Construction set:Tinkertoy Wonder Builder

Tinkertoy construction sets were first envisioned by Charles Pajeau, a Illinois tombstone cutter and salesman. He fashioned his toys after the pencils and empty wooden spools he saw children use to build abstract forms. Tinkertoys appeared in the second decade of the 20th century along with other construction sets designed to introduce children to the world of engineering and mechanics. With these toys, youngsters could make the skyscrapers, bridges, towers, carousels and other structures that they saw in their own cities and towns. The popularity of Tinkertoys encouraged Pajeau to offer a variety of toys, which it successfully sold until the Great Depression reduced demand. In 1952 A. G. Spauding Bros. acquired the Tinker Toy company. In the decades that followed, it has had a succession of owners including Questor, Gabriel, and Playskool, part of Hasbro, Inc. The construction sets are still popular and in production 100 years after Pajeau sold the first sets.