As a museum professional with a background in curation, there is one question I’m certain I’ve been asked more than any other. “So, what’s your favorite item in the collection?” Let me tell you … that is not an easy question to answer. Every photo, letter, jar, chair, quilt, has its own unique story. Its own history. Its own personality. Given that, it simply doesn’t seem fair playing favorites. But, let’s face it, I can usually be prodded to at least narrow down the field a bit. Here at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens, we are fortunate to have a robust collection with a lot of fascinating materials. And if I’m honest, there are a few items that do fall onto my “most loved” list.

Housed in an acid free box alongside our other artifacts is one that I find particularly interesting. At first glance you’d probably think, “Ok, it’s a wooden barrel.” And you wouldn’t be wrong. It IS a wooden barrel. But, a closer look reveals much more. And to know its story, and see its existence, is to understand the inventive and entrepreneurial spirit that ran through the Ball family.

**Examining one of my favorite collections items in Minnetrista’s artifact storage area.**

Lucius Styles Ball – Father of the Ball brothers.
*Minnetrista Heritage Collection*

Born in 1814, Lucius Styles Ball (father of the Ball brothers), had an inventive mind. Never content to simply work on the family farm, Lucius was continually delving into business ventures and tinkering with new inventions. While living in Canadaigua, New York, Lucius began imagining an improved system for shipping eggs. Old methods of packing the fragile items in straw often resulted in a broken product, and Lucius was confident he could improve on the method. In 1876 his efforts proved fruitful when he was issued a patent by the United States Patent Office for an “Improvement in Apparatus for Forming Egg-Carriers.”

The patent itself details the specifics of Lucius’s invention which molded paper pulp into durable, safe protective inserts for packing dozens of eggs at once. These inserts were then carefully utilized inside wooden barrels built specifically to accept them. Made in a variety of sizes, the barrels allowed for 10, 20, 33, 40, or 55 dozen eggs to be packed and safely shipped at one time.

As part of the patent application, Lucius submitted a complete model of the final product along with drawings and a written description. Required by the United States Patent office until 1880, these patent models were then put on display for the public at the Office’s Museum of Models. They were never intended to be returned to the applicant. How then did an item held by the federal government end up in the museum collection at Minnetrista?

This model of the “Safety Egg Barrel” was submitted to the Patent office along with the patent application. It was made for Lucius by Gifford and Shimmerhorn of Shelby Center, NY.
*Minnetrista Heritage Collection*

While the United States Patent Office had maintained its Museum of Models for many years as a way to stoke national pride and inventive inspiration in the American public, in 1893 they closed the gallery. Interest was waning, and space was at a premium. So, the models were crated and put into storage. Over the next several decades the United States Congress dispensed with the thousands of models the Patent Office had accumulated. Some were given to the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. And others were sold or distributed by other means. By 1943 O. Rundle Gilbert, an auctioneer and antique dealer had come into possession of thousands of the items. Advertising a large auction of between 2,000 and 3,000 models in April of 1943, Gilbert’s sales event in New York caught the eye of George A. Ball, son of Lucius. At the sale George purchased his father’s patent model, bring a symbol of family innovation back home.

Until 1893 the US Patent Office put all patent models received with application on public display at their Museum of Models. Lucius’s would have been view here, alongside thousands of others.
*Smithsonian Institution*

Inheriting his father’s inventiveness, Edmund B. Ball often tinkered with new ideas. This hand drawn sketch was created by him in 1894 when conceptualizing a new box design.
*Minnetrista Heritage Collection*

Although George had only been fourteen years old when Lucius received the patent, he no doubt had memories of his father’s invention. In fact, he and his brothers fondly remembered their father’s creativity, curiosity, and sense of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Inheriting these characteristics, Lucius’s sons pushed themselves in their own business ventures. Constantly innovating and exploring ways to improve their own manufacture of fruit jars and related products. In the end, it was not just Lucius who had an inventive mind, but his children as well. After bringing the “Safety Egg Barrel” (as it was known) back home, the item was eventually placed in Ball Corporation’s Museum at their headquarters building in Muncie. There, the item was proudly displayed amongst other historic materials representing the Ball brothers’ path to success. A path that was certainly influenced by Lucius and his invention mind.

At the time of Ball Corporation’s move of their headquarters to Colorado, the items from the company’s museum were donated to Minnetrista. These materials, as well as many others documenting the Ball company and Ball family make up the core of the Minnetrista Heritage Collection. If you’re a researcher, jar collector, history buff, or just interested in finding out more, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The Minnetrista Heritage Collection is open to the public for research Monday through Friday by appointment. Please email or call our archivist, Susan Smith at ssmith@minnetrista.net or 765-287-3544. We are more than happy to help you with your research. In the meantime, head to our online collection to see what historic treasures await! https://www.minnetrista.net/heritage-collection

An Inventive Mind

Using SNAP Benefits at the Farmers Market at Minnetrista

Celebrating Valentine’s Day at Minnetrista Museum & Gardens