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NKY History Hour features Boone County Timekeeper Thomas Zane Roberts with Judge Anthony Frohlich


Known as a “rural genius” from Boone County, Thomas Zane Roberts was a farmer, inventor, astronomer and man of many extraordinary talents. His invention of the solar clock, still on display at Heritage Bank in Burlington, remains somewhat a mystery, having never been opened.

Nearly eight feet tall, the clock consists of a planetarium with an abbreviated model of the earth’s solar system, a lunarium, a calendar with diurnal and nocturnal hours, and of course, a clock. Unveiled in January 1913, it has never failed.

Author and judge Anthony Frohlich will discuss this local Kentucky Renaissance man and recount his crowning achievements in the next NKY History Hour at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 5.

To register and participate in the free virtual presentation, presented by Behringer-Crawford Museum, click here.

Information on how to connect to the Zoom session will be sent after registration. The event will also be streamed live on BCM’s Facebook page.

Judge Anthony Frohlich

Judge Frohlich was the chief circuit judge for the 54th Judicial Circuit, where he served from 2004 until his retirement from the bench in January 2015. He currently serves in the Kentucky Retired Judges Program.

He has held numerous civic and legal positions, including president of the Salmon P. Chase Inn of Court and the Chase Board of Governors. He has been accorded numerous honors, including the Kentucky Bar Association Distinguished Judge of the Year Award and the Kentucky Justice Association Trial Judge of the Year Award. He has authored a number of books and publications, including Time Keeper: Thomas Zane Roberts: A Kentucky Renaissance Man. His honors include the Boone County Historic Preservation Board Anne Fitzgerald Award for his lifetime work in history.

NKY History Hour presentations are currently free to the public but may become a BCM members-only benefit in the future. To support NKY History Hour and access many other entertaining and thought-provoking programs for free, join BCM today here.

Behringer-Crawford Museum is supported in part by our members, the City of Covington. Kenton County Fiscal Court, ArtsWave, Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky Humanities, the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation.
 


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