North American Trap Collectors Museum
Extensive Collection of Traps and Trapping Memorabilia
Trapping season in North America is approaching. Although the market for fur is currently low enough to discourage all but the most ardent enthusiasts, there are still those who carry on the tradition. There is less opportunity for trappers, but historians can enjoy studying the part trapping played in years gone by. The North American Trap Collectors Museum in Galloway, Ohio, is a treasure trove of equipment, memorabilia, and lore. Curator and historian Tom Parr maintains the museum with meticulous care. Parr is also the president of the North American Trap Collectors Association, an organization with members from around the globe.
The museum’s inventory is impressive, with over 4,000 cataloged items. Visitors to the museum can view thousands of traps, from hand-made steel beaver traps dating from the 1800s, to huge bear traps that can be purchased today. An entire room is devoted to mouse and rat traps, with both American and European designs on display. Museum goers will be sure to marvel over the ingenuity and variety of mouse trap designs.
Trapping Important Factor in North American History
The expansion of Europeans and Early Americans into North America was largely motivated and funded by the acquisition of fur. Fur trapping was big business, and American, British, French, and Canadian interests competed for the right to trap in various territories. Native Americans further complicated things, sometimes aiding and sometimes resisting the invaders. John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant, built a fortune out of the fur trade, becoming one of the richest men of his time. Parr is well-versed in this history, and he fits the information seamlessly into his narration as he leads visitors through the collections.
Manufactured Steel Traps Replaced Hand-Made Traps
Since small quantities of unformed steel were difficult to obtain in the 1800s, the rough and ready trappers made theirs by melting down steel tools, such as ax heads. They beat the steel into shape and made traps that caught animals for the lucrative fur trade, especially beavers. Some collectors prefer these old, hand-made traps. It wasn’t long before steel traps began to be manufactured and offered for sale. Some of the finest were made by the Oneida Group, a religious community in New York. Many fine examples of early hand-made traps, Oneida Group traps, and others are in the NATC museum collection.
Vintage Hunting and Trapping Posters, Books, and Manuals
In addition to the thousands of traps, the museum houses a collection of beautiful, vintage prints. Wild vistas with rugged men in heroic poses graced the covers of outdoor magazines in the early twentieth century. Many of these illustrations were released as posters, and several of these are on display. Bookshelves are filled with works of fiction and non-fiction about trapping. Trap manufacturers produced manuals with instructions for trapping wolves, beavers, bear, and other animals, and several examples of these are kept organized in display cases.
Reconstructed Log Trapper’s Cabin is Living History
The museum grounds include a reconstructed log cabin where visitors can observe a bit of living history. The cabin includes equipment such as a gambrel, used for hanging the animal carcass during the skinning process, special tools for removing flesh and fat from the pelts, and stretching boards for drying them. A visit to the primitive log house brings to life some of the sights, sounds, and smells experienced by North American trappers.
Ohio’s NATCA Museum is keeping the history of North American trapping alive and well.
Tom Parr with Beaver Pelt
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