Haltom’s Jewelers clock will keep on ticking as owners donate it to Fort Worth nonprofit
February 6,2025
See full Fort Worth Report article by Bob Francis here.
Time has run out on Haltom’s Jewelers, but the clock at the downtown Fort Worth location will keep on ticking — albeit eventually in a new home.
Haltom’s Jewelers owners, Jack and Ladye Ann Miller, are donating the iconic timepiece to Streams & Valleys. The organization that helps program, expand and manage the trails along the Trinity River will place the clock in storage and decide later the best location for the 18-foot high, freestanding timepiece.
“We want it to be displayed where the greatest number of people can see it,” said Jack Miller.
In November, the 130-year-old Haltom’s Jewelers announced it was closing its doors at the downtown location as well as its other two locations, one on the westside and one in Grapevine.
Miller, whose family has owned the high-end jewelry retailer since 1983, said they thought about selling the company but decided that was not in the best interest of the employees or the jeweler’s reputation for quality and service.
Haltom’s is paying current employees their 2025 salary, health insurance and profit sharing.
The closing of the Sundance Square location added to the list of empty storefronts in that area following the move of Reata Restaurant and Four Day Weekend and the closure of a Melt Ice Creams location nearby.
The two locations outside of downtown Fort Worth also have freestanding clocks, but not as historic as the downtown one, Miller said. Those clocks have been deeded over to the owners of the property at those locations, he said.
The downtown clock dates back to 1918, the same year World War I ended and a flu pandemic raged. It was custom-made by E. Howard & Co. for Haltom’s Jewelers and was originally located at the corner of Main and 6th streets, where the jeweler was located at the time.
When originally installed, the clock had an eight-day manual winding mechanism. That was replaced with an electric system sometime after World War II. In 1988, the Millers moved the clock to the downtown store’s new home in the historic Knights of Pythias building.
Miller said he is glad to know the clock has the promise of a future home that will allow it to be seen by citizens of Fort Worth as well as others interested in the historic timepiece. Miller said he is not sure when the clock will be moved.
“I’m thrilled that it’s going to continue to be a part of Fort Worth,” Miller said.
He said there are plenty of people outside the area interested in the clock as well.
“We had people fly in just to take photos of the clock,” he said. “For clock people, this is something special.”
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.