I found this yesterday on my ranch in northeast Montana. On the pan I can make out the words “Newhouse”, “community”, and “No. 4” (I think). There’s more words around the pan but the corrosion is too extensive to read. There’s also scribing on the spring but I cannot make out any definite letters. What is the time period, and what animal(s) was this trap likely intended for? I’d appreciate any insight at all. Thank you.

Some will say your missing a spring but I had read where you could get them as Sls traps.

There’s no sign of there ever being a second spring on it as far as I can tell but it has been in the dirt and weather for 100+ years probably.

Your trap is a #4 small pan Newhouse, made in the early 1900s, before about 1908 when they changed to the large pan. The #4 is a double spring trap and was offered with or without a chain but not with only one spring. It is also missing the dog and half of the chain. The pan reads "S. NEWHOUSE, ONEIDA COMMUNITY, N.Y. " No 4.

Montana Livestock Commision? Maybe