History of the Mason Jar
1858 - John Mason invents the first canning jar with a screw top; his patent expires in 1879, opening the market for competition
1884 - Brothers Frank, Edmund, George, Lucius and William form Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing in New York State and start making mason jars. The company moves to Indiana three years later
1909 - The first Ball Blue Book, a primer on home canning, is published (an updated version can be purchased at freshpreserving.com)
1918 - The Ball brothers bequeath a small college in Muncie to the state of Indiana; the school is later renamed Ball State University
1933 - The Ball Company does not lay off a single employee during the Great Depression
1972 - After 88 years as a family-owned business, Ball goes public
2009 - The Ball mason jar celebrates its 125th anniversary. An exhibit Can It! 125 Years of the Ball Jar, can be viewed through August 23rd at the Minnetrista Cultural Center in Muncie, Indiana
information from Country Living, Vol. 32 No. 5
1 comment:
There is something so comforting about drinking out of a mason jar. I am just loving your souvenir series!
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