# Pennsylvania farm finds



## Screwtop (Jul 9, 2021)

Last month I had the chance to dig a 1900s-1930s dump in Washington County Pennsylvania. I found tons of bottles, but these jars were some of the most interesting survivors, mostly because the dozens and dozens of other jars I found were shattered. These are 100% chip and scratch free! And clean to boot. 


As for dating, I am not experienced when it comes to jars. I believe the ROOT jar is the oldest (my favorite!), but I don't know how old. I know the Pat. 1858 jar is not from that time frame, I grew out of that phase of belief a while ago, lol!


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## RoyalRuby (Jul 10, 2021)

I've found several fruit jars while digging, for a short while I collected some earlier fruit jars after finding my first wax seal "three L" Ball Standard jar a couple years ago, I do have a quart size Root jar, I think the half pint? size Root you found are a little harder to come by. So far all of the 1858 patent jars I've come across have been broken. I also have found an Atlas EZ Seal like the the one you found.


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## CanadianBottles (Jul 10, 2021)

RoyalRuby said:


> I've found several fruit jars while digging, for a short while I collected some earlier fruit jars after finding my first wax seal "three L" Ball Standard jar a couple years ago, I do have a quart size Root jar, I think the half pint? size Root you found are a little harder to come by. So far all of the 1858 patent jars I've come across have been broken. I also have found an Atlas EZ Seal like the the one you found.View attachment 227360View attachment 227361View attachment 227362


Ball made wax sealers?  Wow, never seen one of those before!  I thought they only made the screw top Mason-style jars.


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## jarsnstuff (Jul 10, 2021)

I can't tell for sure from here, but the Mason's Patent appears to have a ground lip, which would place it around 1900 or earlier.  If it does in fact have a smooth lip, it could be as late as WWI era.  The Root pint (they didn't make any half pints) were made 1906-1909.  The Atlas Special shoulder seal ran from 1904 to the 1920s.  The Atlas E-Z Seal was made from 1907 to 1920.  These are some nice finds, all are collectable.  There aren't any "big dollar" jars here, but definitely worth keeping.  They would all be in the $10 range except for the E-Z Seal, less because the lid & wires are missing and there were a LOT of them made.


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## Screwtop (Jul 10, 2021)

jarsnstuff said:


> I can't tell for sure from here, but the Mason's Patent appears to have a ground lip, which would place it around 1900 or earlier.  If it does in fact have a smooth lip, it could be as late as WWI era.  The Root pint (they didn't make any half pints) were made 1906-1909.  The Atlas Special shoulder seal ran from 1904 to the 1920s.  The Atlas E-Z Seal was made from 1907 to 1920.  These are some nice finds, all are collectable.  There aren't any "big dollar" jars here, but definitely worth keeping.  They would all be in the $10 range except for the E-Z Seal, less because the lid & wires are missing and there were a LOT of them made.




The Masons Pat. does have a smoother lip.

It's odd, because in that particular dump, everything was seperated by age. 1910s stuff did not mix with the 1920s things, and so on with the 1930s part of the dump. These must have been late throw outs because all four jars were found in the 1930s section.


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## PlaneDiggerCam (Jul 10, 2021)

Screwtop said:


> View attachment 227356
> 
> Last month I had the chance to dig a 1900s-1930s dump in Washington County Pennsylvania. I found tons of bottles, but these jars were some of the most interesting survivors, mostly because the dozens and dozens of other jars I found were shattered. These are 100% chip and scratch free! And clean to boot.
> 
> ...



Nice jars! I have an uncle who lives in York Co. Pa. And has a dump on his property that he said I could dig! There used to be an early 1800s maybe 1700s farmhouse nearby and the dump was like directly behind it. Can't wait to see what I get into!


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## PlaneDiggerCam (Jul 10, 2021)

Screwtop said:


> View attachment 227356
> 
> Last month I had the chance to dig a 1900s-1930s dump in Washington County Pennsylvania. I found tons of bottles, but these jars were some of the most interesting survivors, mostly because the dozens and dozens of other jars I found were shattered. These are 100% chip and scratch free! And clean to boot.
> 
> ...



