DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 419 768 SO 029 006

AUTHOR Frese, Millie K., Ed.TITLE Toys & Games.INSTITUTION Iowa State Historical Society, Iowa City.ISSN ISSN-0278-0208PUB DATE 1997-00-00NOTE 33p.

AVAILABLE FROM Goldfinch, State Historical Society of Iowa, 402 IowaAvenue, Iowa City, IA 52240-1806 (subscriptions, 4 issues,$10).

PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials ,(022)

JOURNAL CIT Goldfinch; v19 n2 Win 1997EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Childrens Games; Elementary Education; Family History;

Local History; Play; *Social History; *Social Studies; StateHistory; *Toys

IDENTIFIERS *Iowa

ABSTRACTThis i ccnc fnnncac nn urrnxrc anr1 67.AMP_" qtflaPrItR arpP_

encouraged to explore games of the past, particularly from the early 1900s.Activities include playing games from the past and making toys. Featurearticles describe toys and games through time, Iowa-made toys, ethnic games,how play imitates work, and how world events impact play. Several photographsare provided to illustrate past games and toys. (RJC)

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stihat toys do you think yesterdays' kids enjoyed? Expen-sive china dolls or paper dolls cut from pages of mailorder catalogs? Electric train sets or corn cobs with

chicken feathers stuck in one end to make darts? Or sticks thatbecame horses, rafts orExcalibur in a child'simagination...

This issue of TheGoldfinch looks at toys andgames-purchased, in-vented and imagined -Iowakids enjoyed from territo-rial times through WorldWar II. As you play yourway through the stories,notice how toys and theirpurposes have changedover time. Discover manyfactors,from wars totelevision, that influencedwhat kids played. See howpioneer Iowa kids turnedwork into play as theylabored with their familiesto establish homesteads.Peek inside two Iowacompanies that manufac-ture toys and find out howthey got started. Play old games that may be new to you, know-ing that old becomes new each time the game is played.

Ready...Set...Tag-you're It!

Catching a sneak thief!Two Ruthven, Iowa boys played copsand robbers 1910. What role-playgames do you enjoy today?

2 The Goldfinch

3-The Editor

GoldfinchVolume 19, Number 2 Winter 1997

Member, Educational PressAssociation of America

Winner of two 1997 EdPressDistinguished Achievement Awards

for Excellence In EducationalPublishing

INTERIM EDITOR: Millie K. FresePUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR: Shaner MagalhaesEDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Lin LyILLUSTRATION: Mary Moye-RowleyCONSULTING EDITORS: Kevin Knoot, referencelibrarian, SHSI (Iowa City); Jack Lufkin, museumcurator, SHSI (Des Moines); Sarah Macht,museum education coordinator, SHSI (DesMoines)

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jen Golay, DianeNelson and Amy Ruth

EDUCATORS' ADVISORY BOARD: Betty Arndt,Greenwood Elementary School, Des Moines; GaryCoffelt, Central Decatur Elementary, Decatur City;Linda Vandeventer, Harrison Elementary School,Davenport; Karla Willoughby, HanawaltElementary School, Des Moines

CHILDREN'S ADVISORY BOARD: Sarah Frese,Danville; Muriel Huckins, Council Bluffs; WilliamMartin, Waterloo; Nina Moeller, Iowa City

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Johnathan Buffalo,Meskwaki Tribal Historian, Tama; Fred Ertl, Jr.;Carmen Langel, Curator, Czech and SlovakMuseum and Library, Cedar Rapids; NorbertSpinner; Louise Unkrich, Swedish AmericanMuseum, Swedesburg; Jim Walsh, The ErtlCompany, Dyersville; Kari Wittmeyer, DyersvilleIndustries, Inc.

CREDITS: The characters Wild Rosie and Goldieby SHSI exhibit designer Jerry Brown. Researchon marble terms,p.30, by Susan Kehrli.

PHOTO CREDITSAll photos from SHSI (Iowa City)Collections except: Ertl Toy Company, p. 8, complimentsof Fred Ertl, Jr.; Czech and Slovak Museum Volunteers, p.15, compliments of Czech and Slovak Museum, CedarRapids; Dala Horses, p. 15, History Makers. pp. 22 & 23,and back cover by Millie K. Frese; Amana KitchenMiniatures, p. 21, Joan Liffring-Zug Collection (SHSI IowaCity); Photo on p. 25 from the Kellenberger Collection,SHSI (Iowa City); History Mystery, pp. 30 & 31, marbles.tractor, bucket and sweeper photos by Millie K. Frese oftoys in the 5H51 (Des Moines) collection.

The Goldfinch (ISSN 0278-0208) is published quarterly bythe State Historical Society of Iowa, 402 Iowa Avenue.Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1806 (319/335-3916). Second-class postage paid at Iowa City, Iowa. Subscriptions are$10 for four issues.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Carol Carey,subscriptions coordinator, The Goldfinch, State HistoricalSociety of Iowa, 402 Iowa Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1806. C State Historical Society of Iowa, 1997. Noportion of The Goldfinch may be reproduced without priorpermission except for classroom use.

On the Cover: 4 Toys and Games Through Time8 Iowa -made T

Top: Mignon andDonald enjoy a tea party,July 18, 1900.Right:This ca. 1914 portraitof Roy McFarland was takenwhen he was about sixyears old.Left: An Iowa City girl strollswith her dolls in this pre-1920 photo.

12 Play Yesterday's Games Today!1G Make Tops and Whiny Cobs13 Dear Diary...3* History Mystery

Employees finishand package toys

in the ErtlCompany's

Dubuque plant,ca. 1955. (photocourtesy Theresa

Sauser)

10 Iowa's Play Environment14 Ethnic Games20 Turning Work Into Play24 World Events Impact Play

2 Let's Play!22 History Makers26 Goldfinch Fiction: Red Rover

p- The Goldfinch is also available on cassette tapefor the blind, the visually impaired, the physically

handicapped, and the learning disabled. For moreinformation contact the Iowa Department for the Blind. 1-800- 362 -2587. Or write to the Iowa Department for theBlind Library, 524 4th St., Des Moines 50309.

