Learn about the Redlands man behind the Gill Battery in Redlands Area Historical Society program

Walter Lawrence Gill of Redlands, shown in the 1960s, developed the Gill Battery, which is still manufactured in Redlands. Kathleen Beall will present a virtual program about Gill and the Gill Battery Jan. 25 for the Redlands Area Historical Society. (Courtesy of Kathleen Beall)

Kathleen Beall will present “The Battery Man — W.L. Gill and the Gill Battery” when the Redlands Area Historical Society holds a Zoom meeting 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25.

Beall is the granddaughter of Walter Lawrence Gill (1900-1984), who developed the Gill Battery, which is still manufactured in Redlands by Teledyne Battery Products under the Gill Battery name.

The year 2021 marks the 101st anniversary of the founding of Gill Battery, and over the past century millions of Gill Batteries have been made in Redlands. The Gill Battery can be found in aircraft around the world and in space, according to a news release.

In her presentation, Beall will tell the story of her grandfather, who developed and patented a battery that revolutionized the battery world, creating one of the first batteries without separators and later the first dry charge battery, according to the news release. Over his lifetime, Gill received more than 40 patents.

In this photo from about the 1950s, employees of Gill Battery gather outside the Redlands manufacturing plant. (Courtesy of Kathleen Beall)

Beall originally presented this program in January 2000 as the first PowerPoint program for the Redlands Area Historical Society, according to the news release. In this updated program, she will tell more about Gill, his eccentricities and his inventions.

Beall is a native of Redlands and a member of the fourth generation of her family to live in Redlands. She is a 42-year member of the Redlands Area Historical Society and has served on the society’s board and on its Heritage Awards Committee.

She graduated from Redlands High School in 1981, received a degree in environmental design in 1984 from UC Davis and is a certified interior designer. Her design work includes historic restoration by invitation of the cities at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills and the Wattles Mansion in Hollywood, as wellas many historic properties in Redlands.

Beall was a volunteer architectural surveyor for the city of Redlands’ Historic Inventory Project in the 1980s, and she and her three sons have been advocates for local historic preservation. Her sons have also been members of the Save the Zanja Committee and recipients of a History Channel grant.

There is no charge to attend the Zoom meeting, but registration is required, at us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nMVu3kTTTqqEqNhIIomKkA.

For information about the Redlands Area Historical Society, go to rahs.org.

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