TOP TOYS: What were kids’ favorite toys 100 years ago? In its
December newsletter, Bradford Landmark Society has that answer for
the period 1900-1920. The first five today:

1. Teddy Bears: While on a hunting trip in November 1902,
President Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a helpless bear. A
political cartoonist drew a cartoon of Roosevelt and the bear, and
a toy store owner in New York created a stuffed bear to match the
bear in the cartoon. Teddy Bears became famous across the nation,
and by 1915, every child had to have his or her own.

2. Erector Set: Created by former Gold Metal Olympian (pole
vault in 1908) A.C. Gilbert, the erector set made its debt in 1913.
Gilbert was taking the train from his home in Connecticut to New
York City and was inspired by watching workers set and rivet steel
beams for the electrical power line tower they were building. While
watching these workers, he decided to create a children’s
construction kit that was more than a toy. It would be something
they could use to create and build and add to.

3. Lionel Train: These toys have been around since 1901. The
first train was used to attract customers through the famous New
York City window displays, but it was not long before consumers
wanted them in their own homes. The Electric Express, Joshua Lionel
Cowen’s first model train, was created in 1901 by fitting a small
motor under a model of a railroad flatcar. The motor was powered by
a battery, and the Electric Express ran around 30 inches of
track.

4. Lincoln Logs: After seeing how a hotel his father designed
survived an earthquake in Toyko, Japan, John Lloyd Wright (son of
architect Frank Lloyd Wright) was inspired to create a building toy
using interlocking pieces, similar to the hotel’s design. Lincoln
Logs were introduced to the market in 1916, and were a big hit.

5. Raggedy Ann: Newspaper cartoonist Johnny Gruelle had this
doll made for his daughter and decided to begin selling copies.
Those copies have found their way into countless homes, even
today.

Can you guess the next five? We’ll have those in tomorrow’s
column.