Longaberger Basket

Description: A RARE OPPORTUNITY

This is a pre factory Longaberger basket.

It is not signed or verified ...BUT when I contacted the Longaberger company
and sent them photos they said that it seemed to be made in the original
factory by the father of the present owner. I was told to bring it in. Now,
I live in Hawaii and that's a bit of a journey for a basket. So I cannot
100% certify that it's an original Longaberger. I would say this basket is
from the early part of the 20th century. It belonged to my Aunt who left it
to me. It is very good condition...considering it's age. If you look at the
photos you can see the same design features that are still being used by the
present factory.

$99.00 + S&H & insurance

The Longaberger History
In 1896, when the Longaberger family moved to Dresden, Ohio, the tiny village still enjoyed its prosperity as a rural transportation and industrial hub in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. There was a hotel on Main Street, three railroad stations, a woolen mill and a paper mill. In the not-too-distant past, a side-cut canal had connected the community with the historic Ohio Canal, transforming the village into a bustling canal town.


In the early 1900s, baskets were as commonplace as paper bags and plastic containers are now. Ware Baskets, made at the Dresden Basket Factory, were used to carry pottery ware for the region's booming pottery industry.

In 1919, J.W. Longaberger (Dave’s father) took a job with the Dresden Basket Factory. As a full-time apprentice he meticulously learned the basketmaking art by first crafting basket bottoms. Later he mastered the precise, tight weaving style that would become his trademark. J.W. grew to love the art of basketry.

While working at the basket factory, J.W. met Bonnie Jean Gist from the neighboring community of Trinway. Their courtship led to marriage in 1927. During the Great Depression, the Dresden Basket Factory closed. J.W. found work at the local paper mill, but continued making baskets after work and on weekends. In 1936, J.W. and Bonnie purchased the closed Dresden Basket Factory and the home on that property. J.W. then named his new business The Ohio Ware Basket Company, reflecting the importance of Ware Baskets and the pottery industry to his small side business.