Remembering when the Sault went cuckoo

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

Time marches on, but many Sault residents probably fondly remember the gigantic cuckoo clock hanging on the front of the Clock and Gold Shop at 674 Great Northern Road. Not only was the clock immense (measuring approximately 5 metres tall and 4 metres wide), it hung outside of a very distinctive building, meant to resemble a European-style Swiss Chalet. The clock and the structure were the dream of Werner and Marlene Hess who came to Canada in 1954. After stops in Elliot Lake and Wawa, the couple came to the Sault in 1966 and established the House of Fine Imports in Churchill Plaza. The idea for the giant cuckoo clock arose from Werner’s former home in the Black Forest area of Germany, and it was very successful at catching the eye and drawing in business for both the jewelry store and the Bavarian restaurant on-site.

The clock was quite expensive – costing between $20,000 and $30,000 to create. The woodwork was meticulously hand carved by Bob Daniels of Lindsay, Ont. and was a year-long endeavor.  According to Werner Hess when interviewed by the Sault Star in June of 2006, he believed it was the largest hand-carved clock actually hanging on a building. However, Guinness Book of World Records officials never verified this. Werner stated that, “we were trying to get Guinness on it, but they didn’t quite understand what point we were trying to make so we let it go at the time.”

The clock’s intricately carved figures would dance when the clock “cuckooed” on the hour and half hour in warmer months. The music box could not withstand our harsh climate, but the clock itself ran all year thanks to a high quality imported clock mechanism from Europe and special oil from Germany.

The Hess family took great pride in the products that they chose to sell in their business. They wanted to provide truly one of a kind item that would not be found elsewhere in Canada, and went to great lengths to achieve this objective. According to Werner Hess during a Sault Star interview in 1976, “Marlene is the buyer and decorator for both stores. She goes to Germany a couple of times a year and selects the items she feels will appeal to Canadian buyers.” Werner was equally interested in providing unique services others could not. Four different German clock manufacturers elected to have Mr. Hess as their service distributor for Canada.

Marlene and Werner also decided to bring another unique element to their enterprises here in the Sault. They wished to introduce the community to the wonders of German cuisine – a type of food previously unavailable at restaurants in the area. Initially they had hoped to run the proposed Bavarian restaurant on the property themselves, but realizing how hectic this would be, they turned to Barry Mills who operated two Sea Buoy Fish and Chip restaurants in the city. Wanting to make the food as authentic as possible, Mr. Mills travelled to Germany to learn the proper cooking techniques. He then set up a small but traditional menu of Bavarian favourites such as Roulade, Wiener Schnitzel, Sauerbraten, Bratwurst and Knackwurst. 

Werner and Marlene Hess retired in 1992 and closed their business, and in 2006, their distinctive clock found a new home at the Buttermilk Resort. Mr. Hess informed the Sault Star that he was “just glad someone is taking care of his baby” and that, “you like to see the thing that you built and created be preserved for the future. These things are not made anymore.” However, retirement did not stop Mr. Hess from utilizing his valuable clock expertise – he continued to do annual maintenance on the town’s most iconic clock at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum.

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here