Seated in Amish Country ("Little Switzerland") - A restaurant named Alpine Alpa was built near Winesburg, Ohio by Hans and Alice Grossniklaus in 1935. He was a Swiss Cheesemaker. They decided to add attractions to their restaurant to increase the draw of local tourism. In 1972 they decided to have a cuckoo clock constructed.. Measuring 23 feet, 6 inches tall, 24 feet wide and 13 feet, 6 inches deep it's been called the World's Largest Cuckoo Clock and is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records.
In August of 2007 the non-functioning clock was moved from the hill behind the restaurant to a new ground level location. It was also given a makeover courtesy of Hampton Hotels Save A Landmark Program. In 2009 it was auctioned off. Mark Coblentz of Walnut Creek Cheese notoriety. Coblentz purchased the clock in hopes to keep the clock in the area. Sugarcreek businessman Lavon Daugherty approached Coblentz with the idea of moving the cuckoo to Sugarcreek as an icon of the local Swiss culture.