The significance of the canning jars in the collection lie in their use as food preservation tools. The peak of their popularity was tied to economic trends and practical means for the storage of food long term. Before modern refrigerators and freezers, mason jars were an important part of many family pantries. The term "mason jar" has now become a generic name for several kinds of home-canning jars.
These jars were used by the donor's great-grandmother Anne Rose Querry and her great great grandmother Rosanna Bonar Secrist - see artifact file for information on these women. Per the donor the jars were used first in Chanute, Kansas. The jars came to Colorado with the donor's parents Jean Jones Haines and William Mattison Haines Jr., around 1950. William was an engineer and worked for Gates Rubber Company and Jean became an accountant for Kent School for Girls.