Nels Johnson, Manistee, Michigan, "Century" tower clock No. 1, originally installed in the Lyman Block building, Manistee, Michigan, the single train timepiece with paint decorated cast iron frames, Graham dead beat escapement, involute gearing, and

Nels Johnson, Manistee, Michigan, "Century" tower clock No. 1, originally installed in the Lyman Block building, Manistee, Michigan, the single train timepiece with paint decorated cast iron frames, Graham dead beat escapement, involute gearing, and Harrison's maintaining power, mounted to a black painted, cast iron base, with Johnsons bi metallic, compensating pendulum, cast iron crank with rosewood handle, and distribution network for four dials, together with the zinc finial from the Lyman tower paint with minor losses, dirty, needs service, pilot dial missing, pallets worn, connector for distribution network missing, transmission shaft bent, scattered patches of surface rust, finial weathered and with a few holes. Nels Johnson was born in Denmark in 1839, and had, by the 1870s, made his way to Manistee, Michigan. He set up a machine shop and foundry, and began producing his Century clock in the late 1880s. The first was sold to Lyman Mason, and installed at his newly constructed Lyman Block building in Muskegon, in 1889. Johnson worked alone, and is believed to have manufactured between 50 and 60 clocks. Paperwork accompanying this lot includes a photocopy of Johnsons 1894 tower clock catalog, which illustrates his product line, and an NAWCC article which supports the fact that this is his first clock.