The Perfect Triumph - Scot Dahms - Book

The following is an excerpt from my fourth book titled Perfect Triumph: Places, Faces and Cases of the Triumph Trap Company, Oneida, New York, 1913-1935. This book has 306 pages and 210 images: "In the spring of 1913, Henry A. Constantine considered locating the new trap manufacturing company in Niagara Falls, New York and calling it the Niagara Game Trap Company. He inquired about manufacturing sites and studied the labor conditions. He found that a satisfactory site could not be obtained with real estate being very expensive. Available labor conditions were not satisfactory either. Constantine then visited Oneida and met with the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Thomas A. Devereux. Devereux presented the advantages of locating a manufacturing plant in Oneida. They included real estate being available for purchase at lower prices, lower rent, Oneida was free of labor disputes, and abundant labor experienced in trap manufacturing. Because of those reasons, the decision was made to incorporate under the name Oneida Game Trap Company instead of Niagara Game Trap Company. A site for the building of a factory could not be located. Constantine wanted to be located near the right of way of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad or near the Ontario and Western Railroad. The major advantage of locating near a railroad was the convenience of shipping. He asked Devereux to help locate a site. Several locations were suggested but they either could not be purchased or were not suitable for a building site. Devereux suggested a possible location on the northerly side of the West Shore Railroad near that railroad’s freight station. It was formerly known as the Oneida Castle Station. This was the only satisfactory location that could be found for sale at the time. Constantine secured an option on the property and the option was later assigned to him making him the owner. Eugene F. Kitendaugh, Oneida Community Limited Legal Department, pointed out the interesting connection that all of the traps shipped out by Oneida Community Limited were under the Bill of Lading of Oneida Castle. The identical spot where the property was purchased. He said “if this scheme is carried out” both company’s shipments will have the same Bill of Lading out of the same freight depot. Kitendaugh believed the name of Oneida Game Trap Company and the location of the factory with a Bill of Lading of Oneida Castle out of the same freight depot as Oneida Community Limited was intentionally done to identify the new business as closely as possible with the business of Oneida Community Limited. Kitendaugh questioned whether this interaction with the president of the Chamber of Commerce even happened as Devereux would later be an attorney for the Oneida Game Trap Company. On May 10, 1913, Constantine received information from the officers of the Chamber of Commerce that it was possible to obtain manufacturing space in the building known as the industrial building located on James Street near the freight depot of the New York Central and the Hudson River Railroad Company. He entered into an arrangement with the owners to occupy part of the building for trap manufacturing and took possession on May 10, 1913. Thus began the tumultuous twenty two years the Triumph Trap Company was in business."