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Toy stories in Northeast Ohio
The 'little ones" meant big business in the region
by WKSU's TIM RUDELL


Reporter
Tim Rudell
 
The toy business as a mass production industry started in Akron. The American Toy Marble Museum includes data and artifacts from that time
Courtesy of Rudell
In The Region:

Akron Ohio was once America’s rubber capital. That’s pretty well known. Not so well known is that Akron was also America’s rubber-ducky capital. 

For close to half a century Northeast Ohio produced more rubber duckies, rubber toys and – for that matter -- toys of all kinds than anywhere else in the country. Marbles; squeaky toys; spinning metal tops; die cast cars; trains: WKSU’s Tim Rudell says Northeast Ohio made them all.
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(Click image for larger view.)

Michael Cohill runs the Akron museum day-to-day, and is a historian of toys.
Museum Director Kim Kenny in the office exhibit for Gibbs Manufacturing.  Although the room is a replica, many of the objects in it are from the period of Gibbs Manufacturing's early operation, or from the company itself.
The compass of history greets visitors to the second floor of the McKinley Presidential Library and Museum.  That's where the Gibbs exhibit is housed.
Stark and Summit, and the surrounding counties were very big in the toy making business.  Part of the "Stark County" story at the McKinley Museum has to do with toy manufacturers.
Gibbs made toys are on display in vintage cases in the special Gibbs exhibit.  The museum includes a reconstruction of what an office at the company would have looked like
Marbles of all sizes, colors, and styles were made in Northeast Ohio.  At one time there were thirty marble factories in the Akron area alone.
A cover of Collier's Magazine in the 1930s with a "shooter".  A replica marble rink (background) is one display at the museum -- and yes, you can shoot marble on it.
There are displays at the American Toy Marbel Museum of every marbel style and from every period.
Michael Cohill demostrates how to shoot for WKYC news cameraman Larry Baker
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