Batteries at Lincoln's museum?

This week's mystery item is also in the same time period as last week's mystery item. Referring to this week's mystery item, as shown in the adjacent photo, what was important about smocking in the 1800s? Please send answers to carolf@goldcountrymedia.com by Tuesday. Who knew that the Lincoln Area Archives Museum would produce a history lesson on batteries? You never know what you're going to learn at the downtown museum. While last week's picture of the glass rectangular tank was not of the lovely aqua hues of many of the aged glass battery jars, it is a splendid example of a glass battery jar container, according to Lincoln Area Archives Museum docents. Docents said that Benjamin Franklin in 1749 was the first to use the term "battery." Battery jars are of thick, heavy glass, with straight sides or round jars used to house a conductive solution of either acid or a copper sulfide. Alessandro Volta demonstrated the first electric battery in 1800. The 19th-century produced varied technologies, as demonstrated with French physicist Gaston Plante's lead acid cell battery, the Gravity Cell battery (also known as the Crow's Foot Jar), and the Leclanche Cell. The first dry cell was the Gassmer and then the Helleson. Researching for 19th-century and 20th-century samples of glass battery jars led to a wide variety of information and pictures of small, glass bottles from vintage and antique collections. A number of these bottles, along with the larger, rectangular glass receptacles shown in last week's Out of the Museum have been sought after by collectables for years. Bob Aitken donated the glass battery to the museum. His mother's family, the Willards, Rocklin pioneers, might have used such a battery jar. One of the companies listed as making early glass battery jars is the Willard Storage Battery Co, Cleveland, Ohio. An ad was found in a 1923 farm journal. It appears to be a coincidence with the Willards in Rocklin having a heavy, glass battery jar and an Ohio company with the same name that made the jars. Willard Storage Battery Co. of Ohio also manufactured farm lighting batteries. "An Antiques/Vintage Glass Battery Jar" article stated that "a glass battery of the time is closely related functionally to today's wet cell automotive, marine or tractor battery." The small, old glass batteries were used for telegraph sets and early telephones. One description showed a picture of shelves upon shelves of rectangular glass battery jars lined up to furnish electricity to a rural farm. While companies began extending their power lines, there continued to be a number of places that had no electricity and the battery jars were used. Thomas Edison patented the solid nickel-iron battery jar in 1903. Over the past 200-plus years, there has been much improvement in batteries. COVID-19 can't keep Lincolnites from loving their dose of history at the friendly local museum. As many Lincoln businesses and services begin reopening under Stage Three of the California Pandemic Resilience Roadmap, look for the Lincoln Area Archives Museum to open its doors again to the public.