The Time Line

Oneida Community Chronology

Compiled by Edward I. Pitts & Stephen R. Leonard, Sr.

Stephen R. Leonard, Sr. was one of the OC stirpicults and my wife’s grandfather. He began this project sometime early in the 20^th Century. His work concentrated on the buildings of the community. I have confirmed his dates and added dates of the early events and others I consider important to community history. Necessarily this list is incomplete, but I hope it will aid the serious student of OC history. Suggestions and corrections are welcome.

JHN's early life

1811 (Sept. 3) JHN Born in Brattleboro, VT - Mother - Polly Hayes, Father - John Noyes who owned a general store in Brattleboro called Noyes & Mann, later Noyes, Mann & Hayes (an uncle).

1817 > Noyes family moves to Dummerston, VT

1822 (Dec.) Family moves to Putney, VT, their new home is called "Locust Grove"

1826 (Sept.) JHN enrolls in Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

1830 > JHN begins study of law in office of Larkin G. Mead in Chesterfield, NH. Mead is husband to his oldest sister, Mary

1831 (Sept. 18) JHN is converted to evangelical Christianity after a revival in Putney

(Nov. 1) JHN enrolls in Andover Theological Seminary. Develops idea of "Mutual Criticism" from a study group called "The Brethren"

1832 (Aug.) JHN enrolls in Yale Theological Seminary, New Haven, CN. Joins the Free Church of New Haven that held services in the Orange Street Chapel and later in the Exchange Building

1833 (Aug.) JHN receives license to preach. Assigned to congregation in North Salem, NY.

1834 (Feb. 20) "High Tide of the Spirit" JHN declares his belief in Perfectionism and that he is free of sin at Free Church of New Haven

(Apr. 16) JHN's license to preach revoked

(April - May) JHN’s crisis of spirit – he rents a room in boarding house on Leonard St. in New York City. Lives there for 3-4 weeks. Friends help him return to New Haven and then Putney to recover.

(Aug. 20) Back in New Haven the first issue of The Perfectionist published edited by JHN and James Boyle. Continues to publish (as The New Covenant Record, 1835-36) until March 1836

1835 (Jan. 1) Perfectionist Convention in Canastota, NY denounces JHN's teaching

(Feb. - May) JHN preaches Perfectionism in Putney, VT

(Summer) JHN returns to New Haven. Visits to Abram Smith in Rondout, NY, Newark, NJ Perfectionist group and Theodore Gates in Philadelphia, PA

1836 (Winter) JHN founds the "Putney Bible School"

(Spring) Perfectionist Convention in Canaseraga, NY favorable to JHN's teachings

1837 (Jan. 15) JHN sends detailed letter regarding doctrine of complex marriage to David Harrison

(Aug. 20) The Witness begins publication in Ithaca, NY. Continues to publish until 1843 in Putney VT after 1838. Editors in addition to JHN, are H.A. Noyes and J.L. Skinner

(Aug.) Theodore Gates publishes (without attribution) JHN's letter to D. Harrison regarding complex marriage in the second number of his magazine The Battle Axe and Weapons of War

(Sept. 23) JHN acknowledges authorship of "The Battle Axe Letter" in third number of The Witness. Letter widely condemned and The Witness temporarily suspends publication

(Winter) with Abram Smith in Rondout, NY

1838 (June 11) Proposes marriage to Harriet Holton

(June 28) Married to Harriet Holton in Chesterfield, NH by brother-in-law Larkin Mead

The Putney Community Period

1838 > Construction on JHN and Harriet Noyes home is completed in Putney, VT

(Nov. 21) The Witness resumes publication in Putney

1841 (Feb. 5) JHN and his siblings, Harriet, Charlotte, and George receive their part of their father's estate = $19,920. This becomes the original capital of the Putney Community

(Feb. 22) Constitution of the Society of Inquiry published

> Perfectionist store and chapel built in Putney

1842 (June 13 & June 25) The Spiritual Moralist published [2 issues only]

