A good-sized crowd converged on downtown Franklin Tuesday night.

They didn’t come for a concert or any other type of revelry, but instead came to be a part of something special — the unveiling of the new Franklin Depot Clock — and to pay their respects to the Rich family.

The clock is a new fixture for the city. It’s brand new, but was designed with an antique look, as if it came right out of the pages of a history book. It hearkens back to a time when the city was young and the railroad played a crucial part in its survival.

It is also a clock that would have captured the fascination of Casy Lynn Rich, a native son who was born and raised here, became interested in Franklin’s history, grew to become an expert in antiques and glass and made his hometown proud.

The Rich family was there for the city when the city needed them. Devastated by floods and facing an uncertain future, the Riches promised to reopen their downtown store and drew inspiration for others to do the same.

And now the city was there for the Riches when the family needed them. Devastated by the loss of their 27-year-old son after complications from surgery in November, the city was at its very best when it honored the Rich family by dedicating the new clock to Casy’s memory.