampa
to promote Victory
Loans sales in
mid-1919.
VICTORY or LIBERTY
BONDS
To help finance the
war effort and build
patriotism, the U.S.
Treasury issued
securities termed
“Liberty Bonds” in
June and October
1917 and in May and
October 1918. A
fifth and final
issue, termed the
Victory Liberty Loan
or Victory Loan, was
issued in May 1919
to consolidate
short-term debt
incurred during the
war.
Basically, it was an I.O.U. from Uncle
Sam with a promise
to pay the buyer back,
with interest, at
some predetermined
date.
The sale of these
bonds was
accompanied by an
advertising blitz
consisting of
newspaper ads,
posters,
celebrations, etc,
all based on
patriotic and moral
responsibility to
participate.
There was
competition between
counties and cities
showing the total
sales for each in
the newspapers. In
many areas, the
publicity was in the
form of the display
of military
equipment, such as
weapons, tanks
parading through the
streets, and
planes buzzing over
cities and landing
at nearby airfields
for display.
Many merchants
displayed artifacts
of the war brought
back by American
servicemen, such as
"a pin worn by a
dead German soldier"
or "a spark plug
from the plane crash
that killed.." etc.
There were many
articles in the
Tampa newspapers
that planes were
flying out of
Carlstrom Field in
Arcadia for these
events. In
late April,
publicity began to
generate in Tampa
for a Victory Loan campaign blitz
during which an
American tank would
parade through the
streets of Tampa and
ten planes were to
fly out of Carlstrom
Field headed for
Tampa, but that
depended on
Bradenton's
readiness to
accommodate the
planes.
Bradenton was a
necessary refueling
stop for aircraft
out of Arcadia
headed for Tampa.
Nothing else is ever
published about this
event, except that
twice, "the planes
will be here
tomorrow" was
followed by the
planes "no-show" in
the next day's
paper.
Success was
inconsistent in
Tampa, sometimes
being raved about as
being highly
successful,
sometimes described
as a failure.
"The tank is to be
used in conjunction
with air and sea
planes in gaining
publicity for the
campaign."
But this is already
April 16, 1919.
April 23, 1919 - An
announcement was
made this morning
that a number of
airplanes, probably
10 in number, would
arrive in Tampa
early Saturday
morning to assist in
the drive.
April 23, 1919 was a
Wednesday, so look
for planes on the
26th.
TANKS AND PLANES
A NO SHOW ON
SATURDAY
Instead, they
did a tour of the
Polk Co. area.
The tank was due in
Tampa on Saturday,
but didn't show
until Tuesday, but still no planes.
On Apr. 29, 1919, a
military tank was
paraded down the
streets of Tampa
which drew quite a
crowd. A May 5
article in the Tampa
Times reveals that
Mayor D. B. McKay
was miffed because
the tank tore up the
paving on the
streets. He
said, "no more tanks
in Tampa."
The only planes
publicized that
would eventually
make it to Tampa was
in early May
when two seaplanes
would come from Key
West to land in the
bay at Tampa and St.
Pete.
None of the Victory
Loan events held in
Tampa describe
anything remotely
similar to what this
photo shows.
CITY HALL FLAG POLE
GETS A PAINT JOB
Guy Moore, a
steeplejack,
attracted lots of
attention from the
crowd in the streets
as he climbed the
City Hall flag pole
to paint it.
The ninth floor is further
set in and features one
arched window on each
elevation, surrounded by
stuccoed gypsum block. A
stucco parapet rises above a
terra cotta band with terra
cotta urns and flames at
each of the four corners.
The clock tower sits in the
midst of these urns, with
the four faces of Hortense
above the metal louvers that
screen her bell in between
the stuccoed gypsum
pilasters. The bell is
stamped “McSHANE BELL
FOUNDRY CO. BALTIMORE, MD.
1914.” The copper dome and
27-foot flagpole complete
the building.
World
War I
Propaganda
(U.S.
Department
of the
Treasury,
1919).
Victor
Clyde
Forsythe
Artwork.
War. A
bruised
but
unbroken
soldier
returns
home
after
the war,
bringing
along a
few
souvenirs
from his
scraps
with the
Germans.
Following
the end
of the
"Great
War" -
wherein
the
American
military
had
proven
itself
as quite
a
formidable
modern
fighting
force -
the
fifth
Liberty
Loan
drive
was
established
to pay
off
lingering
war
debts.
World
War I
Propaganda
Poster
(American
Lithographic,
1918).
Poster
(30" X
40")
"For
Home and
Country
--
Victory
Liberty
Loan."
War.
artwork
by
Alfred
Everitt
Orr.
Color
image of
a happy
military
family.
A
soldier
holds
his
young
son in
one arm
while
embracing
his wife
with the
other. A
helmet
hangs on
a long
cord
around
the
soldier's
neck.
The
child
smiles
and
embraces
the
soldier
while
the wife
admires
a medal
attached
to the
soldier's
uniform.
Notice the 2nd floor
"skywalk"
between City Hall
and the Police
Headquarters.
PATHE
NEWS
FILMS
AIR
STUNTS
OVER
TAMPA,
July 29,
1919
This is
the
event
captured
by this
photo,
shot
from the
roof of
the
Hotel
Hillsboro.
PATHE
NEWS
FILMS
AIR
STUNTS
OVER
TAMPA,
July 29,
1919
This is
the
event
captured
by this
photo,
shot
from the
roof of
the
Hotel
Hillsboro.
On Jan 1, 1914, when Tony Jannus reached the dock in Tampa from St. Pete on
his historic, first ever scheduled airline service, he was greeted by
enthusiastic cheering, clapping, and the waving of hats and handkerchiefs. A
moment later, there was a rush down the three narrow planks connecting the
platform to the shore, and men, women and children fought to get down to greet
them. The police had to assist in holding back the crowd so that Willard C.
Burgert could take moving pictures of Jannus and his passenger, former St.
Pete Mayor Abram Pheil, bowing, smiling and waving to the crowd.
HORTENSE PROVES TO BE A
FUSSY CITY
EMPLOYEE OVER THE YEARS
Hortense at times would
be a fussy clock over
the years, but many of
her internal mechanical
issues can be attributed
to the improper
environment afforded to
her. The Seth
Thomas Clock Company recommended a
weather-tight room for
their tower clocks and
even lining the
bell room floor with
copper or tin, or some
other weather-proof
material. The room
which housed the bell,
which was the floor
below the clock room,
had slats on all four
sides for better sound
transmittion.
"For reasons which
may be readily
understood, it is
preferable to have
separate rooms for
the clock movement
and the bell, the
bell room requiring
to be open for
sound, the clock
room closed (except
for light) to better
protect the movement
from exposure to the
weather."
Just
as the TIMES had written
in jest on May 2, 1912,
the newspaper became the
"sounding board"
for the public to voice
their gripes about the
clock not running on
time.
The cable and its weight
are the "power source" of
the clock. The
chimes also had its own
cable suspending a
weight. The cable
winds around a spool
from
which the axle turns a
series of gears.
Much like a grandfather
clock, the heavier the
weight, the more power
it has to turn all the
mechanics used in large
clocks. But too
much weight is a burden
to the mechanism.
1922 Burgert Bros. photo
courtesy of the University of S.
Fla. digital collections.
Looking east on Lafayette St.
before the Tampa Terrace Hotel.
At the horizon on the right side
of Lafayette St. can be seen the
Knights of Pythias castle hall.
The
article below was much longer, but
most of it was the drama and thrill
of the reporter's first time at such
a great height.
The article below has been trimmed
of the narrative not related to the
clock. Sixty seconds make an
hour?
J. W. Eckart resets
Hortense so she can bring in the new
year 1928 exactly at midnight.
NO:
Mr.
Eckart was J. W., not L. A.
He was Joseph W. Eckart, was born in
Louisiana in 1860. So he was
around 65 at the time of this
article. His parents
were Swiss and German, and he had
three sons, Anthony, Frederick
(Fritz) C. and J. Rudolph, and two
daughters Alice M. and Rita I.
His wife, Mary I. Eckart, who was
two years younger than J.W. died
before 1930.
NO:
The clock frame alone may
weigh 600 lbs, but the clock
"and the works" weigh much
more.
NO:
Every swing or
"beat" of the
pendulum was not a second.
Hortense had a one-second
pendulum, which is the "period"
of the pendulum--the length of
time it takes to make TWO
complete swings, one in each
direction, returning to the
starting position. So each
"beat" was half a second.
NO:
There are not sixty seconds
to an hour.
NO:
The dials are not even close
to 10 feet in diameter.
NO:
The clock was not installed
in 1914, nor was the building
constructed in 1914. It
was 1915 for both.
NO:
The big weight weighs
significantly more than 1,200
lbs. and is connected to the
STRIKING mechanism, the smaller
weight is significantly less
than 600 lbs and drives the
clock.
The loaf of bread story is
probably something
joked about but
never really done. A loaf
of bread placed on the bell
where the hammer strikes would
fall right off once the hammer
lifts for the first strike.
If anything, it would have to
have been strapped to the head
of the hammer using rope or
similar. Also, anyone able to access the
bell room would have to have
been a City Hall employee,
probably needing at least one
key to access the floor where
the base of the ladder was
The reporter's reference to seeing only one
bell that was larger, "and everyone has
heard or seen that bell" is surely a
reference to the Liberty Bell in
Philadelphia. That bell is just
under 46 inches in diameter at the
mouth and weighs 2,080 lbs., and
that IS a lot more than Hortense's
bell.
The building’s interior
features a central core of
staircases, restrooms, and
elevators, surrounded by
office space. The major
interior spaces, such as the
third-story City Council
chambers and Council
members’ offices, are
separated by large operable
doors with overhead transoms
that provide air flow. The
primary staircase features
marble treads and
wainscoting with a wrought
iron rail. Early
alterations to City Hall
included the addition of an
elevator in 1927, which
originally accessed only the
first three stories. The
single original elevator
eventually was replaced by
two elevators, one of which
reached all eight stories of
the office tower.
A new driveway
was added
under the
skywalk in 1941.
HORTENSE FORD IS WIDOWED - 1928 DEATH
OF RICHMOND FORD
Around 1924, Mr. Ford
started his own company,
Ford Construction Co.
He died on May 28, 1928 in
Tampa after a short illness
of less than two weeks.
In
addition to his wife Hortense,
and daughters Hortense and
Laura, Mr. Ford had a sister and three
brothers. His wife
Hortense would have been
around 38 or 39 at the time, and
his daughters were 7 and 3.
THE HUSBAND THAT TIME FORGOT - HORTENSE O. FORD
MARRIES SAMUEL LEOPOLD
In another "quiet ceremony,"
this time in Philadelphia,
Hortense married Samuel Leopold
on July 29, 1931. The
ceremony was witnessed only by
Mr. Leopold's relatives.
They then honeymooned in
Atlantic City before coming to
Tampa where they lived at
3903 Empedrado Street. Mr.
Leopold, a "clubman and
financier" and former member of
the Pennsylvania prison board, was a son of Marx
Leopold, one of the promoters of
the American Tobacco Co.
Visit "The Oppenheimers of
Tampa" to see this larger and
with all persons positively
identified.
Visit "The Oppenheimers of
Tampa" to see names and who is
missing.