1843 (Feb. 15) The Perfectionist, Vol. 3-5, is published in Putney. It continues until Vol. V, Feb. 1846 Name changed to The Perfectionist and Theocratic Watchman Mar. 23, 1844

(March) Putney Community numbers 28 adults and 9 children

1844 (Feb. 26) "Contract of Partnership" is signed by John H. & George Noyes, John Skinner and John Miller - forming the original communal organization

> "Male continence" is announced by JHN and is adopted by Putney Community

1845 (Mar. 9) All members sign the "Constitution" of Putney Community

(Fall) Jonathan Burt purchases the "Indian Saw Mill at Oneida Creek"

1846 (Mar. 15) The Spiritual Magazine begins publication. Continues until 1850 at Oneida

(June 1) Putney Community declares publicly the "Kingdom of Heaven has come!" in a document that makes the practice of complex marriage public knowledge

1847 > The Berean is published; it becomes "the Bible" of the Community

(Sept.) JHN attends two Perfectionist Conventions at Lairdsville (Sept. 3) and Genoa (Sept 17-19) in Central NY. These groups endorse Noyes' teachings and call for creation of a Central NY Perfectionist community

(Oct. 26) JHN is arrested in Putney, charged with adultery

(Oct.) Beaver Meadow, NY (near Hubbardsville) Perfectionist Community organized by Joseph C. Ackley, William S. Hatch & Daniel P. Nash

(Nov. 26) Warrant for the arrest of the Cragins issued. JHN and the Cragins leave Vermont. Putney Community formally dissolved

(Nov. 26) Beaver Meadow Community moves to Burt's in Oneida to begin the Oneida Community

1848 (Jan.) JHN visits the Oneida Perfectionists

(Feb. 4) JHN decides to move the Putney Community to Oneida

The Oneida Community Period

1848 (Mar. 1) First members of Putney Community arrive at Oneida

(May) First death, Martha Bliss Burt, mother of Jonathan Burt, not a Community member. A family burial plot was laid out in the triangle between Kenwood Ave. and Chapel St. Used through 1864

(June) Women adopt the short dress, pantalets, and short hair

(Aug. 3) Construction of the Old (wood) Mansion House begun. Architect Erastus A. Hamilton

(Dec. 23) Oneida Community occupies the Old Mansion House

1849 (Jan. 1) Membership in Community numbers 87

(July) First Children's House completed and occupied

(May) Community purchases house at 41 Willow Place, Brooklyn, NY. JHN, Harriet Holton, and George and Mary Cragin move to Brooklyn

1850 (Jan. 28) The Free Church Circular, Vols. 3-4 becomes the next Community publication

(Feb. 20) Membership in Community numbers 172

(Summer) Old "Indian" saw mill demolished to make way for larger mill building. This building is on the location of the current knife plant. New mill known as the "Circularium"

1851 (Feb. 13) Wallingford, CN Branch Community is started at home of Henry Allen and Emily Dutton

(Feb. 20) Membership in Community numbers 205

(May) JHN attends World's Fair in London, sees Queen Victoria at the Crystal Palace

(Spring) Silk peddling business begins. Door to door sales of thread manufactured by others

(July 5) Fire destroys the press at Oneida, printing operation moved to Brooklyn

(July 26) Sinking of the community sloop “Rebecca Ford” on the Hudson River near Rondout and drowning death of Mary Cragin and Eliza Allen

(Nov. 6) Community publication now changed to The Circular, a name it continues to use until 1864

1852 (March) Temporary suspension of practice of complex marriage until about August 1852

(June) First strawberry festivals - June 24 for general public, June 29 for Oneida Indians

> Manufacture of carpet traveling bags and lunch bags begun at Wallingford

(Dec. 22) Membership in Community 130 at Oneida, 27 at Brooklyn, 13 at Newark, 17 at Wallingford, 15 at Putney and 6 at Cambridge, VT for a total of 208

1853 (Feb. 2) Manufacture of rustic furniture begun under direction of Charles Ellis