The Goldfinch 3

Toys aome of the games Iowakids played in the mid tolate 1800s may sound

familiarjump rope, marbles,hopscotch and pick-up sticks.Others, like Fox and Geese orAnte-Over, may not.

Many traditional games haveEuropean origins, brought toNew England by immigrants,then to the midwest as thenation grew. Other games werealready here, played by NativeAmericans for generations.

Historically, toys appear tohave been less important tochildren than games played withothers and play that did not

NA

:,.."1.1116Maka

Schootierd Jug-ofwar; ca.-1920.

4 The Goldfinch

John Zug plays a drum madeout of an empty oatmealcarton, 1914.

..

11.

require specific objects. "Store-bought" (manufactured) toyswere rare. Sometimes simpletoys like ceramic marbles,wooden tops, ice skates or dollsoccupied spare moments.Children created toys fromordinary household stuffespecially during the low-tech,pre-Nintendo days of the 19thcentury. Items adults discardedas junk often became kids'favorite playthings.

Pocket knives providedhours of fun for boys as theycarved or played mumble-the-peg, a target game. Woodenclothespins became soldiers for

kids acting out famousbattles. With a littlework, scrap lumber orfallen tree branchesbecame stilts. A trunkfull of old clothes

. opened the door to aworld of make-believe.

Recess!

Playground equip-ment wasn't installed inschoolyards until about1910. Instead, kids

Playground games, Page Center, Iowa, 1907.

explored creeks, ditches, hills and forests sur-rounding their schools. They climbed trees,chased butterflies and dug holes in the dirt.They also played a variety of folk gamespassed down through generations. Singinggames (like London Bridge and Skip to MyLou), intellectual contests (like guessinggames and spelling bees) and ethnic games(often rhyming games in their family'snative language) were popular.

Outdoor games helped kids burn offexcess energy Some playground gameshelped kids (whether they knew it or not!)behave. Mother May I taught kids to bepolite when asking others for favors. Followthe Leader and Simon Says taught kids tocopy another's actions when they didn'tknow what to do. Playground games assimi-lated and Americanized immigrant children.Games taught kids to play fair, follow rules,cooperate and compromise.

Growth of Toy Industry

Yesterday's toys weren't all fun andgames. Most early toys were designed toteach. Toys and games helped childrendevelop physical skills, morals, knowledgeand good social behavior. The first boardgame produced in the U.S., for example,cultivated counting skills and character.Children moved game pieces along a pathof spaces marked Truth, Gratitude andGenerosity as they played Mansion ofHappiness (1843). They hoped to avoid

spaces labeled Cruelty or Poverty!Manufactured toys were more available after

the Civil War, although the majority of children in

Playing dress-up has been a favorite pastime acrossgenerations. Here, Officer McGinnis investigates afortune-telling tent. Ruthven, Iowa, ca. 1910.

The Goldfinch 5

Bruce Hiscock on a tire swing.

the late 19th century couldonly dream of the toys theysaw in shops and catalogs.However, increased circula-tion of catalogs and kids'magazines in the 1870ssuggest adults were taking anew interest in child's play.Parents placed greater impor-tance on toys for theirchildren's development,education and happiness. Bythe early 20th century, a newdefinition of childhood wasemerging. Families dependedless on their children's labor,giving children more freetime. Prosperous parents

6 The Goldfinch

indulged their kids with store-bought toys and childrenbecame more dependent ontoys in their play.

As the toy industry grew tomeet increased demands,toymakers began producingplaythings that were strictlyfor fun. No longer were toysdesigned primarily to educate.Mail order catalogs and thenation's expanding railroadsystem made manufacturedtoys easy to obtain.

During the 20th century,family sizes decreased and free

time increased. Movies andTV have had a huge impacton what children play. Fromthe Lone Ranger to LukeSkywalker, kids imitate theirfavorite characters and playwith toys manufactured tocorrespond with popularshows. Toy manufacturerslearned that favorite charac-ters became hot-selling toys.Movie makers learned thattoys are good advertising.

Today, kids love high-techgames designed to teach asthey thrill. But some adults

t,eids often played with paper dolls. Punch-out paper doll bookslwere available, but kids also enjoyed creating their own. Youcan, too! Gut figures from catalogs or magazines. Gut out clothes

for all kinds of activities, or make your on using constructionpaper or wallpaper samples. Draw or glut pictures of furniture onscrapbook pages for household scenes, or create outdoor

scents like soccer games 4°' and camping trips!

These paper dolls, from the SHSI (Iowa City) Collection, were cutfrom a Munsirigwear advertisement.

7

Kids loved making and walkingon stilts. This photo was takenca. 1903.

fear kids are losing out becausethey are entertained by toys andgames (like video games andtoys from movies) instead ofusing their imaginations tocreate their own fun.

Millie K. Frese

r4ne way to find out about yesterday's toys and games is to

V asK questions! TalK to your grandparents, great-grand-parents or other older members of your community. MKthem these questions and any others you thinK

GVlhen were you born?O What to did you have when you were a Kid?

What games did you play?With whom did you play?

Show your grandparents or other older friends your to andsee how they compare. Send us a story about your discoveriesand we'll send you a prize! Address your letters to: TheGoldfinch Toy Stories, State Historical Society of Iowa, 402Iowa Ave., Iowa Gity, IA 52240.

a

r.

Off'r, rrl

A boy and his doll, ca. 1925.

The Goldfinch 7

Iowa is perhaps best known for its agriculturalindustry. However farm toys made by twoIowa toy companies show that agriculture

isn't "all work and no play." Since the 1940s, theErtl Company in Dyersville and Slik-Toys inLansing have brought smiles to the faces ofyoung Iowans and those young at heart.

