Description:
"The clock was a gift of the Watchmakers of Switzerland via the Oklahoma Retail Jewelers Association. The Swiss provided the clock, the Association provided the maintenance, and the city Parks Department took care of the landscaping. Mayor Jack Wilks and the council were not sure where to put the 17-foot diameter clock, but Parks head R. R. “Pat” Murphy knew just the spot – a naked patch on the east side of the Civic Center park. Parks employees built the structure in the spring of 1965, but the internationally famous reputation of Swiss precision was tarnished when the giant clock hands wouldn’t fit on the mechanical drive shaft. It took two years before the clock was finally ready. It’s not real sharp in this photo, but the numbers for the clock were planted in different types of flowers than the background which was reportedly planted with Joseph’s Coat." -Larry Johnson