See "The Oppenheimers of Tampa"
for a much larger photo and
identification of the others,
as
well an account of Dr.
Oppenheimer's life by Dr. James
Ingram.
TIME DIFFERENCE ACROSS FACES
IS DUE TO WIND BLOWING ON
THE HANDS
Clock faces show different
times due to the hands
having a small amount of
play in them so the wind
blows one side back a
few minutes and the other
side forward a few.
HORTENSE HAS THE
"HEEBIE-JEEBIES"
Hortense chimes out of
control and witnesses give
their own take on it.
Mayor McKay says it's
because Hortense is excited
about the fair coming to
town. The Supt. of
Public Works says it's
because two opposing
politicians shook hands.
The Supt. of bridges said
Hortense was oiled with
moonshine. Other said
she was giving tips on the
winning Bolita numbers.
(An illegal gambling lottery
where winning numbers are
picked at random.) Tower clocks have a governor
mechanism that controls how
rapidly the hammer hits the
bell. It is a fan-like
device that
uses wind resistance to slow
the chimes. Without
it, the weight would
freefall causing the hammer
to go rapid-fire on the bell.
HORTENSE'S PENDULUM FOUND BROKEN, TIMES
SAYS
VANDALISM, TRIBUNE HAS THE RIGHT STORY
On Nov. 21, 1932, Hortense's pendulum
was found broken. J. W. Eckart, "who
keeps a watchful eye on the clock"
according to the Times, took a look.
Nothing more is said of what he
concluded, but immediately adds that a
detective was called in
afterwards, who concludes it was
vandalism. The Times claimed the pendulum was vandalized and weighed
50 lbs. (It weighs more than
that.) The next
day, the Tribune printed a story covering
the same event, saying Eckart "who
supervised the installation of the clock"
(he did NOT, it was W. H. Beckwith) was called in and
determined it has just broken on its
own. Nothing is said of what a
detective concluded after Eckart
diagnosed the cause. The Tribune
claimed the pendulum weighed 500 lbs.
(It weighs much less than that.)
Being the pendulum rod was made of wood,
it just rotted and broke. It
appears that the room where the clock is
located isn't sealed from the weather
(as Seth Thomas recommends) and was
exposed to the elements. A new
pendulum rod and spring was ordered from
Seth Thomas.
HORTENSE IS RAVAGED BY WIND AND RAIN
More problems due to improper enclosure.
J. W. Eckert did not maintain Hortense
since her installation;
he began
maintaining Hortense in 1923, eight
years after she was installed.
NO!
NO!
FLORIDA FAIR BRINGS CLYDESDALES TO TAMPA
Florida officially became
a dry state on Jan. 1, 1919.
Hillsborough County was one of the last
wet counties in the state, and didn’t
comply until April 3, 1919. In the next
14 years, it created a class of
criminals like none ever seen. You
can call it "Instant Jobs for Mobs."
The Tampa Tribune reported the dramatic
moment when Florida Brewing Company
drained eight casks of beer into the
streets, totaling 22,320 gallons. In
1933, when the 18th amendment to the
U.S. Constitution (the "Volstead Act")
was repealed by the approval of the 21st
amendment. Congress passed
the amendment on Feb. 20, 1933, but it
wasn't ratified until Dec. 5, 1933.
The Florida Prohibition by Counties
Amendment, also known as Amendment 3,
was a legislatively referred
constitutional amendment in Florida
which was approved by voters in the
general election on November 6, 1934.
This amendment modified Article XIX of
the Florida Constitution in relation to
county choice over prohibition of
alcohol, leaving it up to each county.
ARTICLE XIX
Section 1. (There are FOUR
sections to this.)
The Board of County Commissioners of each County in the State, not oftener
than once in every two years,
upon the application of
one-fourth of the registered
voters of any County, shall call
and provide for an election in
the County in which application
is made, to decide whether the
sale of intoxicating liquors,
wines or beer shall be
prohibited therein, the question
to be determined by a majority
of those voting at the election
called under this Section, which
election shall be conducted in
the manner prescribed by law for
holding general elections.
Elections under this Section
shall be held within sixty days
from the time of presenting said
application, but if any such
election should thereby take
place within sixty days of any
State or National election, or
primary, it shall be held within
sixty days after such State or
National election, or primary.
Click on various areas of the photo to
see that area at full size.
DEATH OF
SAMUEL LEOPOLD
1935 State Census, Tampa
Hortense Leopold -
Samuel's age is incorrect, he would have
been 65, not 60. The Leopolds had
a live-in housekeeper from Canada.
Samuel's mother,
Barbara Oppenheimer, was a sister of Dr.
Oppenheimer's father, Simon Oppenheimer.
Samuel and Hortense were
first-cousins, once removed.
DEATH OF DR. LOUIS S. OPPENHEIMER
Dr.
Louis Oppenheimer died suddenly of a
heart attack on Jun. 12, 1939, in
Perry, Fla., while on a trip
to visit his daughter Irma Haas in
Montgomery, Ala. with
his brother.
ABOVE:
Dr. Oppenheimer in 1898, always
stylish and neatly attired, made
rounds in a carriage drawn by his
favorite stallion, Ned.
Both photo above and portrait below courtesy of Culture among the
Sandspurs" in the
Sunland Tribune,
Journal of the
Tampa Historical Society, Vol.
3, No. 1, Nov. 1977.
BELOW:
About his parents from his
autobiography.
TAMPA GIRL HITS HEIGHTS AS
MODEL - Aug. 13, 1940
Miss Hortense Ford,
21-year-old daughter of Mrs.
Hortense Oppenheimer Ford,
is one of New York's most
popular models for college
fashions for fall. Her
pictures are appearing
currently in several of the
national fashion magazines.
Miss Ford's engagement to
John Oliver Wilson, of New
York, was announced
recently.
Tampa City Hall as seen from
the courthouse square
October-1937 Mouse-over
the photo to zoom in on City
Hall
BURGERT
BROS. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE
TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH CO.
PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM
The cannon seen at lower
left is a German
gun
captured
from World War I and set
up as a memorial to
Hillsborough County's
casualties of that war.
In the years after World War
I, many of the spoils of
victory were exhibited or
used as monuments all over
the country. One such
cannon was made a monument
in Tallahassee. So
far, efforts to find
publicity in the papers
about when Tampa's was
obtained and set up have
been unsuccessful. The
gun appears first in this
photo Burgert photo of 1937,
then again in 1939 from an
elevated view from behind.
The only
mention of it found was in
the TAMPA TRIBUNE when the
gun was no longer there.
A Tribune writer published
an article in 1946 titled
"TAMPA FORGETS TOO SOON -
Memorials of Wars Defaced,
Desecrated." The
writer goes on to describe
five war memorials in Tampa
that have been vandalized,
damaged, abused, desecrated,
removed, and/or stored away
and forgotten. He
explains why the gun was no
longer there and that only a
small cement slab remained.
The
obelisk Confederate monument surely
needs no introduction due to
it being in the news so
often lately. The
history of this monument has
always been the center of
Tampa's attention, first
with positive recognition,
recently with negative
publicity. This
monument was no exception to
vandalism and abuse, even
early on.
You can
read more about these two
monuments
here at TampaPix in this
related feature about
the old 1891-1953 County
Courthouse at Court House
Square. Find out how
this Confederate memorial
became the ONLY Confederate
monument in the country
partially paid for by the
U.S Government.
CITY HALL FLAG POLE GETS
PAINT JOB AND GOLD LEAF
TOPPER
(by the legendary Hampton
Dunn)
It appears as if at some
point, Hortense was no
longer being lit from the
inside as she was originally
designed. The dial was
originally mounted on
translucent sectional (6 per
face) glass panels.
Now it seems that the glass
has been replaced or backed by plywood
or something opaque, which
was painted white,
necessitating it being lit
from the outside.
(More on this on the next
page.)
1940s LINGO
WORLD WAR II BEGINS
Tampa's shipbuilding docks would
play a vital role in WWII, as would
hundreds of Tampans who went to work
at the ship yards.
See this TampaPix feature:
Tampa in the 1940s--the sights, and
the sounds.
U.S. NAVY ENLISTMENTS
SKYROCKET
AT LEFT: The response
for enlistment in the U.S.
Navy was so great that the
receiving of applications
and physical exams in the
Federal building moved into
the third floor space of
City Hall for more space and
longer hours. The
general office work of the
U.S. Navy that occupied that
space in City Hall moved
into the Federal building.
BELOW: Bad weather for
several days stalled
Hortense around 9 a.m. on
Christmas eve, 1941, taking
several hours to get fixed.
Evidence that Hortense's
"penthouse suite" was not
well sealed from the
elements as Seth Thomas
Clock Co. instructs for
tower clocks.
HORTENSE TO SPRING FORWARD
-- FEB. 8, 1942
Henry Torrens, keeper of
Hortense the city hall
clock, shows the key with
which he will set her ahead
one hour tomorrow morning at
2 a.m. to keep Tampa
officially in step with
national daylight saving
time. Last week he
told Mayor Chancey that
Hortense's bearings were
worn out and that her inner
workings needed a complete
rejuvenation.
Mouse-over the photo below
where can be seen Hortense's "Transmission."
(Yellow) The vertical shaft below it
turns four gears at the top,
each one connected to a
driveshaft using a hinged
joint because the shafts
slant downward towards each
clock face. One such
driveshaft can be seen
across the top of the photo
to the right edge.
Directly in front of Henry's
forehead is seen the
escapement wheel (blue) and
escapement arm (green) above it
(looks like a boomerang.) The
escapement wheel is driven
by a series of different
size gears and pinions
powered
by the pull of gravity on a
heavy weight connected to a
metal cable which is wound
around a spool. It's
the job of the pendulum to
stop the escapement gear
once every second, otherwise
it would freely spin out of
control as the driving
weight freefalls. It
does this through that
"boomerang" shaped arm that
rocks back and forth,
controlled by the pendulum. In
the side view diagram, the
escapement arm and wheel are
outlined in red.
Diagram from "The
Clock Jobber's Handybook" by
Paul Nooncree Hasluck, 1889.
THE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
DEBACLE
The
first daylight savings time change
was a huge mess for Tampa.
Mayor Chancey was not for it, so
when he eventually gave in and
ordered the change for city workers, he adjusted the
schedules to still keep in sync with
solar time. For example, the
change turned 8 a.m. into 9 a.m.,
but instead of schools
employees clocking in at the new 8
a.m., he had them start at 9 a.m.
which was the old 8 a.m, and work
until 6 p.m, the old 5 p.m. This
produced more confusion and an
uproar from parents who would still
be working when the kids got out of
school. Eventually, the
schedules were reset to sync with
DST.
HORTENSE BREAKS DOWN AGAIN
Parts wore out on
Hortense quite often, a sure
sign that she was suffering
from neglect. Lack of
an enclosure
well-protected from the
weather would also cause her
to wear out.
W. B. STUART OVERHAULS
HORTENSE DEC. 1943
Stuart was the city's water
plant chief engineer, and
apparently an expert
mechanic. "Stuart, a
craftsman of the old school
who loves his machines, has
been working every night to
get the clock running
again..."
Hortense had not been
striking in the recent
years, but not because it
was broken. Her
chiming was turned off
intentionally.