1n 1945, Fred Ertl, Sr., was out of work but hewasn't out of ideas. He started a toy companyin the basement of his Dubuque home. His

first employees were his wife and their five sonswhose ages ranged from 15 to 6. With their help,he made miniature tractors, cars and airplanesout of aluminum he melted in his furnace. Hiswife was the designated painter and the boysassembled toys after school. It was a familybusiness and the eldest son, Fred Jr., told TheGoldfinch, "Everybody pitched in something." Herecalled how the company's youngest employee,John, was put to work. 'We used to put on decalsin the kitchen and John would carry the toys tothe other room to dry. They didn't dry fast likethey do now."

In the beginning, nearly all of the business wasreplica toys, and most of them were farm equip-ment models. A year after the Ertl Companybegan, it signed its first contract to make toys for

Ertl brothers Allan, John, Joe and Fred, Jr., with anassortment of Ertl toys in 1970.

the John Deere Company. Soon the companyoutgrew its facilities in Dubuque and moved toDyersville in 1959.

The Ertl Company saw many changes in the1970s. It expanded into plastic model kits andelectronic products like tape recorders andchildren's phonographs. The company also addedmanufacturing plants in Mexico and China wheremost of the toys are made today. In addition, FredErtl, Jr., along with other toy manufacturersacross the country, implemented a toy safety coderemoving sharp edges and points and labelingtoys for appropriate ages. Through the years, Ertltoys have also gotten bigger and more costly.

Today, the Ertl Company also produces dolls,collectible animals, Star Trek model kits andDukes of Hazzard model cars.

8 The Goldfinch 9

The Lansing Company

Tucked away in Lansing Company's 100 yearhistory is its brief stint as an Iowa toy manu-

facturer. Founded by Jeremiah Turner, thecompany first started as a button factory in 1897.Little did Turner know that his grandson, LeoHufschmidt, would lead the company into thejewelry and toy business in 1908 and 1942, re-spectively.

In the beginning, the toys, called Slik-Toys,were simple wooden cars and trucks. The com-pany had been making wooden costume jewelryand found that its shaper and drill machines couldbe easily adapted to make toys. They welcomedthis new kind of work because war shortages hadslowed the button business. Between 1942 and1945, Lansing made 30,000 toys daily from scrapsof wood only 10-12 inches long. When World WarII ended and metal became available again, thecompany switched to aluminum because it wassturdier than wood.

Before the Lansing Company sold Slik-Toys in1959, it offered a complete set of model farmequipment as well as trains, cars, and trucks. Slik-Toys didn't move far. Its new owner, ArmorIndustries Inc., is also based in Lansing, Iowa.While Slik-Toys are found in toy stores across thecountry, manufacturing has never left Iowa.

Norbert Spinner, a former Lansing employee,recalled, "When I was in the design-making of

10

toys, I enjoyed planning and getting the sampletoys ready for production."

Today, Slik-Toys, under Armor Industries, issmaller and produces primarily farm toys liketractors, mowers, plows, and rakes.

Viot:ihtMuitiOin yersville, Iowa calls itself the "Farm Toy

Capital of the World." It is home tothree farm toy manufacturers and theNational Farm Toy Museum, established in1986. Annually, more than 35,000 toyenthusiasts visit the two-story museumfilled with 30,000 farm toys, trucks andbanks. There's also a small movie theaterand gift shop. Special attractions for kidsinclude interactive dioramas, a farm safetydisplay and a play area. Lin Ly

The Goldfinch 9

Play Environmentby Millie K. Frese

Children often played withminiatures of things adultsused. In this 1920s photo,Lenore Rickels uses a toyiron, imitating one of hermother's chores. She lived inAtkins, Iowa.

ith all the wide-open space Iowasettlers encountered, you'd think onlythe horizons could have limited what

kids played.Not so.One early settler recalled, "Although my new

home was in the wide-open spaces, I lost myfreedom to run and play outside...I could notleave the swept area in front of the house unlessone of my grandparents was with me, and I wasnot allowed in the garden because of the dangerof rattlesnakes."

Hazards of pioneer life often limited what kidscould do for fun. Other factors, like gender andmoney, also influenced what kids played.

10 The Goldfinch

Children often imitatedadult work when they played.Adults believed play shouldteach childrenespeciallygirlshabits of hard work.Girls learned how to keephouse by playing house withminiature tea sets, dollhouses and kitchenware. If

they had no toys representing these items, theyimprovised.

Joanne Meusburger, who grew up on a SacCounty farm in the late 1930s, described her firstdoll as a "cotton-stuffed cutie with a paintedcardboard face." She turned an evergreen treewith shady branches into a playhouse. Crates andstumps became tables, chairs and beds. Brokenor discarded household items found a new home

Two kids enjoy a snowy Iowa day, ca. 1940

11

under her play-house tree. Emptycartons and tincans stockedplayhouse pantryshelves on lowbranches.

Guns, tools,balls and marbleswere "boys' toys."

James LangdonHill, who grew upin Grinnell in the1850s, knew spring had arrived when boysbrought out their marbles. No game, according toHill, required more organization than marbles.

"Its lingo was understood only by boys," Hillwrote in his book, My First Years as a Boy. Boysvoted on rules to govern their games, thenagreed to observe them. However, it wascommon for the game to end with bitter feel-ings which were sometimes resolved with fists.

Families in the 19th and early 20th centurieshad little money for toys. Doris Cresap grew upon a Des Moines County farm during The GreatDepression of the 1930s. "We made our ownentertainment," she said. 'We knew we didn'thave money to buy lots of things, but we alwayshad food on the table and we never felt de-prived."

The barnyard was Cresap's playground.Found items were her toys. `We'd put a beefbone from a roast on the end of a stick to makehorses," she said. "Sometimes we'd roll an oldbuggy wheel around with a narrow board."

i

John Zug playing marbles on

a Des Moines street, 1929.

Cresap walked along the top of board fencessurrounding their cowlot like a balance beam.She and her brother climbed the barn roof, goingacross the ridge row (peak) to the cupola. 'Westraddled the lightning rod cable and held on!"she said. "Mom got a few gray hairs because ofus. I guess you could have called me a tomboy!"

