Patent Model

Object/Artifact

-

Vermont Historical Society

Name/Title

Patent Model

Entry/Object ID

1985.21.1a-c

Description

Patent model for a maple sap evaporator, in three parts. There are two trays that rest on top of a base piece. The two trays hook together in the center. The left tray has some figured piping and the bottom of the pan is slats with gaps between them. It is divided horizontally into two parts. The right tray is divided horizontally into three parts, with a sealed base. The base piece is supported by two legs on its left side and a rectangular base on its right side. On the left side, above the legs, it extends past the left tray and has a small oval opening. The base piece is formed generally into an arch. The left side of the base is a shallow pan, with a slant down to a deeper section that has slats at the bottom. The entire model is metal, painted silver, and features the label “SOULES KING EVAPORATOR AND ARCH / Mfg By / GEO. H. SOULE CO. / St. Albans, Vt.

Context

Made by George H. Soule Company in St. Albans, VT

Acquisition

Accession

1985.21

Source or Donor

Keith, Cary H.

Acquisition Method

Gift

Made/Created

Manufacturer

George H. Soule Company

Date made

circa 1878

Place

City

St. Albans City

County

Franklin County

State/Province

Vermont

Country

United States of America

Continent

North America

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Model, Patent

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Model

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Other Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall

Length

13 in

Material

Metal

Interpretative Labels

Label

Patent Model, ca. 1878 George H. Soule Company St. Albans, VT Metal Gift of Cary H. Keith, 1985.21.1a-c George Henry Soule was born on a farm in Fairfield in 1865, and after attending Goddard Seminary in Barre, returned to take over his family’s maple sugaring operations. By 1905, the Soule family farm was one of the largest maple producers in New England, with as many as 8,000 taps. Soule began experimenting with sugaring technology in the 1890s, and soon sought a series of patents for various inventions including evaporators, sap spouts, and other equipment for gathering sap. Many of his designs were produced by other companies, but in 1915 he formed his own company to manufacture his products. The “King” Evaporator (possibly a nod to Soule’s nickname “Maple Sugar King”) was the Soule company’s signature model and featured a number of innovations. Soule himself passed away in 1937, but the Soule Company continued to produce maple equipment through the 20th century. Maple has long been one of Vermont’s most important export products, and Soule’s life and work aligned perfectly with the shift away from a maple sugar-based market to a liquid maple syrup market. That shift required innovation and creativity, and made a permanent mark on Vermont’s economy and image.