Stuart suggested he could
have it be silent at night
time so it won't disturb the
hotel guests, and he could
have it light up the four
faces at dark automatically.
(Both of these features were
optional devices offered by
Seth Thomas Clock Co.)
THE HORTENSE FUNDRAISING MYTH MAKES ITS
DEBUT - APRIL 5, 1945
In early April, 1945, W. B. Stuart
performed some maintenance on
Hortense, and the repairs were
published in this April 5, 1945
Tampa Times article by Melvin
Altshuler. "There hasn't been a 'bong' out
of her since downtown hotels
complained of the noise"
indicates her striking mechanism was
still intentionally disconnected. In the article,
Hortense is referred to as sounding
like a cranky old woman, "...she squawked
when she should have tocked; she
squeaked when she should have
ticked" and "a sensitive, 600-pound,
weight-driven, pendulum-type clock."
The
Hortense successful fundraising myth
appears in the papers for the first time when
the reporter attempts to explain how
she got her name:
You get different answers when
you ask where Hortense got the name.
One is that Hortense was named after
a woman politician in Tampa.
Mr. Stuart believes that whoever
gave her the name thought Hortense
had some connection with horology,
the science of time. (But Mr.
Stuart informs, "Hortense" means
female gardener.)
City
Clerk Bourquardez, digging into his
records, found out that Hortense was
purchased by 'donations' solicited,
he said, by Miss Hortense
Oppenheimer."That
is where the clock got the name
'Hortense'"
he offered.Then, of course, there is always
someone who asks: "And who is
Hortense?"
The reporter
seems to just shrug shrug it off,
as if thinking, "whoever that
was..."
The reporter DOES
correctly report that her Seth
Thomas "name" was "Number 1906."
This appears on an I.D. plate on the
clock's main frame.
Hortense was made by Seth Thomas
CLOCK Co. (not watch co.) and
completed in 1915, not 1914.
Exactly what records City Clerk Bourquardez
dug into and found remains to be seen.
The naming of the clock was
purely a publicity affair.
It was suggested by Willis
Powell who was at the time
the editor of the Clearwater
Sun. He persuaded the
Tampa Times (then owned by
D. B. McKay) to pick it up
and promote it, and at one
time urging them to get the
City to make it official.
But the latter was never
done, no proclamation by the
Mayor was ever made. The
City government had no
official or ceremonial
documentation for the name for the clock.
Since it was completely a
press-generated event, there
would have been no "city
records" for Bourquardez to
find.
Consider also
that Bourquardez had a
reputation of being able to
find anything in the city
records, if it existed. Bourquardez
may have actually looked for something,
and only finding city council records
concerning the cost, told the reporter
there was nothing about Hortense.
It's NOT likely he told the reporter he
found records concerning her name.
But wanting to finish his story, and
maybe even wanting to further
Bourquardez's reputation, the reporter
published it as having been "dug" from
City records. What Bourquardez
thought personally may be from what he heard passed around
by word of mouth--something
he probably already assumed was true.
It is clear that it was known
by both exactly who the clock was named
for. It's not clear if either one
of them knew Hortense Oppenheimer was
still around. This was,
after all, THIRTY YEARS after the
opening of the new City Hall of 1915.
It could be that they didn't know
Hortense Ford was Hortense Oppenheimer.
There are many possibilities of what
could have transpired between the
reporter and City Clerk.
According to Nameberry.com:
The
name Hortense is a girl's name of
Latin origin meaning "of the
garden". The long unfashionable
Hortense is actually the French
feminine form of Hortensia, the
name of a strong, politically active
early Roman woman.
Hortense began to be used in the
English-speaking world in the
nineteenth century. Napoleon had a
stepdaughter named Hortense, it was
the name of one of the main
characters in the film "Secrets and
Lies" and is also associated with
novelist Hortense Calisher. As
unappealing as it might be to most
American parents, Hortense is now
the 311th most popular female name
in France.
WHILE
YOU'RE UP THERE, WOULD YOU
MIND PAINTING THE BUILDING
TOO?
FLIES JAM HORTENSE'S GEARS
CORRECTION:
33 YEARS OF FAITHFUL BUT AT
TIMES FUSSY SERVICE
The
article at left has been shortened;
the rest was about Mr. Haight.
Click the image to see the whole
article.
W. B. STUART CALLED AWAY TO TEND TO
THE WATERWORKS, WILL NO LONGER
MAINTAIN HORTENSE
Stuart's mechanical genius was
needed back at the waterworks,
so Tampans feared Hortense would revert
to her old errant ways.
Hortense
never chimed on the quarter
hours. Originally she
chimed out the hour and
shortly after she was up and
running, a one-strike
half-hour chime mechanism
was installed. Her
chimes were "disconnected
several years ago to prevent
disturbing slumber of
downtown hotel guests."
HORTENSE GETS
A FACE LIFT- Aug. 1949
In August, 1949, four painters
climbed City Hall tower and painted
Hortense's hands and numerals black.
All the walls surrounding her were
painted white. City Hall
custodian D. J. Gingrich said it had
been "years and years" since she was
painted; at least four years.
From the street, it looked like the
lower part of the clock tower was
pink, but that was due to sunlight
reflecting off the roof below the
tower, which had been painted red.
During the above painting
it was discovered that Hortense's south
face had a bullet hole in it.
THE TAMPA
TIMES SPOTLIGHTS
FLAGLESS PUBLIC BUILDINGS ON FLAG DAY,
JUNE 14, 1952
On the 175th anniversary
of the U.S. flag, the
Times photographed three
prominent public
buildings going
flagless. But
these weren't the
exceptions, as very few
buildings downtown
displayed a flag.
The same went for
private citizens, as
flag-wavers were a
decided minority.
On Independence Day, 1952,
the Times again checked up
on flag-slackers and found
the County Courthouse had
repented, but City Hall was
still flagless. This
time, the reason was given:
the pulleys on the flag pole
were broken for weeks
because the City's
purchasing agent couldn't
find a steeplejack to fix
it. The Times didn't
back down, suggesting they
should have at least put up
a temporary display.
W. T. Roberts was one of two
steeplejacks who saw the
Times' July 4th article and
were willing to fix the
pulleys at City Hall.
The Times made it clear that
it was due to their
"spotlighting" of the flag
absence that repairs were
initiated.
Read about the history of
the County Courthouses at
Court House Square and the
the various monuments that
once adorned its manicured
lawn,
Here at TampaPix.
AT LEFT: The pulleys on the City
Hall flag pole were repaired and on
Jul. 10, 1952 Old Glory waved in the
breeze. This time the Times
says THREE steeplejacks responded to
the call.
HORTENSE IS IN THE DARK
A Tribune reader
pointed out that
even if Hortense
was dark at
night, it was
better than the
clock atop the
Standard Cigar
Co. at 2701 15th
St. which was
six hours off.
HORTENSE GETS A NEW TICKER
DON'T EVEN THINK
ABOUT, TRIBUNE.
WALLACE F. JAKA - MAN OR MYTH?
Here,
Hortense's chime was back on again.
Ja Ka claims this was Hortense's first
major overhaul since 1927, and that he
performed that one. Nothing could be found in the newspapers
concerning Wallace Ja Ka or an
"overhaul" or repair work to Hortense
from 1925 to 1929 other than the
repairs done by J. W. Eckart already
covered above. In 1943 W. B. Stuart did a major
overhaul on Hortense. Perhaps Mr.
Ja Ka was confused with some other town
clock he had worked on.
Hortense
was made in 1915 and
installed in 1915. Her
weights did not total 2550
lbs. and her hammer is heavier
than 24 lbs.
THIS PHOTO APPEARS TO SHOW
THAT THE BELL HAS A CLAPPER.
The hammer weighs more than
24 lbs.
Details are on next page.
Mr. Jaka was mistaken
about Hortense being
overhauled by him in 1927.
He claims to have traveled quite a bit
doing this type of work, and
nothing in the papers
indicates a problem with
Hortense in 1927. J.
W. Eckart maintained
Hortense in the late 1920s
and her affairs were always
publicly aired in the
papers.
WHO WAS WALLACE F. JAKA?
Wallace Franklin
Jaka has an interesting
past. It seems that
everywhere he worked, he
made some pretty fantastic
claims as to his experience, his
ancestry, and his father's
and grandfather's clock
careers.
"Putting
a television screen atop the
Empire State Building" the
"veteran watchmaker turned
into a combination
watchmaker-steeplejack not
by choice" was the nature of
his business. He was
"the man who snarled Chicago
traffic when he sat astride
one of the hands of the huge
Wrigley Building clock..."
HIS TRAIL OF
CLAIMS:
1950 - Platteville,
Wisconsin - Conversion of
town clock to electric motor
drive -
"Wallace Jaka, of Ottawa,
IL., is a descendent of the
original clock-making Thomas
family. " He invented
the "electric mechanism"
that he was installing in
tower clocks.
Wallace's father, Walter,
"installed more than 2,600
tower clocks around the
world, and he has converted
900 of them."
1951, Iron River, Michigan,
City Hall tower clock
conversion to electric motor
- Here he is Walter Jaka
of Ottawa IL. "It
[their City Hall clock) was
built by his grandfather,
Wallace Jaka in 1913 and
installed by his father,
Walter, in 1914.
1954 - Fairbury City Hall,
Illinois, repair and
refurbish tower clock, was
already motor driven -
"Jaka, the owner of the
Tower Clock Co. of Ottawa,
claimed it was the only
company in the world to
stock parts for tower
clocks." Jaka was
quoted as saying his
grandfather made the clock
and his father installed it
on Dec. 20, 1912, the first
day the bell tolled.
1956 - Tampa, Florida -
Conversion of City Hall
clock "Hortense" to electric
motor drive. Painted her
faces and replaced three
hands with hands he made
himself.
"Putting a television screen
atop the Empire State
Building" the "veteran
watchmaker turned into a
combination
watchmaker-steeplejack not
by choice" was the nature of
his business. He was
"the man who snarled Chicago
traffic when he sat astride
one of the hands of the huge
Wrigley Building clock..."
Claimed this was Hortense's
first major repair since
1927, which he also said he
performed (but did not.). "..A
seventh generation of Swiss
watchmakers.."
1957 - Madison, Wisconsin,
Restoration of "WISCONSIN"
[often erroneously referred
to as "MISS FORWARD"] the
female statue atop the dome
of the State Capitol by
re-gilding with gold leaf and
repairing bullet hole in
hand. -
His next job was to
be the statuary at the
Mormon Temple in Salt lake
City. He carries a
$50,000 policy with Lloyds
of London and another
$100,000 policy with an
American firm. He has
a wife, and a 29-yr-old
daughter Peggy, and a son
living in Milwaukee.
"He
started as a steeplejack when he was 15
in 1915, he is seventh generation of
family to work in tower clock business.
He has a 29-year-old son named Bud who
is also in the business. Three of
four grandsons are planning to be
steeplejacks. His ancestor
left Switzerland in 1608 and started the
tradition of the Jaka Tower Clock Co. of
Milwaukee and now services almost all of
the 7,318 tower clocks in N. America.
He has worked in St. Peter's basilica in
Rome, Big Ben in London, and installed a
radar screen on the top of the Empire
State building. He also worked on
the clock on the Wrigley building in
Chicago."
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REAL
WALLACE F. JAKA Was he really all he said
he was, did he have
something to cover up in
claiming these experiences,
or was he simply
delusional?
