Facts About Lincoln Logs

The Toys

• The original Lincoln Logs were made of redwood. The wooden blocks featured notches at each end. This allowed the pieces to interlock. Kids could easily put together miniature cabins, fences and other buildings by linking the pieces together. Lincoln Logs foster imagination and creativity in children, and playing with the toys is good for developing concentration skills and eye-to-hand coordination. Over the years, the age recommendations for the toys has changed. In the 1950s, the toy was recommended to kids aged 2 to 9. By 1960, the range was move up to 5 to 10.

Creator

• Lincoln Logs were created by John Lloyd Wright between 1916 and 1917. Wright was born in 1892 and grew up in Oak Park Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Wright was trained in architecture and is known for his residential and schoolhouse designs constructed in California. He is also the son of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The younger Wright did not get rich off his invention. He sold the rights to Lincoln Logs before they become exceedingly profitable. Wright died in 1972.

Inspiration

• The design of an actual building may have been the muse for Lincoln Logs. Right around the time Wright created the tiny toys, his father was working on the construction of a new hotel called the Imperial in Tokyo. The hotel's architecture featured interlocking beams designed to help the structure withstand earthquakes. Wright visited the construction site and saw the locking pieces. These pieces may have inspired Wright to use similar technology on a smaller scale.

Marketing

• Lincoln Logs were first marketed by the Red Square Toy Company in 1918. According to the Chicago Museum of History, Wright named the building blocks after president Abraham Lincoln because the moniker inspired images of the American frontier and represented the country's rugged spirit. Lincoln Logs became one of the first toys to be advertised on television when they were promoted on Pioneer Playhouse in 1953. "Interesting playthings typifying the spirit of America," was the original tag line for the toy. They also were touted as "America's national toy" on vintage packaging.