"Ohio" Clock: A Secret Stash?

The "Ohio" Clock in its prominent location

This tall case clock, known today as the "Ohio" Clock, has stood in the main corridor just outside the Senate Chamber since 1859.

The Rumor

It is frequently said that during the days of Prohibition, senators hid illegal liquor in the clock's tall case.

There is no evidence that senators hid liquor in the clock.


	While the story of senators keeping liquor in the clock is unconfirmed, there is a reliable source indicating that staff kept liquor in the clock. U.S. Senate Press Gallery in the corridor, ca. 1950


	"Prohibition" was the period from 1919 to 1933 during which it was illegal to engage in the sale, manufacture, or transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States.