Mason's 1858 is a nice late 1800s ground lip jar. The root and atlas special are early 1900s jars that are pre 1920 and the Atlas e.z. seal is 1920s.


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## PlaneDiggerCam (Jul 10, 2021)

Screwtop said:


> The Masons Pat. does have a smoother lip.
> 
> It's odd, because in that particular dump, everything was seperated by age. 1910s stuff did not mix with the 1920s things, and so on with the 1930s part of the dump. These must have been late throw outs because all four jars were found in the 1930s section.



Send a pic of top of Mason's patent. Also people did hold on to jars for canning. A friend of my grandmother canned with some really early jars and gave them to me after she stopped canning a few years ago. Jars could be used over and over for decades.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Jul 10, 2021)

CanadianBottles said:


> Ball made wax sealers?  Wow, never seen one of those before!  I thought they only made the screw top Mason-style jars.


They made wax sealers, screw top as you mentioned and wire bale style lids. I am partial to the metal screw cap with the glass inserts. Not sure if they used more types of closures.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## RoyalRuby (Jul 11, 2021)

Screwtop said:


> The Masons Pat. does have a smoother lip.
> 
> It's odd, because in that particular dump, everything was seperated by age. 1910s stuff did not mix with the 1920s things, and so on with the 1930s part of the dump. These must have been late throw outs because all four jars were found in the 1930s section.


My wax seal Ball jar was way out of place with the other stuff in this small farm type dump, I assume these jars were kept and used for a long time until either broken or chipped and then discarded, which would explain why these earlier ones are found with much later stuff. Here's a picture I took of the wax seal Ball when found, was quite clean and laying right on top of the ground amongst other much later bottles and jars. I got a tip on this dump from a friend, the wax sealer was the best find from there.


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## hemihampton (Jul 11, 2021)

I have a early 1900's Owens Illinois glass co. Catalog that shows they were still selling those 1858 Mason Jars at that time. So they were probably making & selling those Jars for over 50 years which explain why so common. LEON.


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## PlaneDiggerCam (Jul 11, 2021)

hemihampton said:


> I have a early 1900's Owens Illinois glass co. Catalog that shows they were still selling those 1858 Mason Jars at that time. So they were probably making & selling those Jars for over 50 years which explain why so common. LEON.


But what about ground lip?


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## hemihampton (Jul 11, 2021)

That just means the earlier ones were ground lip while the newer ones were not. Of course the Catalog is not going to specify something so insignificant in my opinion & it doesn't. LEON.


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## cskline (Jul 14, 2021)

PlaneDiggerCam said:


> Nice jars! I have an uncle who lives in York Co. Pa. And has a dump on his property that he said I could dig! There used to be an early 1800s maybe 1700s farmhouse nearby and the dump was like directly behind it. Can't wait to see what I get into!


York County Pa here. Trying to get onto a property where I KNOW there are some older, local milk bottles. Just have to get around to asking.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Jul 14, 2021)

cskline said:


> York County Pa here. Trying to get onto a property where I KNOW there are some older, local milk bottles. Just have to get around to asking.


That's a nice old County. York was loaded with daries at a time? Sad how things have changed. Now very few daries, some doing everything they can (more often a second or third job) to keep a business that has been in the family for generations. 
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## willong (Jul 14, 2021)

ROBBYBOBBY64 said:


> That's a nice old County. York was loaded with daries at a time? Sad how things have changed. Now very few daries, some doing everything they can (more often a second or third job) to keep a business that has been in the family for generations.
> ROBBYBOBBY64.


Only change is constant.


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## PlaneDiggerCam (Jul 14, 2021)

cskline said:


> York County Pa here. Trying to get onto a property where I KNOW there are some older, local milk bottles. Just have to get around to asking.


Nice, is there any interesting drug store bottles from that area?


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## Len (Jul 14, 2021)

I wouldn't get too hung up about a decade or two difference in related artifacts found, especially when it comes to fruit jars.  Their varied closures often reflects changes in technology.  This often throws the losers into new roles. Ex. old favorite/catchalls. When the primary user goes, the jar is out of its place compared to its geographically related nearby artifact friends...


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