The company arose out of the utopian Oneida Community, which was established in Oneida, New York, in 1848. The Oneida Association (later Oneida Community) was founded by a small group of Christian Perfectionists led by John Humphrey Noyes, Jonathan Burt, George W. Cragin, Harriet A.Noyes, George W. Noyes, John L. Skinner and a few others. In 1880, after more than 30 years operating as a commune, the Oneida Community voted to transfer much of the common property to a joint-stock company to be known as Oneida Community Ltd. effective January 1, 1881.