HORTENSE OPPENHEIMER
FORD ALWAYS IN THE
PUBLIC EYE
Hortense Oppenheimer
Ford became a fixture in
Tampa social and
cultural circles. She
and her sisters, Irma,
Olive, Dorothy and
Carmen, were long
involved in the cultural
affairs of Tampa,
including the Friday
Morning Musicale which
was established by Dr.
Oppenheimer. Hortense
promoted the Tampa Civic
Musical Association, a
group that brought
singers and orchestras
to the city's Municipal
Auditorium.
TAMPA
MUNICIPAL /
MCKAY
AUDITORIUM
Tampa
Municipal
Auditorium
was built in
1926 behind
the Tampa
Bay Hotel
grounds.
Later, in
1933, it
would become
the area
behind Plant
Hall at the
University
of Tampa
campus. When
prominent
Tampan,
mayor and
newspaper
editor D.B.
McKay died
in 1960, the
building was
renamed
McKay
Auditorium
in his
honor.
A 1993 fire
left it
gutted and
unusable. In
1997, local
computer
entrepreneur
John Sykes
donated
$10-million
to the
University
of Tampa,
and most of
the funds
were used to
refurbish
and expand
the damaged
neoclassical
structure
into the
John H.
Sykes
College of
Business,
which opened
in 2000.
Above and
Below:
Municipal
Auditorium
in 1926,
Burgert
Bros. photos
courtesy of
the Tampa
Hillsborough
Co. Public
Library
System.
Below:
Municipal
Auditorium
in 1947,
Burgert
Bros. photos
courtesy of
the Tampa
Hillsborough
Co. Public
Library
System.
Hortense Oppenheimer
Ford continued to be in
the forefront of civic
involvement, with her
name (Hortense Ford, as
she apparently
preferred) and photos
appearing in the
newspapers quite often.
She was devoted to fund
raising for the rest of
her life.
AT LEFT:
Hortense was a very
active proponent for
the arts in Tampa.
She was the
president of the
Tampa Art Institute.
Here she helps
select artwork to
display at the
upcoming Fifth
Annual Beaux Arts
Ball to be held at
the Jai Alai
Fronton.
BELOW: Hortense was
in the receiving
line to greet guests
at the reception in
Tampa's Municipal
Auditorium after
this event sponsored
by the Art Institute
and Tampa's
Philharmonic
Orchestra.
This article in Jan. 1961 says a lot
about Hortense's achievements and
talent. but only one has been
verified.
Just a slight detail is amiss, her
crusade was not to get it "there,"
not for City Hall but for the
courthouse square.
At right:
Hortense
hamming it
up at the
keyboard
with Old
Timers club
members.
She was the
substitute
organist for
the Strand
Theater in
1917.
Hortense had
much better
luck raising
funds for
the
orchestra
than she did
for a town
clock
fifty-two
years
earlier.
AT RIGHT:
Hortense
serving
snacks at
the annual
Old Timers'
Club
reception in
1964.
This was a
club she
started for
Tampans who
lived here
since 1910
or before.
Sumter Lowry
seen second
from left,
was the
donor of
Sheena the
baby
elephant to
Lowry Park
Zoo in 1960.
The park was
named for
his father
in 1925, Dr.
Sumter de
Leon Lowry,
a City
Commissioner
who made it
possible for
Tampa to
acquire the
site which
was
originally
to be a
cemetery.
It was Lowry
who
suggested
the land be
used as a
park.
Hortense
turned 75 on
Apr. 17,
1964, which
means she
was born in
1889.
HORTENSE
FORD SPEAKS OUT IN DEFENSE OF PLANT PARK
In 1965
Hortense ruffled some feathers when
she voiced her opinion on keeping
statues out of Plant Park, even if it
was a memorial to JFK. The park
was practically her front yard, having lived behind the
hotel since 1895, and she didn't want it
"cluttered with statues," no matter who
they depicted. Her father was the
Tampa Bay Hotel physician and a personal
friend of H.B. Plant, even though Plant
never lived in Tampa. Dr.
Oppenheimer's success was directly and
indirectly the result of H. B. Plant's
influence. Hortense also
threw in her point on the renaming of
Lafayette St., Grand Central Ave. and
Memorial Blvd. to John F. Kennedy Blvd.
which was also being considered, asking
why not change the whole thoroughfare to
Memorial Blvd. to honor the casualties
of war.
Despite
the popularity of President Kennedy, and
his recent visit to Tampa, there were
some who wrote in who agreed with
Hortense, saying the tribute should be
in readily visible location and opposing
the renaming of Memorial Bvd.
TWO
LADIES SPEAK UP, BUT NOT IN SUPPORT
OF HORTENSE
The
architect's rendering above shows the
memorial in a position directly in front
of, and facing the hotel main entrance;
about where the tribute fountain and
sculpture to H.B. Plant now stands.
In the upper right can be seen the
Lafayette Street (Kennedy Blvd.) bridge
apron, which is where the memorial was
finally placed, facing the street.
Perhaps this was a compromise between
the two sides. Clearly, a memorial
will be seen by more people if facing a
busy street than if it were in a park
set back several hundred feet from it.
Hortense, being a
musician herself,
was very much
involved with Tampa's music scene for all her life.
Henry
Plant's Tampa Bay Hotel was so long, in
the 1890s he used a fleet of Chinese
rickshaws to transport guests from one
end of it to the other.
Hortense's
youngest
daughter,
Laura, is
seen here in
the middle.
Hortense was
founder of
the "Old
Timers
Club," a
group for
Tampans who
had lived
here since
before 1910.
The coat of
arms on the
wall is for
"Eaton." No
such surname
is known to
exist in
Hortense's
ancestry.
Her father
was a son of
Simon
Oppenheimer
and Caroline
Rosenfeldt.
Her mother,
Alberta
Meade Dozier
was a
daughter of
John Wilson
Dozier Jr.
and Leonora
Louisa
Sanford.
John W.
Dozier was a
son of John
Sr. and
Martha Stith.
Hortense is described as "the vivacious Hortense" and a "Tampa pioneer, clubwoman, historian and member of many of Tampa's leading organizations including the Chiselers, Old Timers' Club, Colonial Dames of the 17th Century, past President of the Symphony Guild, the Tampa Bay Arts Center, Friday Morning Musicale (an event her father started), past President of the Student Arts Club, DAR, and the list goes on and on." Here she's won a contest with a jingle she wrote for Tetley Tea.
BELOW: Mrs. Turner brought a sugar bowl inscribed with "Property of the Tampa Bay Hotel" to Hortense to look at. Hortense recalled seeing such a bowl as this one in her childhood days.
THE DEATH
OF HORTENSE
OPPENHEIMER FORD
(LEOPOLD)
THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR
THE OLD POLICE STATION
In 1959, the City began work
on a new,
state-of-the-art
Police
headquarters at
1710 N. Tampa
St., having
seriously
outgrown the old
1915 facility.
The new facility
was ready for
occupancy in the
summer of 1961.,
barely in time
for the
Governor's
planned visit to
Tampa.
THE DEATH OF DONALD
BRENHAM MCKAY
McKay's
obituaries
were all
very long
and covered
much of the
history of
Tampa as it
related to
him.
Much of the
content
appears to
have come
directly
from the
first two
sources
below, since
both were
written
while McKay
was living
(and one of
which he
himself was
the editor,
so its
accuracy can
be relied
on.)
Tampa, A History of the
City, etc.
by Karl H. Grismer,
edited by D. B. McKay,
1950. at the USF Library
digital collections.
Mayors of Tampa, 2019,
9th edition, a project
of the City of Tampa,
Shirley Foxx-Knowles,
CMC City Clerk, City of
Tampa.
Obituaries in the Sep.
8, 1960 Tampa Times &
Tampa Tribune and other
various articles.
D.B. McKay
was one of
the most
remarkable
men that
Tampa has
ever produced.
He
was a man of
wonderful
grasp of
mind,
tremendous
energy and
tenacity of
purpose as
well as
possessing
the
administrative
faculties in
superlative degree. Growing up
at a time
when there
were fewer
advantages
of education
presented to
the youth of
the
community
than now, he
overcame
this
handicap by
energetic
application
and
assiduous
study in
private,
gaining thus
an education
superior to
that of many
men who were
college-bred.
He was
largely
self-made,
and had no
cause to
feel ashamed
of his work
as the
architect of
his own
fortunes.
A potent
influence in the development
of the city of Tampa and its
great port has been the
McKay family. In the
instance of Hon. Donald
Brenham McKay this influence
was exerted principally
through the medium of the
public press. For forty
years—from 1898 to 1938—he
was editor and publisher of
the Tampa “Times,” and
before that period had held
the position of city editor
on its staff.
He was also president of the
Tampa Board of Trade,
predecessor to the Chamber
of Commerce,
and was one of the founders
(1931) and trustees of the
University of Tampa.
On October 7, 1900, Donald
Brenham McKay married Aurora
P. F. Gutierrez, a native of
Pelham Bay, New York,
daughter of Gavino and
Nellie (Daley) Gutierrez.
Her father was born in
Spain, and after coming to
the United States became an
important figure in the
building of Tampa and its
environs. He had originally
established himself in New
York as an importer and
broker, but on a visit to
Florida in Key West met
Vicente Martinez Ybor and
afterward Ignacio Haya, old
friends. These two men were
engaged in the manufacture
of cigars and had
practically decided to move
their factories to
Galveston, Texas, because of
labor trouble, when Mr.
Gutierrez persuaded them to
inspect Tampa, and they set
up their factories there.
Many other cigar
manufacturers followed and
Tampa became the dean of
Havana cigar manufacturing
centers of the world. Mr.
Gutierrez surveyed and laid
out the cigar town, and that
section situated on the edge
of the city was named for
his friend Ybor City. Of the
children born to Donald
Brenham and Aurora
(Gutierrez) McKay the
following are living: Mary
Helen, who married John K.
Martin; Ada Marion; Aurora;
Celestina, wife of Colonel
G. E. Burnett; Mary Jane,
now Mrs. J. L. Ott; John
Angus; and Robert Angus.
Three children are deceased:
Donald Brenham, Jr.;
Margaret Almeria, who
married Charles M. Guyton;
and Petronila, who was the
wife of Fernando Gallardo of
Spain.
Born in
Tampa, July 29, 1868, Donald
Brenham McKay was a son of
John Angus and Mary Jane
(McCarty) McKay and a
grandson of Captain James
McKay, who settled in Tampa
in 1846. His grandfather was
a native of Thurso,
Caithness, Scotland.
Caithness has for centuries
been the home of the
Scottish clan McKay,
originally spelled MacKay.
At the age
of fourteen, Donald Brenham
McKay began work in the
printing business, his first
connection being with James
T. Magbee's "Tampa Guardian"
then the original “Weekly
Tampa Tribune.” With
the exception of one year
which he spent in railroad
construction, the newspaper
publishing field has
occupied the remainder of
his active career. When in
1893 the “Tampa Times” was
founded, Mr. McKay was
placed in charge of its
mechanical plant as foreman.
He advanced to city editor
and later editor of the
paper,
Late in 1898
the paper got into financial
difficulties and Mr. McKay
borrowed enough money to buy
controlling interest.