Many playthings crossed gender and socio-economic lines. Girls and boys alike spun tops,played ball games, tag and singing games, andenjoyed skating and sledding.

The birth of Barbie, G.I. Joe and other actionfigures reinforced gender stereotypes in toys.Girls' dolls invited role play in a realm wherefashion and dating were primary concerns. Boystoys encouraged fantasy play in violent galaxies.

Wilma and Hazel play with dolls andcorn cobs near West Liberty, 1905.

a

laying yesterday's games can be a lot of fun!Sometimes finding materials to play oldfavorites can be tricky. For example, people

don't have metal rims from old wooden wheels todiscard so kids can play hoops and sticks. But with alittle imagination and a few substitutions, you canplay the same kinds of games your great-great-grandparents enjoyed! Many of these gamesbecame popular in the 1880s when newly estab-lished communities had enough children to openschools. Kids played organized games in schoolyards during recess-games with simple rules so thatkids of all ages could play.

Try these games, and if youlike them, ask your grandparentsor other older members ofyour community how toplay more of the gamesthey enjoyed as kids!

12 The Goldfinch

Hoops& Sticks

Pioneer kids used metal rims from aban-doned wagon wheels or the metal bands fromthe middle or top of a woden barrel. Thehoop may be struck by a stick or by handto keep it rolling. Players may set up an obstaclecourse or run their hoops in a straight-away race.Pioneer children sometimes played hoop wars,where kids divided into two teams and tried todrive their hoops past "the enemy." Knocked overhoops were casualties in this playground battle.For your modern-day version of hoops and sticks,try substituting a Hula Hoop or an old metal bicy-cle tire for a wagon wheel rim. Some athleticstores even sell metal hoops for this game.

(yr

13

This game doesn't require any "antique" equip-ment-just a lot of new snow! Stomp a large circle(20-50 feet in diameter, depending on the numberof players and space available) into the snow. Stomp

through the circle asthough cutting a pie

into eight sections.Choose one playerto be It. It standsat the center of thecircle and the play-

ers line up on thedrcle's outer edge.

When It gives a signal,players must run to avoid

being tagged. The trick is that all players, including/t,run only along the lines trampled in the snow. A playerwho is tagged, or who runs out of the lines, becomesthe new It. For a summer version of this game, trymarking the course with sidewalk chalk on a largepaved area Or, at the beach, stomp your course in thesand.

Art by Mary*loye-Rowley

Many adults who attended country schoolsremember playing this game over theschool house at recess. Today,school buildings are too big forAnte Over so try this game over adetached garage, shed or smallbarn. Kids divide into two teams,lining up on opposite sides of thebuilding. One team captain throws aball over the building, shouting "Anteover!" If a member of the opposing team catchesthe ball, the catching team runs around either orboth ends of the building. As they run, the playerwith the ball uses it to tag as many of the opposingteam members as possible before they can changesides. If no one catches the ball, it is tossed backwith the warning "Ante over!" Play continues untilone team has captured all mem-bers of the opposing team.

The Goldfinch 13

uring Indian Week at the Sac and FoxSettlement School, you'll find kidsplaying traditional Meskwaki games.

"Ordinarily, you'll find Meskwaki kids playingNintendo after school," said Johnathan Buffalo,tribal historian. 'That's how much things havechanged."

Traditionally, Meskwaki boys and girls playeda ring and pin game by catching wooden cones ona long, narrow metal pin.

"It looks easy," Buffalo said. "But I could neverget the cones on the stake." If this game, like

others in Meskwaki tradition,teaches a lesson, Buffalo believes itis patience.

Meskwaki kids played a moccasin game byhiding an object in one of four moccasins. "It wasa game of both chance and skill," Buffalo said.The player guessing which moccasin held thehidden object carefully studied the eyes and facialexpressions of the player who hid the object. "Itmakes you a good judge of character," Buffalosaid. "You learn to read people."

Some games were specifically for men orwomen. Men, for example, played LaCrosse, agame played on a large field with a ball and stickswith ends like a small racquet. Women playedDouble Ball. Two oblong balls were weightedwith sand and connected with buckskin. Womenused sticks to throw the ball over bases about 50yards apart.

TAMA

14 The Goldfinch

by Millie K. Frese

"Men wouldn't be caught dead playing awoman's game," Buffalo said. He believes hismother's generation, growing up in the mid-1920sto mid-1930s, was the last to regularly play theseand other traditional games.

Swedish immigrant children coming toAmerica brought with them legends,stories, rhyming and singing gamesand

little else."The people who came over were practical,"

said Betty Larson of Swedesburg. "What to takeand what to leave behindit was a heart-rendingdecision."

Immigrants brought food and clothing for thesix to eight week journey. They were poor when

they left Sweden seekingSWED#WRGr a better life. Bringingtoys was not a priority.

Larson's late husband, Ferdinand, was born inIowa in 1904. His grandparents immigrated in1867. Ferdinand learned Swedish from them,along with traditional games.

Few today remember the traditional rhyminggames, Larson said. "What we remember today isa combination language," she continued, spellingSwedish words phonetically as she demonstrateda child's finger play.

Toma-tut (point to thumb)Slika-put (point to index finger-the one that

cleans out a bowl of icing!)

15

Long-a-man (point to the middle finger)Hjarta-le-han (point to the ring finger as

a symbol of love)Lille-vicka-finga! (raise voice to squeaky

pitch and point to the little finger)"The little kids always laugh," Larson said.

"They like it!"

Volunteers at theCzech and SlovakMuseum andLibrary in CedarRapidsdemonstratecornhusk doll-making.

I

Today, Iowakids of Czecho-

slovakiandescent play with thesame toys and observethe same customs asother kids in the state.But during holidays,traditional Czech games

recall their heritage.Handmade orna-

ments adorn traditionalCzech Christmas trees.Sometimes parents hidea pickle-shaped orna-ment on the decoratedtree for kids to find. Inanother Christmasgame, children place

CEDAR RAPIDS After lighting the candles,they float them in a tub of water. The playerwhose candle burns the longest wins.

