There's more to the history of Mason jars than you might think.
Mason jars are widely popular glass jars used for preserving food. Local researcher Casey Heilman told us that John Landis Mason was a New Jersey tinsmith who applied for and was granted three patents in 1858 for the shape of the jar, the lid and the innovative tapering screw threads on the jar that made for a tight seal. In 1867, Salmon Rowley patented the competing Hero jar, after Mason put in writing that it did not infringe on his own patents. Within 2 years, Rowley had sold 1.5 million Hero jars. Mason responded by filing a patent in 1868 for a new and improved Mason jar, except that it infringed on Rowley's patents and the US Patent Office agreed with Rowley and Rowley sued Mason for copyright infringement. Mason lost. Mason ended up selling his patents and equipment and died a pauper. Casey told us that, even so, "Mason jar" has become the generic term for glass jars used for preserving food.
Also at Monday's meeting, we presented scholarships to 14 non-traditional students, bringing the total amount of scholarships awarded by the club to nearly $950,000. Congratulations to all the winners! And Lynn Carpenter exchanged her red badge for her blue badge.