In 1922 he bought all the
remaining outstanding stock.
In September, 1923, the
Times moved into expanded
quarters at Franklin and
Washington streets.
Connected with its news
facilities was a powerful
radio broadcasting station, WDAE, of the Columbia
Broadcasting System. It was
Florida's pioneer radio
station. Mr. McKay built up
this paper into one of the
South's leading influences
in journalism. He was active
in its publication until
1933, when he sold it
to David E.
Smiley and Ralph Nicholson
and retired.
The
success achieved by this
paper was largely due to the
energy and ability displayed
by D.B. McKay.
This was
evidenced by
the
wonderful
success that
has attended
his conduct
of the
office of
mayor of the
city of
Tampa. Mr.
McKay served
the City of
Tampa as
mayor for 14
years
including three months as
mayor-commissioner.
During his
administrations,
Tampa
experienced
its most
remarkable
growth.
Fifty per
cent of all
street
paving and
seventy-five
per cent of
all sidewalk
mileage in
the city
were
completed
and
extensive
construction
work was
done on a
sewerage
system.
He
was elected
in 1910 for
the first
time as
mayor for a
2-year term,
re-elected
in 1912 for
a 4-year
term and and
re-elected
again for
the same
length term
in 1916.
During the 1916 mayoral
campaign, D . B . McKay
emphasized his opposition to
the commission form of
government . He argued that
the existing formation
provided better
representation for all
sectors of the population
and that the commission form
would result in limited
focus of powers. At
the end of his third term
in1920, Tampa
voters approved adoption
of the commission-manager
system, 1,576 to 665.
Tampa women including Kate
Jackson, Julia Norris, and
Frances Macfarlane, who had
long been involved in civic
affairs, mobilized in
support of the new charter
which was ratified
on August 18, 1920.
At the time of World War I,
he was
active in the sale of
Liberty Bonds, and for
decades in
Salvation Army and Red Cross
drives.
He was
appointed by
Pres. Wilson
to serve as
chairman of
the
President's
Advisory
Committee
for
Southwest
Florida to
furnish
confidential
information
regarding
individuals
being
considered
for
responsible
positions in
various
phases of
the war
effort.
The system of commission
government was abolished by
the voters in 1927 because
it proved to be ineffective
and cumbersome and he
Mayor-City Council system
was reinstated. McKay
won without opposition
and took office again in
January 1928 . McKay worked
within the
commission-manager system
(January 3 - 24, 1928) until
the new City Charter
restored the mayor-city
council system and he became
the Mayor once again.
Will
Burgert was a
correspondent
and cameraman
for the Pathe
News Service
newsreels.
The reference to
"pictures" is
probably movie
footage.
Because
of his interest in the
Seminole Indians, in 1928 he
was awarded the
position of honorary chief
among them, being known as
Chief White Heron.
The
award of “Excellence in
Citizenship” was given him
by the Civitan Club in 1929.
Mr. McKay was an honorary
member of the Rotary Club.
He was fraternally
affiliated with the
Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks, of which he
was past exalted ruler, was
a member of Bay Lodge,
Knights of Pythias, and
L'Unione Italiano.
On July 17, 1929, the
Franklin Street Citizens
Bank & Trust Company closed
. The “crash of 1929”
brought unemployment and a
halt to the tourist and
cigar industry, ending two
important resources into the
city . Mayor McKay
persevered in a time of
great hardships.
In Sept. of 1931 McKay
announced he planned to
resign from the office of
Mayor on the first week of
November, two months shy of
completing his 4-year term,
in order to devote more
attention to his business,
the Tampa Times, and
personal life. But in
a surprise move, he turned
in his resignation a week
early, on Oct. 27, 1931,
causing President of the
City Board (City Council)
Thomas N. Henderson to be
sworn in as
acting mayor to complete
the seven days remaining in
D .B . McKay’s term until
the scheduled special
election.
A week later, at the
next election, Thomas
Henderson campaigned against
Robert E. Lee Chancey for
mayor but lost to Chancey by
a narrow margin.
After McKay left office in
October 1931, D.B.
continued an active role in
ownership as editor of the
Tampa Times and
served as director of the
First National Bank as
the oldest member of the
board. This was the first
bank in Florida granted a
national charter.
McKay stepped back into
politics in 1935 when he
opposed Mayor Chancey in the
mayoral primary in
September. Chancey won
in one of the most violent
and tumultuous elections
ever held in Tampa. To
make matters worse, 65 mph
tropical storm force winds
and rain lashed Tampa during
the election and while votes
were being counted.
Several men were shot,
the National Guard was
called out to maintain
order, and many poll
officials were arrested for
tampering with the ballot
boxes, with 3 boxes being
seized. Even before
the election, McKay's
campaign committee turned in
a list of over 12,000
illegal names on the voting
registers for each precinct.
Chancey defeated McKay,
9,325 to 5,084, a margin of
4,241 votes. Former
mayors D .B . McKay, Perry
Wall and other leading
citizens accused Chancey of
voter fraud, ballot stuffing
and other illegal activities
Although they were able to
substantiate some of their
accusations, the evidence
was not sufficient to remove Chancey from office.
A new city hall, a public
library, an addition to the
city hospital, the Lafayette
Street bridge and new fire
stations, all came into
being during his mayoral
administrations. In the
columns of his paper, Mr.
McKay did much to establish
and promote the cigar
manufacturing industry,
which became the city's
principal industrial
interest. He was a devoted
worker in the Board of
Trade, serving a term as its
president, and many terms on
its board of governors.
In 1937 he was appointed by
Gov. Cone to the first
Hillsborough County jury
commission and served for
three terms. He also served
as chairman of the committee
that sponsored "Birthday
Balls" advocated by
President Roosevelt to raise
funds for the campaign
against infant paralysis
One of his
particular interests was the
Tampa Children's Home, of
which he has been a member
of the board of trustees for
many years. When its former
building was destroyed by
fire, he took a leading part
in raising funds to build a
new structure.
Mr. McKay had long been
vitally interested in the
history of his region.
In his later
years he
spent much
of his time
compiling
historical
data about
Hillsborough
County and
Florida and
used
much of his
material in
his "Pioneer
Florida"
series which
had long
been a
feature of
the Tampa
Sunday
Tribune
beginning in 1946 In 1949 he
was appointed county
historian by the
newly-created Hillsborough
County Historical
Commission.
In 1944 he
was awarded
the
Cervantes
Medal by the
Hispanic
Institute of
Florida.
1926 Burgert Bros. photo
courtesy of the Tampa
Hillsborough Co. Public
Library System
Among the
particular honors which have
been conferred on Donald B.
McKay have been the honorary
degree of Doctor of
Literature, by Rollins
College. He has also been
decorated by the King of
Spain, the late Alfonso
XIII, with the Order of
Isabel la Catolica. The
Hispanic Institute of
Florida conferred the
Cervantes Medal on him in
1944.
On August 9, 1960, the
Municipal Auditorium at the University
of Tampa was renamed McKay
Auditorium in his
honor .
BIG PLANS FOR THE OLD POLICE
STATION BUILDING
Now that the police
department had vacated the
old building, initial plans
were to remodel it and
continue using it.
"The building will soon be
remodeled to provide
additional office space for
City Hall workers, and to
make some city offices more
convenient to the public."
The biggest blessing was to
be the addition of a new
elevator. The old one
was so slow that rumors were
"the prisoners were
demanding credit for time
they spent going up and down
the elevator."
In 1961, the Tampa Police
Department moved from 300 N.
Florida Avenue into a new
two-story complex at Tampa
Street and Henderson Avenue,
where Stetson College of Law
is now located. The police
department had outgrown the
three-story headquarters
building at the corner of
Jackson Street and Florida
Avenue, and the building’s
structural system was
beginning to fail. That
building was demolished in
1962.
MAYOR AND CITY
COUNCIL SHOOT
DOWN OLD POLICE
STATION, TAKE
AIM AT "OLD"
CITY HALL
In early July
the Mayor and
City Council
decided to
scuttle the old
police station,
which was now
being referred
to as "the
annex."
The decision
"marked the end
of the annex and
the beginning of
the end for the
10-story City
Hall."
The old station
had sleeping
rooms, a lounge,
and cared for a
"fleet" of two
automobiles.
Eleven horses
were kept there
and the stable
doors were still
evident but
bricked shut.
During its
construction,
the design
included "a city
jail consisting
of 44 cells, two
of which will be
padded."
Now, even old
City Hall was in
the crosshairs
of the City
snipers.
Who were these
sharpshooters
taking aim at
old City Hall?
TAMPA CITY
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Oct. 25, 1962 POLICE HEADQUARTERS
South facade, Jackson St.
Burgert Bros. photo courtesy
of the Tampa-Hillsborough
Co. Public Library System.
THE END IS NEAR. Previously the site of the
old Stringer house, there would be no "Imboden
Stalnaker" to buy this
building and move it
somewhere.
OH, DID WE
SAY A PARK
AREA? WE MEANT
PARKING AREA.
They left
off 3 letters, "ING" from the caption
below. "The site is to be a
downtown PARKING area once the
old station is cleared away.
HEY LEO, WHAT ARE THOSE
THINGS ANYWAY?
These
are Grecian victory
lamps.
(And if they're not,
they should be.)
Photos courtesy of Walbridge.
PATRICK HENRY THE STEEPLEJACK - GIVE HIM
LIBERTY!
July 23, 1969 - Twenty-two year old
steeplejack Patrick Henry sat on a chair
while painting Hortense's crown, causing
the passersby some anxious moments. The
former seaman was a city employee in the
maintenance division preparing to apply
a coat of copper paint. This was
to be the first of planned improvements
to City Hall, which also included a
steam cleaning of the exterior brick and
terra cotta.
March 28,
1970 - Once again, Patrick Henry climbed
high to repair Hortense's flagpole and
give it a coat of paint.
Hortense
was down for three weeks in Feb. 1970,
waiting for electrical parts to arrive.
City electrical inspector Julian
Burnside suggested the city should get
her bell ringing again. Apparently it wasn't broken,
still just turned
off. The chime was operational in
1956, this article says it had been
silent for six years, so it would have
been turned off again around 1964 if
correct.
A search of newspapers for such an event
from 1963 to 1965 yielded nothing
published about it. (Possibly a
"mini-myth.)
Hortense's hammer weighs more than 24
lbs.
HISTORIC AMERICAN
BUILDING STATUS FOR CITY
HALL
In 1974 Tampa City Hall
was added to the
National Register of
Historic Buildings.
HORTENSE'S
HOUSE
GETS ITS
FIRST
SCRUBBING
In 1974,
after almost
60 years (so
the article
claims) the
soot,
pollution,
dirt and
bugs were
scrubbed off City Hall
for the
first time,
under the
watchful
eyes of
Hortense.
Estimated
costs for
the special
chemicals
and labor
was expected
to be around
$15,000.
"Special
care must be
taken not to
destroy or
disturb any
of the
original
fixtures of
the
building.
If anything
was damaged,
it would
have to be
repaired or
replaced
with
something of
the same
design to
match as
closely as
possible.
A small area
would be
cleaned
first.
Then the
rest of the
building
must match
the standard
set by the
test area.
The listing stops just
shy of the Hortense
myth, but implies
Hortense's
fundraising was
successful by not
stating otherwise.
