I pass through Redkey every now and then. For years, it was my quickest way past the landmark Oak Grove Schoolhouse. Recently, though, I learned the town has been working to restore a 117-year-old clock downtown! Once I heard the story behind it, I realized the place was far more interesting than a quick drive around its outskirts might suggest.

Sometimes a simple roadside curiosity turns into an unexpected adventure. In this case, the culprit was a 160-foot clock tower in Berne, Indiana. All I wanted to do was watch the little glockenspiel show that comes out of the doors near its base. That seemed reasonable enough. As it turns out, though, timing a Swiss-inspired clock tower in rural Indiana is much harder than it sounds.