(Apr. 3) Use of tobacco ends at OC

1854 (June 16) Death of John Miller, original treasurer of OC

(Sept. 23) Cambridge, VT Community sold and members move to Oneida

(Dec. 8) Brooklyn Community closed, JHN and others return to Oneida

> Bag manufacture begun at Oneida. Continues to 1867

> Large-scale steel trap manufacturing commences at Oneida under direction of Sewell Newhouse

1855 (Apr. 12) Newark Community closed, members and machine shop move to Oneida

(Dec. 7) Eating of pork ends at OC

1856 (Mar. 4) Visit to OC by L.N. Fowler, famous phrenologist, who does a head reading on JHN

(Mar. 27) Large orders for traps received from several sources, all other Community enterprises reduced to fill trap orders. First business board appointed

1857 (Jan. 29) Manufacture of trap chain begun at Wallingford

(Oct. 15) Financial panic throughout U.S. causes hard times at OC. No new members admitted. All business enterprises reduced.

1858 (Dec. 9) Trap business resumes at full steam

1859 (Jan. 19) Community begins process of gathering materials for new Mansion House

(Sept. 19) Attempt at firing brick at OC for new house fails

1860 (Mar. 1) Community gives up coffee and black tea, but not strawberry and other herb tea

1861 (April) Corner stone of brick Mansion House laid

> Community orchestra reaches peak size with 28 players

1862 (June 5) Big hall frescoes nearly finished by German painters from the Syracuse firm of "Allewelt"

(June 26) Dedication of Big Hall - North wing of Mansion House also completed

1863 (May 28) Tontine begun, completed summer 1864

(Aug. 16) Military draft for the region held, but passes by the Community

(Aug. 20) "Great cow barn" begun. This building is later known as the "Arcade" and the "Fruit House."

1864 (Mar. 21) Printing operations moved to Wallingford, chain manufacturing moved from Wallingford to Oneida. Community publication renamed The Circular (New Series), a name it retains until 1870.

(May 2) "Willow Place" a/k/a "Water Power" factory begun in Turkey Street for silk, trap and chain manufacture. This is the original of the current OL factory

(July 11) First reference in the Circular to the Summer House that still sits on the North Lawn designed & built by Charles Ellis

(Sept. 12) New Community graveyard selected 1/4 mile west of buildings. Only used until 1868

(Dec. 28) Community establishes a sales office at 40 Reade St., NYC two doors east of Broadway. This office was later (June 9, 1866) moved to Moffat Building at 334 Broadway, Room 9, New York City

1865 > William Mills becomes only member of Community to be forcibly expelled. Actually thrown out a window into a snow bank. He sues OC. Case settled by payment of $2250 to Mills to leave in peace.

(Sept. 25) JHN and 4 other Community men travel to the Laurentians in Canada to go trapping for the winter. They last until December. A humorous account of this adventure is published in The Trapper's Guide.

1866 (Feb. 20) Membership of OC numbers 209

(July 30) Manufacture of silk thread and ribbon commences at Oneida

(Aug. 16) William Hepworth Dixon visits OC. Later writes two popular books (not so popular at Oneida) about his (often erroneous) impressions.

(Aug. 20) Croquet is introduced to OC, it quickly becomes a favorite game

1867 (Apr. 22) Willow Place Community home set up in former Wager farm adjacent to new factory

> Charles Guiteau leaves the Community and sues for $9,000 for past due wages. Guiteau's lawyers drop the suit. (Guiteau later assassinates Pres. Garfield 7/2/81)

1868 (Mar. 10) Printing business returns to Oneida from Wallingford

(Oct. 24) Community cemetery and graves moved to current location to make way for the railroad

1869 (Apr. 19) Wooden children's house moved across the road in two sections to the Vineyard, and renamed "The Seminary", a bell tower was added in the angle facing the road. This building was later moved to a site near the south bridge and renamed "The Elms." It exists today as private apartments.

(May) Foundation for south wing and brick children's house begun

(Sept. 6) Midland RR has turned the creek into a new course under the new bridge.