It really
was due to her efforts
that the clock was named
Hortense--unsuccessful efforts,
for a courthouse clock, but worthy of
recognition nonetheless.
THE HAB SURVEY - A
CONCERT OF MYTHS
Photos
were taken in 1981 for the
Historic American
Buildings Survey.
Of course, the Hortense
myth made its way into
the report. So did
the "Mrs. Maria Moore
Post Principal Speaker"
myth, as well as the
incorrect date for the
completion of the police
station. The police
station was completed
before old old City Hall
was demolished in Feb.
1915.
There is one other small
error; the construction
of the previous City
Hall wasn't "completed" by
Bullivant. He
performed most of the
construction up until
the interior, at which
point he skipped town
never to be located, due
to underestimating the
bid and running out of
funds. McNeil
Contractors finished the
job.
In 1978, the Tampa Municipal
Office building, or "City
Hall Annex," an
eight-story municipal office
building, was constructed adjacent to the
historic 1915 building.
In 1997 the Tampa Police
Department moved to 411 N. Franklin
Street. The
property is the original
"Court House Square"
block starting in the
late 1840s. Now it
is occupied by a
horrible blue shoebox
monster of a building in
the 1960s style of
Modern Ugly, and, what
else--a parking garage.
The
yellow outline marks
where the brick 1891
courthouse was located
on the property.
Photos
below are courtesy of
the Library of Congress.
These and others, at
full size, as well as
the HABS surveys (PDFs),
can be found at their
site here.
North and east
elevations - Tampa City
Hall
Courtesy of Library of
Congress
No. 2 HABS photo
North elevation, lower
stories - Tampa City
Hall
Courtesy of Library of
Congress
No. 8 HABS
photo
South
elevation -
Tampa City
Hall
Courtesy of
Library of
Congress
No. 3 HABS
photo
North
elevation,
entrance -
Tampa City
Hall
Courtesy of
Library of
Congress
No. 12 HABS
photo
Interior,
first floor
corridor -
Tampa City
Hall
Courtesy of
Library of
Congress
No. 13 HABS
photo
Interior,
3rd floor
corridor -
Tampa City
Hall
Courtesy of
Library of
Congress
No. 14 HABS
photo
Interior,1st
floor
staircase
landing -
Tampa City
Hall
Courtesy of
Library of
Congress
No. 16 HABS
photo
Interior
Accounting
office with
vault -
Tampa City
Hall
Courtesy of
Library of
Congress
This
is a crop of
No. 2 HABS photo
above but shown at full
image size.
The full image TIFF file
downloads at LOC are 600
px wide at 1,000 dpi.
If you see
this photo still
listed at
Library of
Congress, be
advised this
isn't of
Tampa City
Hall.
It has been
included
there in
error and is
actually
part of a
different HAB Survey,
one for the
Mar-A-Lago
in Palm
Beach.
The Library
of Congress
staff is
aware and is
working on
having it
removed to
its correct
location.
Since 16
photos were
taken of
Tampa City
Hall, it
means one
could be
missing.
The staff is
also
attempting
to verify
and locate
it.
They have
advised that
it could
take a few
months to be
corrected.
City
Hall's flag was stuck at half-mast.
Firemen were able to untangle the
halyard and bring it down, but then a
steeplejack was needed to put it back up
again. Hortense had also been
broken for some time, her electric motor
having burned out. Both flag and
motor were expected to be back on the
job the following Monday.
Black
numbers on a dark dial; not a good
contrast for a 6.5 foot diameter clock
133 feet up in the air.
A MINUTE IS 4 INCHES - GOOD
MATH, BAD HISTORY - 1977
This is a good
description of Hortense, but
that number on her nameplate
is the Seth Thomas
production number 1906,
not the year she was born.
Here, Hortense has been up
there
ticking away nine years
before this City Hall was
built.
The reporter describes the McShane
Bell foundry mark on one
side of the bell, and
various other key
features--the chain,
connecting the strike
mechanism to the hammer in
the room below Hortense,
"An enormous
hammer is poised over
the bell. The
metal hammer is
connected to Hortense by
a chain, which is no
longer pulled. The
clock has a gear and
notch assembly to ring
the bell every hour, but
the electric switch to
the bell motor is
broken."
He mentions the drive shafts connecting
Hortense to each clock face
and the glass dials painted
brown which still allow some
light to pass.
Translucent glass faces
should be lit from the
inside, opaque ones should
be lit from the outside.
Later, a 2007 article will
reveal that these were no
longer glass, they were
plexiglass--a plastic.
Here Hortense weighs 500
lbs. Well, she did
have her "appendulum" removed
back in the 50s.
That's 135 lbs. right there.
His measurement of how far
apart the minute marks are
apart
on the dial is pretty close,
and you don't even have to
go up there with a ruler and
measure. Some simple
geometry will give the
answer.
All you need is the diameter
of the dial. The
diameter (D) times pi
(3.14159) equals the
circumference of a circle
(C).
Divide the circumference by
60 and you have how far
apart the minute marks are.
"Keeping time in Tampa since
1906."
Maybe in Tampa, KANSAS?
HORTENSE ALLOWED TO SING
AGAIN - Nov. 1979, IRAN
HOSTAGE CRISIS
After a long period of
silence due to noise
complaints by hotel guests,
Hortense's bell was switched
back on for daily noontime chimes
only.
In Nov. 1979, at the urging of President
Carter during a press
conference, church bells and
town bells were encouraged
to ring out as long as Iran
was holding the U.S.
hostages. "Area
churches are requested to
join in the ringing and
citizens are encouraged to
fly the U.S. flag. We
want to join with all the
people of goodwill in
expressing our concern...Our
thoughts and prayers are
with the hostages and their
families" said Mayor
Martinez.
The Iran hostage
crisis was a
diplomatic standoff
between the United
States and Iran.
Fifty-two American
diplomats and
citizens were held
hostage for 444
days from November
4, 1979, to January
20, 1981, after
a group of Iranian
college students
belonging to the
Muslim Student
Followers of the
Imam's Line, who
supported the
Iranian Revolution,
took over the U.S.
Embassy in Tehran.
(From
Wikipedia)
At 2 p.m., the approximate
time the hostages were
jetted out of Iran, Hortense
was rung 52 times, once for
each freed hostage.
City employees huddled
outside in the cold, but out
of the wind next to the
neighboring annex, to listen
quietly. When the
ringing stopped, the broke
out into spontaneous
applause.
1983 RENOVATIONS
The 1983 renovations by Rowe
Architects were sensitive to
the historic nature of the
building, removing
non-original elements, such
as the 1962 fire escape and Bahama shutters, and
restoring the wood sash
windows to their original
color. Other interior
details were restored or
properly replaced.
PROF. LAIRD
MISREPRESENTED AGAIN
In
the midst of old City Hall's
1983 restoration, venerable
history journalist
Leland Hawes, the Tribune
history writer, tells how it was
on that August night in 1915
when the lights first flashed on
at City Hall at night.
Mr. Hawes
almost stopped short of
repeating the
myth, but ends his
paragraph stating that
Hortense's fundraising made the
clock possible. As has
already been shown, her
fundraising did not contribute
any funds to the purchase of the
clock.
By
this time, the Hortense myth had
been repeated so many times that
it was ingrained in the history
of Hortense the clock.
The story was as
as solid as City Hall's
foundation, figuratively
speaking, of course.
Being a Tribune writer, Mr.
Hawes probably looked in the
Tribune archives, which in 1983
meant scrolling though microfilm
reel images on a film
viewer. Not as easy as we
have it today, when a search
engine finds exactly what we
want in a millisecond. And
it seems that Mr. Hawes probably
found the article that got
it wrong in 1915. One
would think that the Tribune
article from Aug. 29, 1915
(at right) would have been right
on target about how the decision
of architect was decided; it was written the day after
all the celebrating of the
lighting. But it was a
full year and six months after
the selection of Bonfoey &
Elliott, and as you saw near the
top of the previous page, it
happened quite the opposite way.
Hawes makes a general statement
about Hortense's "effervescent
personality inspired a series of
fundraising events that made the
clock possible." He
downplayed the "irate band of ladies
pressuring the Mayor" tale by calling
Hortense
"effervescent."
The blue highlight covers the
restoration that was planned for
the interior, and the green for
the exterior.
THE
HORTENSE MYTH AGAIN, AND A SUPPOSED
COMMON MISCONCEPTION
Here, the St. Pete Times
incorrectly reports that
Hortense has run non-stop since when she
was installed. The reporter adds
that it was the architect who found
there wasn't enough money to fund a
clock, and that it was entirely due to
Hortense Oppenheimer Ford that Tampa has
any clock at all, crediting her with
raising all the funds needed.
It probably wasn't the fault of the reporter. She
probably got her story from the City
Clerk.
In an effort to "set the record
straight" City Clerk Frances Henriquez says
"People have always believed that the
clock was named for her because she
always called to complain when it needed
repair or the time needed to be
fixed...But that just isn't so.
She is the reason we have the clock
today."
She is the
reason the clock is named "Hortense" but
not the reason we have the clock today.
The Iran Hostage Crisis ringing of the
bell history would also do a flip flop in this
same article.
Nice touch
by photographer Jim Stem for getting his
own reflection in
the center of the clock face behind him
in Chilcote's sunglasses.
"When the architect who designed City
Hall found there wasn't enough money to
pay for a clock,
Ford raised the needed funds. In
honor of her efforts, the clock was
named for her." The article claims that
the fund raising took
place during the design phase of City
Hall.
Hortense is back up to a
whopping 2,840 pound
weight, but this
time it's a little more specific--"gears
and all." Maybe
this figure includes the
weight of the faces
and the iron dials.
Remember, in 1977 Hortense
was down to 500 pounds. (The
next page with Seth Thomas
specifications will address
this issue.)
"At the time when there
was a hotel downtown, the
people staying there would
complain the noise kept them
awake. So they had to turn
it off." There was
actually
more than one major hotel nearby, there were
at least FOUR.
The Tampa Terrace, the Bay View, the
Hillsboro, and the Thomas Jefferson.
"When the hostages
were returned (in January
1981), they turned the
chimes back on."
The Nov.
1979 Tampa Times article
says
the bell was turned on to
chime twelve times at every noon
hour every day during the hostage
crisis.
NO to the
last sentence!
Kudos to
photographer Jim Stem for getting this
marvelous detail of Hortense's bell,
made at the Mc Shane Bell Foundry at
Baltimore, Md. in 1914.
This is the
BELL MAKER'S mark, not the clock maker.
(More on this later.)
Can't argue with that.
"KNOW YOUR
TAMPA." Once again, the
myths are
repeated.
Tribune
photographer O'Rourke captured a great
view of the bell and its environment,
including the strike hammer and
mechanism.
The McShane Bell Foundry mark in
Baltimore, Md. can be seen towards the
right side of the bell.
"City records are unclear as to
how the money was raised..."
They are "unclear" because they
are nonexistent; the money wasn't
"raised" in 1914 or 1915, Hortense and
the Towne Cryers raised $150
in 1911 and early 1912--all of which
they donated to the old folks home in
1912.
"...the unofficial name given by city
fathers..."
NO.