For an Easter game, boys braided willowwands and "switched" the girls. Legend says thatthe switching drove away mischief. It also sym-bolized casting off winter bleakness in prepara-tion for spring.

Czech-American pioneers made puppets fromwood. Children and their parents also fashionedtoys from fabric, corn husks and clay, and madesimple musical instruments.

According to Swedishlegend, a 13thcentury soldier carvedthe first Da la horse totrade for food. Thedistinctive horsesbecame more thantoys for villagechildren-they becamea symbol of Sweden.

small candles in nutshells.

1_6 The Gold finch _

Make a

Spinning tops have been a favorite childhoodtoy for centuries.

Stand a top on end and it will fall over. But give it agood spin and it will defy gravity until its meanderingdance slows and it clatters to a stop. With a simple topcomes a child's first lessons about friction, torque andmomentum. Who says toys have to be complicated tobe educational?

Archeologists have discovered tops dating as far backas 2000 B.C. These examples are rare, but wooden topsstarting from the late 1800s are common. Some topswere commercially manufactured. More often, topswere made at home by parents and grandparents.Innovative kids created their own.

Try these three simple steps to make your own top!

16 The Goldfinch

1

23

trace and cut a circle fromcardboard (a mug or bowlworks well)

use paint, markers orcrayons to add your owndesigns

poke a short, sharpenedpencil exactly through thecenter and spin!

Art by Mary Moye-Rowley

Try differentdesigns and seewhat happenswhen the top isspun. Can youcombine twocolors to makea third color?

0000 0 00 0 0

OO0

here are many different kinds of tops butthey all require rotational force or torque toget them going. Once you get a top going, itwill continue to spin until all the rotationalforce you put into it is removed by friction.You can increase the spinning time of your topby reducing friction. The point of the top andthe surface it is spinning on are one source offriction. The air that flows around the spinningtop is another. For a longer spin, make surethe top's point meets a very smooth surfaceand that the top is made of a smooth material.

A gyroscope,shown here.is actually aspinning topheld inside abracket. It canbalance on astring.

Bruce Carlsongrew up on a farm in Plymouth County.There, during the first decade of the 1900s,he learned the magic of turning ordinaryjunk into something fun. "We didn't haveany `spensive toys like the kids from town,"wrote Carlson in his book,Me 'n Wesley. "Fact is we didn't have anycheap ones." Carlson played with toysmade from junk found in cowlots, creeksand woods.

Whirly-cobs were among Carlson'sfavorite homemade toys. To make one,shell an ear of dried corn. Break off a littleof the wide end and stick 2-4 chicken feath-ers into the soft center. With a good toss,the cob spins through the sky with awhirring sound. Whirly-cobs are good fordozens of throws-until the feathers break,

the cob splits or the dog runs offwith the whole thing!

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Imszo.

The Goldfinch 17

ear Diary . . .Sarah Jane Kimball grew up in rural Jones County In Eastern Iowa. As a young girl, she andher three brothers and two sisters helped their parents run the family farm and farmhouse.

When she was In her 20s, Sarah began teaching school. While she was teaching, sheboarded with her students. When school was not in session, she returned to the familyfarm. She had several hobbies, including music and drawing, and enjoyed visiting with

friends and neighbors. Read about the toys and games she detailed in her diary.

May 20, 1858At [recess] Marcia Brown,

Nancy Converse, ElizabethShaffer played Indian with theirhair all over their faces and ahatchet for a tomahwak. Marciatook an old tin pan and dust panand went to drumming. Theymade lots of noise.

December 5, 1861I believe I will stop writing

now and go and play my accor-dion. How I love music.

In addition to journaling, Sarahliked to draw. Her "toys" werepencils and a sketchpad. Shedrew many scenes from nature,including the fruit above and thebird to the right.

January la 1862Here we are Merrill [her

brother] and I sitting by thetable he ciphering and I havejust finished fixing Ellen's doll.

February 7, 1862[The Aldriches visited] and

they brought a curiosity to us inthe shape of what they calledCalifornia Beans. They lookmuch like bread crumbs. Mrs.Aldrich requested me to get hera large glass bottle which I didand she put the beans into it.Then warming some water andsweetening it with some molas-ses put it into the bottled andsoon it began to work, the littlebeans dancing up and down inthe water.

February 21, 1862Have been busy the past

three days making two dolls anddressing them for Addie andEmmons Horton [neighborgirls].

1.9

March 15, 1862This morning we were busy

pasting in our scrapbooks.

April 1, 1864By many little tricks today we

tried to April Fool each other.

July 6, 1867Early this morning Father,

Ann and I went to Anamosa. Webought some pictures and cardsfor the scholars and each a largeglass marble. I shall give mineto Lewy Combs [a student].

October 4, 1867Today I have been fixing up a

[shadow] box with my childishplaythings and shall frame it. Iwant to keep them as theyremind me of happy days longgone by.

datecalvSarah Jane's diary tells us about ways she and her siblings and friendsamused themselves in the 1860s. You will notice from the entries on

page 18 that she rarely mentioned store-bought toys. Sarah and other youngpeople like her enjoyed homemade toys and games because they were easierto come by and less expensive. To learn more about Sarah, study her diaryentries again, and then answer the questions below.

What do you think of the game Sarah men-tioned in her May 20, 1858 entry?

Why did Sarah devote so much space in herdiary to California beans? What do we call thistoy today?

Sarah kept herjournal in linednotebooks shepurchased atthe drugstorein herhometown ofWyoming,Iowa. This isa sample ofher writing.

on)

Sarah Jane Kimballas an older woman,

How do you celebrate April Fool's Day?What kind of tricks and games do you thinkSarah and her friends played?

Why do you think Sarah made dolls and dollclothes, instead of buying them?

If you were to make a shadow box of yourtoys, like Sarah did in 1867, what would youinclude?

2©The Goldfinch

Turning Work Into P

rowing up in territorial Iowa was hard work.Toys were scarce and organized games

played infrequently. Instead, play in the late 1830shoned skills important for survival.

