Hi, I have an antique bear trap that I believe is an early Newhouse from the 1820's when he was making traps for the Oneida Indians, about 20-30 years before he started making traps for the Oneida Community. Any info would be very helpful. Thanks

Looks like something pieced together.

I know that very early in his career, in the 1820's, Newhouse made traps for the Oneida Indians, and for other people, out of all kinds of different scrap metals, everything from files to bolts to sicle bars. So they were pieced together, but still Newhouse original traps.

Lumberjack72, Your trap is defiantly not a Newhouse, and not from the 1820's. Newhouse, was a craftsman and a very talented blacksmith. His early traps were high quality and never pieced together. Even when using scrap materials to build traps, he transformed them into trap part. Newhouse had a specific pattern to his traps, that pattern changed slightly through the years of production. Some of the parts of your trap are modern, one spring and the chain and swivel are not old, the rest of the trap is blacksmith made but is not quality work.

Snakecollector, thank you for the info. Would you happen to know where I could find images of his early traps from the 1820's and 1830's before he worked for the Oneida Community? I know sometimes they could be on display.

Snakecollector is a major trap collector and an expert on Newhouse. You came here for advice and got the best person in the country to answer your questions for free. It appears you still do not believe him. Sewell Newhouse started making traps in 1848. He joined the Oneida Community and made traps with the utopian commune from 1853 until 1880.

OP might be thinking about Miles Standish as the trap maker but it's not one of those either. Like Dean said, it's a conglomerate of old and not so old parts.

I appreciate all of the information. Thank you. Does anyone have an idea of when this trap would have been made?

This is the closest trap I can find to mine. Not sure what this one is.