The name was suggested by Willis Powell,
who was editor of the Clearwater Sun at
the time, by suggesting to the Tampa
Times to generate publicity for the
name. City Fathers or City
Government had nothing to do with it and
nothing was made official by the City.
THIS IS THE ONLY ARTICLE THAT COMES
WITHIN A DOLLAR OF HORTENSE'S TRUE COST.
According to her age here, Alice was born in 1919 which is when
Hortense Oppenheimer first was married.
Assuming Alice was at least 21 when she
started working with the City, that
would have been in 1940. By this
time, Hortense was at least 50 years old
and well into her years of socialite and
civic causes as Alice Williams
remembers.
OLD CITY HALL CHRISTMAS
ORNAMENT
The Hortense
tale has even found its
way onto the Easter
Seals Guild's 1996 Tampa
City Hall/Hortense
ornament.
This article gives
us some fresh
information about
Hortense as well as the
same old Hortense
myth of raising funds
towards the purchase.
Also, more incorrect
weights of the bell and
main weights. The
glass backings on the
dials were at some point
replaced by Plexiglas.
However, in between the
two, there was probably
a time that there was
painted plywood backing
as some older photos
show a dark background
with light numbers.
The 6 foot 4 inch size
of the Plexiglas is the
close to the actual
diameter of the
dials--6.5 feet.
Chris Daly had been
Hortense's keeper for
fourteen years at this
point, so since around
1993.
City hall is still
equipped with a manually
operated elevator, they
say it's the original,
though this hasn't been
researched yet.
The operator, quite by
coincidence, was also
named "Hortense."
She is Hortense Sotomayor.
HORTENSE'S chime was
turned on on July 8,
1915, the day after her
clock mechanism was
tested. Hortense's
weights are not counterweights.
A counterweight is a weight which is used to balance a
load so that it requires less work
to move the object connected to the
other end. Such as a
counterweight for an elevator cab.
It reduces the work the motor has to
do to lift the cab because the
counterweight uses gravity to
balance the weight of
the cab. A
clock weight uses
gravity to produce
torque (rotational
force) on the drum that
the suspension cable is connected to,
thus rotating the drum and so the
gears connected to it.
(Similar to a winch, but opposite in
purpose.) If there was a
counterweight to balance
the load, no torque
would be exerted to run
the clock.
USF Professor Gary Mormino
GOT IT SORT OF RIGHT**
Praise for Tampa's Not-So-Famous
Women.
(We will allow Hortense to be
"dismayed.")
**In the sense
that the Towne Cryers "fell
short" by not going into detail
as to how much. TampaPix
believes that Prof. Mormino was
only summarizing the myth and
probably was accepting the
popular story of raising $1,200
or so. "Dismayed" is
clearly a playing down of the
"irate" band of women.
The Times missed a great "PUNpertunity"...
TAMPA HAS FIRST
FEMAIL CARRIER IN
STATE
CONCLUSIONS
Hortense
Oppenheimer
wanted to
raise funds for
a TOWN CLOCK at
Court House
Square as a gift
to the people of
Tampa.
The idea of
"pressuring the
mayor" of Tampa
into adding a
clock to the
City Hall
in 1911 is
completely
without evidence
or purpose.
It would be
ridiculous to
think anyone
would want to
add a town clock
to the existing
City Hall of
1911.
The structure
serving as City
Hall in 1911 was
Tampa's first
brick City Hall,
built in 1890,
and it was in
deplorable,
disgraceful
condition, even
by 1905.
If any more city
funds were to be
spent on it, it
would not be for
a clock.
A 1911 campaign to
raise funds for
a town clock
in a
planned City Hall can
also be ruled
out, based
only on the
tale's claim
that the
"founding
fathers" or
"City Council
could not find
the funds."
Some say, "The
City was too
poor."
In 1911 the City
was still
trying to settle
on how to fund
a new City Hall--taxes, or a
bond issue. The
City was
evaluating how
much it would
cost, where to
build it, or even
build a new one
at all instead
of remodeling
and adding an
annex behind it.
Since all these
matters were
still up in the
air, over the
span of three
mayoral
governments, no City
Council member, Mayor,
or "Founding
father"
could predict
that
"the City had no
funds for a
City Hall clock" three
years later.
To think that a
"band of irate"
society women in
1914 would
badger the Mayor
of Tampa at a
time like this,
or even at all,
is preposterous.
Many of these
"ladies" were in
fact minors, very
young teenage
girls, and would
have had the
manners to
respect their
elders and hold
the office of
the Mayor with a
higher respect
than this.
It also would
have infuriated
their parents. They chose the
name of their
group over
"Tempus Fugettes"
because they
didn't want to
create the
misconception
that they were
an activist
group like the
"Suffragettes."
They were even
too embarrassed
to ask a boy to
a dance.
What an
embarrassment
this would have
been to their
parents if they
tried to
"pressure the
mayor."
MORE RECENT IMPROVEMENTS
The
elevators were replaced with
modern units in 2010.
In
2012, deteriorating windows
were replaced and the
eighth-story roof and copper
dome were repaired.
Continuing maintenance and
repairs were being undertaken
on the exterior brickwork,
decorative terra cotta
elements, including the
cornices and the balustrade,
the granite columns and
lintels, the third-story
roof, and the mechanical systems.
Based on its
architectural significance
and contribution to the
early development of the
city, Tampa’s City Hall was
listed in the National
Register of Historic Places
in 1974, and the building
was designated as a local
historic landmark by Tampa
City Council in 1994. It
stands today as it did in
1915, as a source of
inspiration that links
Tampa’s vibrant past to the
bright prospects of its
future.
This photo is from before 2012.
HORTENSE
GETS FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION IN 2012
In
2012, Hortense got a FIRST CLASS facial. A USF reporter covered the renovation with
an on-site interview of Dennis
Fernandez, Tampa's Historic Preservation
Manger. Now
Hortense and the Town Cryers raised one
third of the funds needed and Hortense's
price tag has tripled.
"So
why is the clock tower called
Hortense the Beautiful? It's named
after Hortense Oppenheimer, a
socialite from Tampa, who was upsetthe city had no clock tower. The city said it
had no money for one.**
Oppenheimer started up a campaign
herself called Ye Town Cryers and
raised a third of the money needed.[NO ]The original structure cost $3600[NO, assuming he means the clock].
Today, its renovations cost more
than half a million dollars."
**Though
there was no evidence that Hortense
approached any city official to
lobby for a clock, or that she told
there was none and was upset, this
version, for whatever reason, doesn't
state anything of WHEN these assumed
events transpired. It's doubtful
anyone had 1911 or 1912 in mind, and as
you have seen, funding was plentiful in
1914 in the form of $235,000 as part of
a $1.7M bond issue passed.
THE VIEW FROM HORTENSE'S
HOUSE
Mouse over the photo to see
former locations of
buildings.
Here you can
see that Hortense's dial is
six sections pieced
together. They are
made of iron and originally
on translucent glass so it
could be lit from behind.
Below is the
base of Hortense's
"hat"--the crown that tops
the clock tower.
The base of
the "crown" which is clad
with copper sheets.
Below:
An excellent view of the
dial support ring.
DUSTY HORTENSE Her pendulum has been
removed, as well as her
escapement, replaced by an
electric drive motor.
Mouse-over the photo to see
more info.
THE SOURCE OF
HORTENSE'S MELODIOUS VOICE
Manufactured by the McShane
Bell Co. foundry in
Baltimore, Md. for Seth
Thomas Clock Co. (More
about the bell further down.)
AT RIGHT: This
close up of the above photo
shows the Seth Thomas Clock
Co. mark which was placed on
the bell when it was made by
McShane Bell Co. for Seth
Thomas. It appears
that the bell has been
rotated since 1994 to give the hammer a
fresh striking area.
Compare the 2012 photo with the 1989
and 1994 photos
which appear to be were
taken from the same vantage
point but shows the McShane
mark.
Notice also the bell does
have a clapper, even though
it is not used.
Removal of the clapper would
likely cause a change in the
tonal quality of the bell.
In 1994 the McShane mark is
still visible...
Unfortunately, it
appears that photos of the finished
2012 work aren't online, but the
recent restoration project
shown below appears to have
NOT included the clock tower
portion. So here in
2019 you see the result of
the 2012 restoration seven
years later. Still
looks GREAT.
RECENT
RESTORATION OF CITY HALL
BY WALBRIDGE, RESTOCON and
FLEISCHMANGARCIA
ARCHITECTS
Watch this video
which was produced as the
restoration of City Hall was
starting.
For
more than a year, scaffolding has
hidden Tampa's only national
landmark structure.
Renovation of Tampa's Old City Hall
Almost Done
Restoring the 1915 city hall to cost
$11.4M Tampa mayor says the
century-old landmark worth
preserving.
Old City Hall, built in 1915, has
recently been in the midst of a
multi-million dollar makeover. Now,
the renovation is 80 percent
complete. "It's going to be a
beauty when she's done," said
Walbridge Construction
superintendent Donnie Roberts.
Roberts said replacing the
terracotta balustrades have proved
to be the toughest challenge so far.
The railings have long decorated the
roof. But over the years, water had
taken it's tolls on the older
balustrades. It caused cracks that
could not be repaired. Now,
tiny holes were added to the
decorative railings so water can run
out when it rains.
"There was a thought in the
beginning that we could salvage
pieces, but when we got into it and
did some work, we realized we were
better off just to replace them
all," said City of Tampa Architect
James Jackson. Meanwhile,
workers continue to restore the
bricks. They're also making sure the
original bricks blend in with newer
ones. About 12,000 bricks had to be
replaced. Restoring Tampa's
Old City Hall is estimated to cost
$11.4 million. But Tampa's mayor
insists the century-old landmark is
worth preserving.
"You don't want to lose your
history, you don't want to lose
those buildings that are a part of
who you are and why you are
successful," Mayor Bob Buckhorn
said. [Unless your history happens
to be the Fairyland storybook
character figures, then they are
trash, but you must buy them back
from the City dump with a king's
ransom.)
Workers are expected to finish the
restorations by April of 2018.
Old City Hall wrapped in a veil to
prevent debris from falling.
PHOTOS BELOW COURTESY OF RESTOCON
Renovation of Tampa's Old
City Hall 80 percent complete
By Bay News 9 Hillsborough County
PUBLISHED 6:00 AM ET Nov. 03, 2017
For more than a year, scaffolding
has hidden Tampa's only national
landmark structure. Renovation of
Tampa's Old City Hall almost done
Restoring the 1915 city hall to cost
$11.4M Tampa mayor says the
century-old landmark worth
preserving Old City Hall, built in
1915, has recently been in the midst
of a multi-million dollar makeover.
Now, the renovation is 80 percent
complete. "It's going to be a beauty
when she's done," said Walbridge
Construction superintendent Donnie
Roberts. Roberts said replacing the
terracotta balustrades have proved
to be the toughest challenge so far.
The railings have long decorated the
roof. But over the years, water had
taken it's tolls on the older
balustrades. It caused cracks that
could not be repaired. Now, tiny
holes were added to the decorative
railings so water can run out when
it rains. (Photo of Tampa's Old City
Hall in 2015 when it turned
100-years-old) "There was a thought
in the beginning that we could
salvage pieces, but when we got into
it and did some work, we realized we
were better off just to replace them
all," said City of Tampa Architect
James Jackson. Meanwhile, workers
continue to restore the bricks.