(Oct. 25) Steam heat turned on for first time in the Mansion House

> Stirpiculture experiment begins. 53 women and 38 men sign stirpiculture agreement

(Nov. 25) Trains begin running across OC lands on the new line of the Midland Railroad

(Dec. 17) Oneida Community railroad station near the Mansion House opens

1870 (June 13) Dining room moved from the Old Mansion House to the Tontine

(Sept. 25) New Children's House and south wing dedicated

(Nov. 27) Old (wood) Mansion House is demolished

> Community publication renamed again, now The Oneida Circular, a name it keeps until 1876

1871 (Sept. 4) Tar roof on Tontine, Trap shop and barn replaced with tin

1872 (Apr. 22) Wilson farm is acquired and renovated for Willow Place family, renamed "The Villa"

(Nov. 18) A cottage on Oneida Lake, "Joppa," is built at the mouth of the Fish Creek

1873 (March) Story quilts made by Community members

(May 26) D. Edson Smith darkroom set up in Seminary, first photographs by Community member

1874 (Apr. 21) Twelve member "Cleveland family" of James W. Towner accepted as members as a group

(Nov. 16) First “Turkish” baths constructed at OC

(Oct.) Articles critical of OC social system start appearing, campaign of Prof. Mears begins

1875 (Jan. 25) Stirpiculture Committee formed

(Apr. 6) A cottage by the sea in CN called "Cozicot" is constructed

(May 24) Two story Children's Play House begun on the South Lawn

(Aug. 2) Turkish bath for the public is built at Wallingford - Promoted as cure-all

> Membership in Community numbers 298

1876 (Jan. 6) New Turkish bath is built in Oneida in the “Arcade” and is open to the public

(Mar. 30) Community publication reformatted entirely and renamed The American Socialist, publication under this name continues until December 25, 1879

(Apr. 20) Stirpiculture committee disbanded, authority passes back to Community central members

(Aug. 31) New cow barn completed across the creek. This building is now the CAC

(Nov. 8) New Community house at Wallingford completed

1877 > Construction of four story "New House" begun

(May 17) JHN resigns as president of OC. Appoints Theodore Noyes president

(July) First tinned iron spoons produced at Wallingford

1878 (Jan. 25) JHN resumes command of OC, Theodore resigns

(May) Membership in Community numbers 306

(Aug. 9) Tornado hits Wallingford, community buildings damaged, 30 town residents killed

The transition to “Joint Stock” and Founding of OCL

1879 (June 22) JHN Leaves Oneida for Canada

(June 29) Newspaper reports that Prof. Mears has definite plans for arrest of JHN

(July 22) Administrative council of 19 members selected to lead the Community until 1/1/80

(Summer-Fall) JHN and Theo. Pitt stay at farm of Walter Brett, in Strathroy, Ontario

(Aug. 26) Community ends practice of Complex Marriage

(Oct. 3) First standard marriage performed at OC, Frederick Marks to Martha Hawley

(Oct. 30) Current Library in the New House in use. The rest of this wing not finished off until later

(Dec. 9) Commission for returning OC to "normal" customs of society appointed by JHN

1880 (Sept. 1) "Agreement to Divide and Reorganize" communal property is published. Oneida Community, Ltd. formed as Joint Stock Company

(Sept. 9) OCL Leases land and factory buildings in Niagara Falls, NY for tableware and chain factories

(Nov. 27) First Board of Directors of OCL elected, both Theo. Noyes and James Towner are elected Board members. Dissention does not end.

> JHN Moves to Stone Cottage, Niagara Falls, Ontario. Eleven other OC families move to Niagara Falls settling on both the Canadian and American sides of the "suspension bridge"

1881 (Jan. 1) Joint stock instituted. Assets of Community divided among all members

1882 > James Towner and his faction resign and move to Santa Anna, California

1886 (Apr. 13) JHN dies at Stone Cottage. He is buried in the Community Cemetery in Oneida