Lincoln Logs
I would venture to say that every child of the 50’s and most in the 60’s had a set of Lincoln Logs, one of America’s most iconic toys.
I was never much on Erector Sets, but I enjoyed stacking the little brown logs, end on end and building cabins and forts. It really helped if you had two sets or one of those giant boxes, allowing more elaborate designs.
Lincoln Logs came into being in 1918 when Frank Lloyd Wright received a patent for a “Toy Cabin Construction” set. The early ads stressed that children could build something like Uncle Tom’s cabin, or Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home. The name was later changed to Lincoln Logs in honor of the president.
The popularity of the sets grew tremendously even during the rationing days of WWII.
During the war years, many types of unnecessary manufacturing businesses were halted. For example, the metal used for toy erector sets was needed for the war cause, so erector set toys could not be made. But wood was not rationed. For that reason, John Lloyd Wright could keep his business going throughout the early1940s. By 1943 he was ready for a change. He sold the patent for Lincoln Logs to Playskool.
Lincoln Logs remained popular throughout the 1950s, and they were one of the first toys to be promoted on a television show, Pioneer Playhouse (1953).
In 2014, Lincoln Logs were acquired by K’NEX Industries, but by 2017, that company was bankrupt. However, the company was salvaged by Basic Fun, Inc. They now make Lincoln Logs, and manufacturing of the toy is done in the U.S.
Lincoln Logs remain as one of the most constructive and entertaining toys in American history.