Pioneer Iowans turned necessary tasks intoopportunities for fun. Barn raisings and logrollings combined feasting, foot races and con-tests of strength with the day's work.

Housewarmings offered time for games anddancing. Quilting, apple paring and husking beesmixed work with pleasure as neighbors helpedeach other. The goal of "bees" was to finish thejob, but people liked these work socials because

1924 Sewing BeeLenore and Robert Rickels playwhile their mother, grandmotherand sister sew.

20 The Goldfinch

Yesterday's AnglersA family fishes and plays with a toysailboat in Clear Lake, Iowa.

they could get together, talk and play.Spelling bees challenged people of all agesintellectually in the context of communityfun.

Many skills, such as hunting, fishing,trapping and boating were both work andplay. Kids engaged in the sport of the activitywhile acquiring food necessary for theirfamily.

A 19th century pioneer child, HamlinGarland was only 10 years old when hisfather made him plow the Iowa prairie tenhours a day. He amused himself during thestrenuous hours of work by singing, whis-tling and studying clouds forming in the

endless blue sky. He listened to bird songs,played with lizards he uncovered as he plowedand watched small animals play in the sea ofgrass. Perhaps these pastimes didn't make thework easier, but they made it more enjoyable!

Homestead conditionschallenged Iowa settlers inother ways. Bad weather andpoor roads often isolated pio-neers from their neighbors.Long winters kept peopleindoors, confined in smallspaces. Often there wasn'tenough money for necessitiesmuch less extras liketoys. Kids played withhomemade things likecorn husk or ragdolls, carvedwooden items,and wore hand-made stockingsand mittens whenthey played in thesnow.

Patchworkquilts symbolize the"make-do" nature of ahomesteader's life.Girls learned essential

by Millie K. Frese

padding around furniture whenthey moved and to hang asmakeshift walls in one-roomhouses. Quilts were an artisticexpression for pioneer womenwho could make something oldnew again, turning somethingnecessary into somethingbeautiful.

Work and attending churchservices occupied most wakinghours. During the small amountof time left over, people devel-oped hobbies or crafts whichproduced something useful.

Amana kids were expectedto help with household chores.During school recesses young

children sometimes

sewingskills as they pieced their firstquilts. Fabric scraps and wornclothing became patches intheir quilts. Patches were sewninto blocks, the basic patternrepeated throughout the quilt.Pioneers used handpieced quiltsas blankets to keep warm,

Sometimes religious beliefsand customs demanded thatplay be productive.

In the Amana Colonies, acommunity defined by itsreligion and communal way oflife, The Society of TrueInspirationists believed thatidleness in all forms was sinful.

e

played in sandboxesor played singing

Toys Imitate Life

These Amana dolls"work" in a miniaturecommunity kitchencomplete with furnitureand cookware.

games in German, thetraditional language ofthe colonies. Older

girls and boys practiced knit-ting. In the winter, young girlsplayed with dolls and dollhouses filled with handmadefurniture. Boys trapped in fieldsand streams surrounding thevillages-a pastime consideredvaluable because it contributedfood to the society.

The Goldfinch 21

Monique Lothi, 10,usually spends herfree time riding her

bike, roller blading or reading.On July 25, 1997, Monique,along with Laura Putney, 11, andLindsay Stinson, 12, turnedsummer play into work asFriday Fest volunteers at theIowa Historical Building in DesMoines. Traditional games, thetheme for the day, attracted 504visitors of all ages.

"It's not hard to play withlittle kids," Monique said. "It'sharder with older kids, but youget to know them through thegames."

22 The Goldfinch

11,

a.

Sarah Macht, museumeducation coordinator, wel-comed the youth volunteers."Volunteering helps them getinvolved in history and make ittheir own," she said. Youthvolunteers are enthusiastic,Macht continued. "They have alot of energy and get along wellwith the other kids."

Bringing outside activitieslike jump rope, circle games,and the parachute gameinsidewas a challenge. Macht chosethese games because they allowkids who are strangers tocomfortably play together. "Theparachute game is a newer

23

Friday FestVolunteersMonique Lothi,Lindsay Stinsonand Laura Putney

game, but it helps kids to breakthe ice and get to know oneanother," Macht explained. Shealso chose games such as jacksand pick-up sticks allowingnewcomers to join at any time.

Monique helped twirl a long,single rope as Shanelle Harris,8, stood alongside, her handsand eyes moving in unison withthe rope's steady rhythm.Shanelle jumped in as otherplayers chanted her favoriterhyme, in time with the snap,snap! of the rope on the hardfloor:

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,turn around.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,touch the ground.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,shine your shoes.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,read the news...

Shanelle, a third grader atMonroe Elementary in DesMoines, emerged hot andbreathless after a miss. Therope started again, and anotherjumper took her place.

"I like to read, watch moviesand play computer games," saidShanelle, who attended FridayFest with her summer daycamp. Whilejumping ropeis considered atraditionalgame, it's notnew toShanelle. 'Wejump rope allthe time," shesaid, runningto the back ofthe line ofjumpers as thegame and thechants contin-ued.

Lindsay, aseventh grader

at Weeks Middle School in DesMoines, volunteered because,she said, "I just like seeing kidshaving fun." She helped visitorssign in, twirled a jump rope, andhelped kids have fun playing thegames without losing control.

"Volunteering helps[kids] get involved inhistory and make it

their own."--Sarah Macht

"There were a lot of kids,"she said. "But there weren't toomany fights!"

Activities during Friday Festwere similar, Lindsay said, "togames played back when therewasn't TV."

"Some of the stuff kids dotodaylike Nintendois justsomething to do, usually byyourself," she described. "Butyou play the older games withlots of kids, and you can makeup different ways to play them."

Laura, a sixth grader atUrbandale Middle School,worked at the game check-out

table, helpingkids learn howto play jacksand pick-up-sticks. "It's funhelping kidsplay games,"Laura said."Hopefullywhen they gohome, theycan play thesegames withtheir friends."

