Upcoming auction will be final chapter in Ray Sweeney's House of Clocks legacy


Among the many historical collectibles being auctioned off at the June 28-29 Sweeney House of Clocks auction will be the more than 1,000 clocks that laid the groundwork for the House of Clocks museum. The original clock collection of Ray Tlougan of Spillville was purchased by Ray Sweeney in the late 1970s and provided the starting point for opening the museum. Submitted photo.

by Lissa Blake

An upcoming auction will mark the end of an era but should also bring back an abundance of memories for many in the local and surrounding area.
Sunday and Monday, June 28 and 29, the family of the late Ray Sweeney will offer at public auction his extensive House of Clocks Museum collection that includes historical memorabilia from near and far that has drawn local, national and even worldwide attention. The auction is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. both days. “It’s a rare opportunity,” said Sweeney Auction Service.

HISTORY
Ray Sweeney opened the Sweeney House of Clocks and Museum in the late 1970s after acquiring Ray Tlougan’s House of Clocks collection from Spillville.
Ray Sweeney was a man of many interests, says his family. During his life, he opened Village Farm and Home in Waukon, worked as an auctioneer, and was also a musician and bank board member. He founded the annual Threshing Days celebration in Waukon in 1973 that entertained thousands over a period of more than two decades.
In purchasing Tlougan’s 1,000-plus clock collection, he was able to open the House of Clocks and Museum, which combined the clocks with his own extensive collection of antiques and specialty items he had acquired over the years through his work as an auctioneer.
Ray and his wife, Monica, had 11 children: Jan, Joe, Jerry, Jim, Jane, Julie, Jeff, Joan, Jake, Judy and Jean Ann.

PASSING IT ON
Sweeney Auction Service said the collection has been sitting in the closed-up House of Clocks building on the former Threshing Days grounds for more than 20 years. They said although most of the collection remains in excellent condition, the family had concerns about some of the items eventually deteriorating if not given proper attention.
“It was a family decision to disburse the collection and pass these items along to others who will be able to take care of them,” said the Sweeneys.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Ray’s collection offers something for everyone, including furniture, stoneware, country store collectibles, outdoor and tool collectibles, over 1,000 clocks and much more.
Some of the most unique items housed within that House of Clocks collection include an early 1900s Sears & Roebuck motor buggy, four carousel horses displayed on stands, a coin-operated AMI jukebox with an animated band stand, a child’s JD buckboard wagon, many musical instruments, a Hudson coaster wagon, a walking plow, a large stone wheel mill from Quandahl, Iowa, two GE 1928 refrigerators, a butcher block table, 17 floor model showcases measuring three feet to 12 feet in length, Schlitz 40-horse signs and uniforms, a first-prize dog power treadmill, a 10-foot barbershop mirrored back bar with a marble top, four adult and one child barber chairs, numerous other barbershop items, a shoeshine chair, a wood barbershop pole, stoneware, vending machines and more.
The auction will even offer a rarely-seen child’s horse-drawn hearse and many items representing local history from the surrounding area.
As one would expect, the auction will also offer a wide variety of unique and antique timepieces, from an ornate hand-carved clock that stands 10’4” tall, to grandfather clocks, fancy figural clocks, wall clocks, mantle clocks, kitchen clocks, alarm clocks and pocket watches.
“We’ve been advertising locally and nationally, and we’ve gotten calls from as far away as California,” said the Sweeneys.

TWO FULL DAYS
The first day of the sale, Sunday, June 28, will take place at the Sweeney Auction Center located on Rossville Road at the south edge of Waukon. The second day of the sale, Monday, June 29, will take place at the Sweeney House of Clocks, located to the south and east of the Auction Center along Park Road, and will include the large clock collection and collectible items.
Although many of the clocks had not been wound in years, they are still in good condition. All items in the sale sell as is.
“This is a great opportunity for others to be able to enjoy these items as much as Ray did,” concluded the Sweeneys.
For more information, visit www.sweeneyauctionservice.com or call Sweeney Auction Service at 563-568-2464.