Oneida sex cult

What do you get when you mix free love, communal living, and a dash of eugenics? A 19th-century sex cult that somehow also made your grandma’s favorite silverware.

Welcome to the bizarre world of the Oneida Community, a religious cult turned polyamorous commune that believed in group marriage, selective breeding, and Jesus-approved orgies—all while mass-producing spoons.

In this episode of Lesser Known People, we dive into how John Humphrey Noyes, a charismatic preacher, created a utopian sex cult that lasted decades, left behind a successful business empire, and still haunts history books today.

Founded in 1848 in upstate New York, the Oneida Community was a radical Christian sect that rejected monogamy, traditional marriage, and personal property. Instead, they practiced "Complex Marriage", where everyone was married to everyone.

Yes, that meant free love for all—well, sort of.

The catch? John Humphrey Noyes controlled who could have sex with whom, believing that some members were more spiritually pure and should be encouraged to reproduce, while others were…well, less desirable. This creepy eugenics experiment was called "Stirpiculture", and it’s as disturbing as it sounds.

So how does a cult built on weird sex rules transition into a successful cutlery brand?

When public outrage and legal trouble forced John Humphrey Noyes to flee to Canada in 1879, the community dissolved the sex cult and shifted gears into full-time capitalism. The remaining members turned their commune into the Oneida Silverware Company, a brand that still exists today.

That’s right—your grandma’s fancy silver set? It was originally funded by a 19th-century sex commune.