Kids play the parachute game at Friday Fest

24

-Millie K. Frese

The Goldfinch 23

f you were asked to create ar new game or toy based on a

current event, what wouldyou make?

In the 1800s, families playedboard games based on historicevents. Some examples are"The New Game of the Ameri-can Revolution" (1844), "FortSumter" (1870), and "Round theWorld with Nellie Bly" (1890).In 1910, you could buy the"Panama Canal Game." AfterLindbergh's flight across theAtlantic in 1927, shops sold"Lindy's Flying Game" alongwith a host of other airplanerace and air mail games, plusplane models.

Some events make ordinarytoys more popular. In 1902 anewspaper cartoon showedTheodore Roosevelt refusing toshoot a bear cub while inMississippi to help settle aborder dispute. A quick-think-ing shopkeeper put a "Teddy'sBear" sign on one of the stuffedanimals that his wife made andsoon everyone wanted one.

In the early 1900s, Germantoy makers could export toys to

24 The Goldfinch

America cheaper than many toymakers here could make them.Soon half the toys sold in theUnited States came from Ger-many. But when Germanybecame involved in World War I,the numbers of imported dolls,

paying them 21 to 25 cents anhour. Factory owners joinedtogether to lobby Congress andto tell consumers the patrioticadvantages of buying American-made dolls and toys.

World War II brought morechallenges. Most companiesstopped making toy soldiers in

doll heads,heads, lead soldier figures,and other toys slowed andstopped. Some American facto-ries installed new electricmachines to speed up produc-tion. Others competed by hiringchildren as young as 14 and

Thelma Slaughter, 2, holds a"Teddy's Bear" in this 1909photo. Teddy Bears became-popular after President'Theodore Roosevelt'sencounter with a cub.

1942 when the governmentdemanded that lead and othermetals be used only for suppliesneeded by real soldiers. Sometoy companies converted theirfactories to make war items.Others made toys of wood orexperimented with mixtures ofsawdust and glue, or with a newmaterial called plastic.

New bicycles, steel wagons,and roller skates couldn't bemade. Some old toys disap-

peared when children sacrificedtheir metal playthings to com-munity scrap drives.

Brightly colored, realisticallystyled paper and cardboard toyswere offered in their place.Soldiers, nurses, tanks andother vehicles, forts, houses,animals, historic panoramas andcelebrities were among themany items offered as cut-outs,punch-outs, paper dolls andready-to-assemble kits. Dress-upoutfits imitated military andnurse uniforms. Toy guns wereequipped with noisemakers sothey sounded like machineguns.

After the war, metal soldiersets joined plastic ones on storeshelves. However, many parentsand children were tired of warand preferred other toys. Toypistols and holsters remainedpopular through the 1950s and1960s because they imitatedfavorite television programsabout the Old West. During thelate 1960s anti-war protesterssucceeded in removing most toyguns, as well as military figureslike G.I. Joe, from store shelves.

"4....a

Dian Nelson

Toy production isn't influ-enced only by wars and politicalevents. Movies, radio, televisionand computers prompted newtoys and new ways of sellingtoys. During the 1930s compa-nies like the Disney studiodiscovered they could makemoney by licensing their charac-ters so that they could appear,not just on the screen, but astoys and on other items.

The 1977 movie Star Wars isthe most phenomenal exampleof character licensing. By 1984three hundredmillion Star Warstoys had beensold. The moviealso changed howchildren played.Instead of imitat-ing familiar adultactivities of thepast or present,Star Wars toysimitate an imagi-nary event in animaginary place.

Many of thegames and toysthat were invented

26

in response to past events arenow collectors' items in muse-ums and antique shops. Whoknows? Maybe games or toysyou play withor invent!will besought-after collectibles in thefuture.

Maybe this Amanaboy (1932).Was

:dreaming of atrans-Atlantic-flight!

vl

The Goldfinch 25

Redover

z.

Alexandra came to Iowa during The Great Depression of the 1930s. Jobswere scarce and businesses failed throughout the United States and

around the world. But for Alexandra, the hardest part was starting over.

66 /(my mother

called. "Hurry up, Alexandra!Your breakfast is getting cold."I stooped over to tie my shoes.Pa had done his best to fix theworn out toes, but the patchesstill showed through the newcoat of black polish. Ma let thehem down on my old schooldress. I knew we couldn'tafford to buy a new one, buthated the thought of wearingthis one to school every day.

"Alexandra, what took you

26 The Goldfinch

so long?" Ma asked as Istomped down the stairs of ourrented farmhouse. "You don'twant to be late on your first dayof sixth grade at your newschool, do you?"

"No, Ma," I answered. "Butdo I have to go? Couldn't youteach me here at home? Icould learn my lessons in themorning and help you with thehousework in the afternoon," Ipleaded.

"You know you have to go to

27

school. Now eat your breakfast"Mush again. I knew Ma

would have fixed bacon, eggs,toast and pancakes if she couldhave. But that didn't makemush taste any better.

"Ma, why did we have tomove? Didn't we have a niceplace in Missouri? Why did wehave to come to Iowa?" I asked,trying not to cry.

'We had to move so thatyour pa could find betterwork," Ma said patiently. She'd

explained The Depression tome a hundred times. We werenever rich, but at least beforewe could buy food and clotheswhen we needed them. Nowwe were thankful for simplethings like flour and sugar. Andmush.

"Finish your breakfast," Masaid. "You'll be late. And becareful of your shoes-theyhave to last all winter."

I gathered my books, lunchpail and three preciousunsharpened pencils and setoff down a dusty gravel roadlined with tall, green corn. Iwondered if my friends backhome were starting schooltoday. I wondered if theymissed me as much as Imissed them.

When I got to the one-roomschool, Mr. Schmidt showedme to my seat. Students fromkindergarten through eighthgrade were lined up in rows inthe same classroom. They allstared as I took my place.

Morning crept by slowly.When recess finally came,everyone raced past me and Iwalked out alone. No one elsewas wearing shoes, so I slippedmine off, too. After all, Ma saidto be careful of them.

