Lot 172

RARE Newhouse Community #5 Bear Trap c. 1865-1888

Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$25 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
This is an original Community Newhouse No. 5 Bear Trap with offset teeth circa 1865-1888. The company started production in 1845, Sewell Newhouse - A blacksmith within the community, learned to hand-forge animal traps better than anyone else of the time. Newhouse was part of the Oneida Community, a religious based "family" of approximately 250 members, who believed in harmonious group living and striving to reach human perfection through congruous collaboration. By 1852, the community was able to further improve Newhouse's design and mechanized the manufacturing process. By the 1860s, the Oneida Community was making over 200,000 traps a year, Then in 1864, production demanded a new facility, and scores of new employees, making their trap facility the largest in the country. This also put Oneida Newhouse in the mainstream of American industrial development. By the 1870s, the new factory was producing over 400,000 traps per year. In 1886, The Oneida Community, Ltd., introduced a less expensive line of traps known as the Victor. By the early 1900s, two of every three traps across the globe came from the Oneida factory. The pan reads as follows: S. Newhouse - No. 5 - Community, N.Y. and reads on the original spring 'S. Newhouse - Community, N.Y.' The condition of this bear trap is good with a patina consistent with the age of the trap but otherwise shows good overall condition. The measurements of this trap is 35" x 11 1/2" x 7 1/2". This trap has a replacement machine made spring and only consists of one original spring.

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