" A History Of Williamstown, Vermont " "1781- 1991" Sponsored By the Williamstown Historical Society

Page 208 and 209

Ernest was born and lived in Berlin,Vt. until a young man. From there he went to Northfield,Vt.,where he learned and worked the trade of a butcher and meat cutter. Here he met and married Julia Hayward of Williamstown. While working in Northfield in a meat market he drove a herd of cattle to a slaughter house. On the way they ran in to a swarm of bees. Ernest was badly stung. It had rained and there were puddles so he covered himself with mud which he thought saved his life.
About 1912 the Andrews moved, with their daughter Dorothy, to Williamstown. Ernest worked for Glenn McAllister in his store and meat market, and for frank downs.
For a time they lived on South Hill where Donald and Janice MacAskill now live. From there he drove his horse "Snip" and a buggy back and forth to work in the village. While they lived on South Hill their second daughter, Margaret, was born. During a visit by Cousin Marjorie who came to play with Margaret, Marjorie made the remark,"My father has a new Ford". To which Margaret replied, "My father has a new Chevrolet." The cars were new at the time. Around 1920, the Andrews bought a place in the village(now owned by Milo and Florence Winters).
In town there was a "Lard House" where the fat of pigs was made in to lard for cooking. This building was set in a swampy place that often flooded, and in winter froze. Ernest enjoyed skating on this icy place.
For something special Ernest once took Dorothy to the hotel for dinner. They didn't have the main course which was chosen and they ordered apple pie a la mode as a special treat for dessert only to find there was no ice cream and the apple pie was moldy. What a let-down!
Mr. Andrews wound the town clock for 27 years, from 1921-1948. The last of his life Ernest did odd jobs such as mowing lawns, which he was doing for Belle Robinson when he had his heart attack, sat down beside a tree trunk, and passed away.
Ernest was a quiet, Kind man who loved his family and grandchildren.


Page 48,49,50 "Williamstown Time Marches on With Help of E.C. Andrews
Writen By S.E. Billings
Strange as it may seem in these days of high prices and infrequent tax cuts,Ernest C. Andrews of Williamstown never complains about the fact that he got exactly no pay for his services the last 27 years--this the 27th--for winding the "Town Clock" and keeping it in condition.
"But other residents of Williamstown,appreciating his faithful attention to the clock, frequently echo the fact that "He never got a cent for it."
"It gets to be a habit," Andrews admits, after more than 26 years of town clock winding. He's vague as to the exact beginning of his constant chore for the public weal, but Mrs. Ruth Curtis of the post office went on her wedding trip in the autumn of 1921, and when she returned the front lawn of the Congregational church was littered with the planks and equipment required to install the clock.
It was in September or October, as Andrews recalls, that his work began.
"Winding a town clock is not just the same thing as setting the family alarm clock every night. This clock cost $1,100 back in 1921. It was the gift of the late B.C. Hoyt, whose wife was a prominent member of the neighboring Methodist Church. Hoyt wanted to do something for Williamstown, and as the steeple of the Congregational church was more prominent than that of the Methodist church, and more adaptable, the clock was installed there.
"Sometimes it takes ten or fifteen minutes to wind the big clock, Which is a landmark, and a time mark, for passing motorists, truckmen checking on their road progress, and for boys and girls hurrying home in time to beat the parental deadline for staying out.
The winding key is as big as grandfather's old cream separator handle. "Directions for the care of a tower clock are posted beside the mechanism in the tower. However, except for a fellow named Will Martin, nobody but Mr. Andrews has ever wound this one. The clock is a product of E. Howard & Co.,of Boston. Martin wound it once when Andrews was sick for a week.
"The clock occasionally gets off beam and has to be set back, or forward, a few minutes. It stopped a week last December when Andrews was ill, and "We've heard about that all over Vermont and from Washington,D.C., Mrs. Andrews told a times reporter. The Times story, written by Mrs. Henry Bezio, Said that the clock was waiting for Mr. Andrews.
"Seven year old, Wanda MacKenzie, went up in the tower to help Mr. Andrews wind the clock the other day when the accompanying photograph was taken. It was her first visit there, and the 75 pund pendulum ball with its six-four swing stick interested her as much as it did the photographer and the writer.
Mr. Andrews also showed the time weights of 250 pounds, and the striking weight of 950 pounds, to his visitors. "When he began winding the clock, and oiling, and setting it ahead or back, Mr. Andrews worked for Glen McAllister. Later he was employed for three years at the grain store. At present he is not employed. He will be 70 years of age October 1."
"1990 Update): Ernest Andrews wound the town clock from 1921 to 1948. Henry Bezio took over winding the clock soon after the death of Mr. Andrews and contunued to do so until the early 1970's at which time lawarence Walbridge asumed the duties.