Courthouse clock tower bell chimes again after repairs

Attentive residents, like John Connet, may have noticed the absence of the Jefferson County Courthouse clock tower bell?s hourly clang during the past few weeks.

After Connet brought the bell?s silence to Jefferson County Supervisor Steve Burgmeier?s attention, the two investigated Memorial Day and discovered a break in the hammer?s arm.

The hammer, imprinted with a mysterious ?40? and assumed to be original with the roughly 120-year-old bell, had already been welded back together twice.

Burgmeier approached Mickey Kerr at Revstone Castings Fairfield about producing a new hammer. Kerr worked with Bob Harmon of Precision Foundry Tooling in Hamilton, Ill., to produce a gray iron replica for the county at no cost.

?They did a really good job,? Burgmeier said showing off the reproduction, complete with a ?40? imprint, during this morning?s supervisors meeting. He expressed gratitude to the two companies for their generosity.

The new hammer was installed at 11 a.m. today.

Connet, who maintains the courthouse clock, said the bell?s first chime is set to go off five seconds before each hour.