On this day in 1858 the patent for Glass Jar was granted. U.S. Patent No. 22,186.
The Glass Jar, known today as Mason Jar, was invented by John L. Mason on November 30, 1858 as U.S. Patent No. 22,186.
John Mason already had patents for screw-tops bottles/jars or nozzles and caps bottles/jars but made improvements to those by changing the mold. He made the thread on the exterior of the neck, and left a portion of the neck above the thread of such diameter that the bottom of the groove between the thread shall be fully flush with it, and he also terminated the screw-thread at the lower end before it reaches the shoulder-swell of the bottle or jar leaving between the lower end of the thread and the shoulder a groove directly around of a depth which makes it flush with the bottom of the thread-groove. The thread at both ends is made to vanish onto the neck before it reaches the top the bottom thereof.
This invention described above has been a staple in almost every home and every store. Who doesn’t remember their grandparent’s house with shelves stocked with mason jars filled with the veggies or fruits they had just canned for the season.
The peak of the mason jar was around the 1880s and 1890s, most of the jars that were produced had mold numbers on them, or letters on the base, these letters and molds may have designated where the jars were manufactured, for example W.C.D. is a product of the W.C. Depauw Glass Company in Albany, Indiana.
The mason jar has had many resurgences, when the wars were happening they were using mason jars to can food items for the troops. In the 60’s and 70’s with the back-to-land DIY movement and now you see mason jars everywhere; bars and restaurants are using them for drinks, bridal parties have them monogramed, people are even decorating them and using them as plant holders or other crafty items.