Art by Mary Moye-RowleyThe Goldfinch 27

The warm autumn sun feltgood on my face as I sat on theschoolhouse steps to watch theother kids play. Some boys hada makeshift game of baseballgoing with a stick and a ball oftwine. The little children playedring-around-the-rosie. Othersplayed tag. The kids in my

28 The Goldfinch

grade were playing a game I'dnever seen before.

As I watched, one of the girlspointed at me. I quickly lookeddown, wishing I could makemyself invisible. Here it comes,I thought. They're going totease me about my red hair ormake fun of my clothes...

29

"Hi. I'm Marie, and this isHenry," the girl said. 'Wenoticed you over here by your-self. What's your name?"

"Alexandra," I mumbled, stilltoo afraid to look up.

"Hey Alexandra-do you wantto come play Red Rover withus?" Henry asked.

"I don't know how," I admitted."That's okay-we'll teach

you!" Henry said. Mariegrabbed my hand and pulledme toward the others.

"Hey everybody! This.isAlexandra. Let's show her howto play our game," Mariecalled out

6e divide into two

teams," Henry began. "Eachteam holds hands in a line,with the lines facing eachother," he said, pointing towhere the teams would line upwith a big, grassy space in-between.

"When it's your team's turn,you decide together on some-one to call," Henry continued."Then you yell out 'Red Rover,Red Rover, send Marie rightover!' Marie runs toward the

other team's line and tries tobreak through their hands. Ifshe does, she picks someonefrom their team to come backwith her. If she can't breakthrough, she has to join theother team. The team with allthe players at the end is thewinner."

"That sounds easy," I said."It is!" Marie agreed.

"C'mon. Join my team!"Marie held my hand tightly.

Our team laughed and cheeredwhen one of our players brokethrough their line. We cheeredeven louder when we kept their

players from breaking throughour line. Then they calledMarie. She let go of my handand ran. Both sides werescreaming.

"Run, Marie. Run!" wecalled.

"Hold on!" the other teamshouted.

Their line bulged but did notbreak. Marie stayed on theother side.

We conferred, then beganthe now-familiar chant. Theirrunner didn't break throughour line. In the excitement Iforgot about being the new kid.

I yelled and cheered until my voicecroaked.

"Red Rover, Red Rover, sendAlexandra right over!" the otherteam chanted. My bare feet pound-ed across the playground. I couldhear Marie's voice above the dinshouting, "Run, Alexandra!"

When I crashed through theirline, I immediately graspedMarie's hand and we skipped backto our team together. I took myplace between Marie and Henry,knowing I had made two newfriends.

30 The Goldfinch 29

HistingFor,KeepsHitKnuckling DownRoundstersShooterBowlingor Fair

jamie Wyman played with these marbles in the1870s and early 1880s. He lived with his

grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. James Hall, untilmoving to Des Moines with his father in 1871.

Grandma Hall made the bag for him in 1870.

See if you can match these marble terms withtheir meanings!

tory and ho s

by Frese

0 Each player keeps the marbles thathe or she shoots out of the ring.

0 Position in which one knuckle musttouch the ground while shooting.Attacking marble, also called a taw,glassy or monny.

0 Player knocks a marble out of thering on a shot.

0 Playing for the fun of the game. Allmarbles returned to original owner.

0 When a player rolls a shot on theground.

0 Player raises his hand from theground when shooting.The act of selecting the bestlocation outside the playing ring forknuckling down.

Guess When...

30 The Goldfinch

This tractor, bearing a Peter Mar Quality Toysdecal, was manufactured in Muscatine, Iowa.

Made entirely of wood, the tractor is paintedorange with black wheels and silver trim. Canyou guess when it was made?

Answers:Histing-7, For Keeps-1, Hit-4, Knuckling Down-2, Roundsters-8,Shooter-3, Bowling-6, For Fair-5.Guess When-World War ll, because toys couldn't be made ofmetal then, so manufacturers used wood and other materials.Enter the 'Toons-Companies like the Disney Studio discoveredthey could make money by licensing their characters so theycould appear on toys and other items.Work or Play? The chore-sweeping.

3

Work or Play?Toys

advertisingand

for local businesses. Whatys often imitated real-life work, d were

chore does this 1881 wooden toy imitate?

Enter the 'Mons!Sandbox and beach toys like this metal bucketand shovel, made in 1939, were popular toys.

What led to cartoon characters being depicted ontoys and other products?

32

Flea MarketTreasures

esterday's toys havebecome big business.

Why do you think adults arewilling to pay high prices forold toys?

New London, Iowa, fleamarket, August 1997

The Goldfinch 31

An ord.15Till'elozer captEre-dry7; Knepp'_lwAug& 11997-flea marketMt who is alicfst-

AltOktiskiel, , 4,A4..44 m..,

necessarily like antibiues.his Amite uhPlifkie-

attentionLondon.

doesn'tInStead,

plays!"

0 Id Toys are big business for many antique(and fine junk!) dealers. Gary and Karen White

of West Burlington buy antiques, including toys, andresell them at flea markets in Iowa and surrounding states.

Hot-selling items go in cycles. "Old stuffed animals andMcDonald's toys are popular now," Gary said. "So are BeanieBabies. I wouldn't have them, but they sell!"

Gary said he never gave much thought to what makessomething a popular collectible. "If something really catchesmy eye, if I want it, I get it!" he said. His own collectionstarted with Case tractors, but you won't find any for sale onhis table at flea markets. "I've got those at home. Those Idon't want to part with."

Sometimes there's a fine line between toys and junk. Orbetween playthings and prized collectibles. Some peoplecollect for resale value. Others collect because they enjoy theitems regardless of monetary value. Either way, half the funis in the hunt!

-The Editor

IMIA 104,

econd-claSS ioo.kage4'- at Iowa City, I,

US ISSN 0278-0208State Historical Society of Iowa'402 Iowa AvenueIowa City, Iowa 52240-1806

Social Studies Dev Center2805 E. 10th St Suite 120Indiana UniversitylTE 120BLOOMINGTON IN 47405

33

(9/92)

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