They're also making sure the
original bricks blend in with newer
ones. About 12,000 bricks had to be
replaced. Restoring Tampa's Old City
Hall is estimated to cost $11.4
million. But Tampa's mayor insists
the century-old landmark is worth
preserving. "You don't want to lose
your history, you don't want to lose
those buildings that are a part of
who you are and why you are
successful," Mayor Bob Buckhorn
said. Workers are expected to finish
the restorations by April of 2018.
With
100 years of history behind it,
Tampa, Florida’s Old City Hall has
seen its fair share of changes and
played a major role in the
advancement of the city.
Walbridge performed design build
services on this 100-year old
facility in Tampa, Florida. Old City
Hall has seen its fair share of
changes and played a major role in
the advancement of the City. With
the use of modern technology,
Walbridge transformed this
high-profile building to look like
it did a century ago.
Walbridge worked with project
partners FleischmanGarcia Architects
and local restoration experts
Restocon to renovate the century-old
building’s exterior. The work
included repairing brickwork,
granite and ornate terracotta
balustrades and cornices. With an
impressive “layer cake” look, the
building has an historical feeling.
Current technology brings a new era
to this grand building.
The
Walbridge team utilized 3-D
scanning, drone video flying, and
still photography to capture the
building conditions before
construction then translated that
information into a set of pre-work
as-built documents.
With pedestrians, employees, and
vehicles in mind, Walbridge’s
continued commitment to safety on
all worksites came into play during
planning and construction phase and
continued during the construction
phase.
When the building was first
constructed in 1915, it had a price
tag of $235,000. The project’s
“layer-cake” design was created by
renowned local architect M. Leo
Elliott.
Now
completed, the building has been
restored to its 1915 glory and is
compatible with the history that
radiates from the building. Tampa
Old City Hall is listed as a
National Historic Building on the
Register for Historic Places.
These stunning
photos below, showcasing the
incredible work done by Walbridge,
FleischmanGarcia Architects, and
Restocon, are courtesy of the
Walbridge website.
Client: City of Tampa
Location : Tampa, Florida
Budget :$5,000,000
Architect :Rowe Architects, Inc.
Completion : November 2021
Old Tampa City Hall Interior
Improvements
This design-build project, slated to
begin later this Fall, will be a
historic interior renovation of the
City of Tampa’s 35,000 SF City Hall
building originally built in 1915.
It is considered a classical tiered
‘layer cake’ by the National
Register of Historic Places and was
designed by the architect, M. Leo
Elliot and constructed by McGucken
and Hyer, Contractors.
These renovations shall include
upgrades of the following: the HVAC
system, electrical system to support
a new chiller and air handlers, the
plumbing, the fire alarm system, and
the interior building envelope to
match recent exterior improvements.
Hortense became
incensed at the
city fathers in
1914 because the
City Hall had no
tower clock to
give the proper
time.
There were no
reports of
Hortense being
"incensed," in
1914 or any
other time.
It is true that
City Hall had no
clock in 1914,
but it was the
City Hall built
in 1890, and it
was a disgrace
to Tampa way
before 1914.
There would be
no reason to be
"incensed" in
1914 for City
Hall not having
a clock.
The City Hall
that houses
Hortense the
clock started
construction in
March 1915 and
was completed in
Aug. 1915.
Hortense
Oppenheimer
formed the Ye Towne
Cryers in 1914
to raise funds
for the clockless City
Hall.
Hortense formed
Ye Towne Cryers
IN 1911
to raise
funds for a
TOWN CLOCK
at COURT
HOUSE SQUARE on
the COUNTY
Courthouse lawn,
not City Hall. If
she or anyone
was told there
was insufficient
funds, it would
have been prior
to Dec. 1911. Nothing but
socialite news
was in the
papers
concerning
Hortense from
1905 to Dec.
1911. How
to finance a new
City Hall had
not even been
decided
when Hortense formed
the Town Cryers.
The group was
originally
formed as "The
Town Cryers."
Yielding under
the pressure of
Hortense and her
irate band of
ladies the mayor
erected a large
clock in the
City Hall tower
with four faces.
There were no
reports of
an "irate band
of ladies" nor
was there any
"pressure for
the mayor to
yield to" simply because the
new City Hall
was designed in
1914 and
intended to be
built with a
clock in 1915.
At the time the
building was
being designed, the
architects
learned that the City could not
appropriate
funds for the
clock.
This City
of Tampa version
is
incompatible
with the Ingram
version.
Either the mayor
was pressured,
gave in and
installed a
clock, or they
could not afford
one so Town
Cryers formed to
raise funds for
one. What
need is there to
pressure a Mayor
or City Council
if you're
providing the
cost of
the clock
privately? Both
versions are false.
The City was too
poor. The
City did not
find the funds
for the
clockworks.
The bond measure
passed by Tampa
voters in Aug.
1912 fully
funded City Hall
with a budget of
$235,000, part
of a total bond
measure for many
City
improvements
totaling $1.7
million.
In 1914, there
would be more
than enough
money for a
clock.
The building was
budgeted,
designed,
planned, and
built with a
clock, without a
single allusion
to lack of
funding.
The clock WAS
installed and
running before
the building
interior was
completely
finished, all
that was needed
was electrical
connections for
lighting the
clock.
The Town Cryers
raised $1,200 to
help pay for the
cost of the
clock which was
sufficient to
buy a clock.
The Town Cryers
raised $1,200 to
help pay for the
cost of the
clock which was
only a third,
etc, and
Beckwith the
local jeweler
contributed the
remaining funds
to buy the
clock.
Ye Towne Cryers
treasury
consisted of $150
which was
donated to the
old folks home
in late May of
1912, over
two years before
construction
started on City
Hall, and three
months before a bond measure
was passed by Tampa voters.
After the funds
were donated in May 1912, Ye
Towne Cryers
ceased to be a
club and
disbanded.
Beckwith did nothing of the
sort, in fact, he had the
opportunity to make a small
commission on the sale of
the clock to the City.
The clock cost
anywhere from
$1200 to over
$3,000.
The clock and
bell , with installation
cost
$1,266.92.
Beckwith was the
dealer who
obtained the
clock from Seth
Thomas and was
given a 2.5% discount, but he
sold it to the
city for $1,235. He
also supervised
the installation
by Seth Thomas
expert Albert Wechler.
The clock came
from Seth Thomas
Co. in Vermont.
Partly true, it
came from Seth
Thomas Clock Co.
in Thomaston, but Thomaston
is in
Connecticut, not
Vermont.
The clock weighs
2,840 lbs. (City
of Tampa Old
City Hall
brochure, 1955
Trib article.) Earliest
accounts show
the bell weighs
1,500 lbs; does
this 2,840 lbs.
include the the
hanging weights?
The clock
mechanism itself
was about 4 ft
tall and 3 ft.
square.
1925 article
says the
clockworks weigh
600 lbs, the
main driving
weight was 1,200
lbs, the smaller
weight driving
the striking
mechanism was
about 600 lbs,
and the pendulum
weight was 50
lbs. The
1955 article
says the weights
total 2,650 lbs
which is about
1,000 lbs more
than the 1925
article. The
1955 article
also says the
striking hammer
weighs 24 lbs.
Possibly,
counting the
weight of the
bell, but
without
specifying what
exactly makes up
"the clock" the
weight is
useless.
All
figures are
ambiguous
See next page
for
itemized costs
and weights.
The weight of
the bell is is
always referred
to as a separate
part of the
clock. It
weighs 1,000
lbs. according
to the McShane
Bell Co. foundry
records for
Tampa's City
Hall order.
Prior to
completion of
City Hall, the
clock was named
"Hortense the
Beautiful" in
honor of its
benefactor.
Partly right,
until the last word in the
sentence. It
was named
Hortense the
Beautiful, but
neither Hortense
Oppenheimer or Ye Towne
Cryers were
benefactors.
The City (and
indirectly, the taxpayers) funded
the entire cost of the
clock.
SPECTACULAR DRONE VIDEO BY JAYSON
HAYNES!
NOW, SEE THE REAL COST,
SIZE AND WEIGHT OF HORTENSE, DIRECTLY
FROM SETH THOMAS CLOCK CO. AND MCSHANE
BELL CO.
In
1966, Tampa Times
staff writer Liz
O'Brien met with
Hortense to write a
story about her
memories of Tampa
and Gasparilla.
Hortense brought out
photos, scrapbooks,
and mementos from
her young society
days. Among
the photos was the
one of the decorated
car which
Hortense describes
below, and at left.
The subject of the
town clock was not
brought up, or at
least, was not
written about.
TAMPA TIMES staff
writer Liz O'Brien
**In the
beginning, Gasparilla was a PART
of a larger celebration which
lasted several days. The
invasion consisted of the
pirates marching in one section
of the decorated automobile
parade. In the evening
they held the Ye Mystic Krewe
king & queen ceremony. But
the entire celebration was not
called "Gasparilla," it was
whatever the theme was for that
year--Panama Canal Celebration,
1910 Census celebration (held in
1911 to celebrate Tampa's 1910
census count,) etc.
If Hortense is
driving she's wearing a nurse's
uniform, at least that's how it
looks in the enlargement at
left.
On Jan 1, 1914, when Tony Jannus reached the dock in Tampa from St. Pete on
his historic, first ever scheduled airline service, he was greeted by
enthusiastic cheering, clapping, and the waving of hats and handkerchiefs. A
moment later, there was a rush down the three narrow planks connecting the
platform to the shore, and men, women and children fought to get down to greet
them. The police had to assist in holding back the crowd so that Willard C.
Burgert could take moving pictures of Jannus and his passenger, former St.
Pete Mayor Abram Pheil, bowing, smiling and waving to the crowd.
-Leopold.jpg)
-
Late in 1898
the paper got into financial
difficulties and Mr. McKay
borrowed enough money to buy
controlling interest.
In 1922 he bought all the
remaining outstanding stock.
In September, 1923, the
Times moved into expanded
quarters at Franklin and
Washington streets.
Connected with its news
facilities was a powerful
radio broadcasting station, WDAE, of the Columbia
Broadcasting System. It was
Florida's pioneer radio
station. Mr. McKay built up
this paper into one of the
South's leading influences
in journalism. He was active
in its publication until
1933, when he sold it
to David E.
Smiley and Ralph Nicholson
and retired.
The
success achieved by this
paper was largely due to the
energy and ability displayed
by D.B. McKay.
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This
close up of the above photo
shows the Seth Thomas Clock
Co. mark which was placed on
the bell when it was made by
McShane Bell Co. for Seth
Thomas. It appears
that the bell has been
rotated since 1994 to give the hammer a
fresh striking area.
Compare the 2012 photo with the 1989
and 1994 photos
which appear to be were
taken from the same vantage
point but shows the McShane
mark.
Notice also the bell does
have a clapper, even though
it is not used.
Removal of the clapper would
likely cause a change in the
tonal quality of the bell.
In
1966, Tampa Times
staff writer Liz
O'Brien met with
Hortense to write a
story about her
memories of Tampa
and Gasparilla.
Hortense brought out
photos, scrapbooks,
and mementos from
her young society
days. Among
the photos was the
one of the decorated
car which
Hortense describes
below, and at left.
The subject of the
town clock was not
brought up, or at
least, was not
written about.
