The American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Co.
1891-1904
The largest toy manufacturer in the United States during the 1890’s.
The American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Company was started in 1891 by Sam Dyke, A.L. Dyke, and other local Akron businessmen. This company was the largest toy manufacturer in the United States during the 1890's. Almost every type of marble known to exist was made at this factory including hand gathered glass marbles, glass marbles cut from canes, stoneware marbles, china marbles, plain clay, low-fire, porcelain, glazed, painted, etc. The map below shows what the factory looked like in 1904, just before it burned to the ground. Today the factory site is covered by a beautiful park which also includes the American Marble and Toy Museum. The historic Ohio and Erie Canal towpath corridor also runs through the site. We have been investigating this company and factory site for over 10 years. Many significant artifacts have been discovered during construction and demolition activities at the site. See the photos below. The giant blue marble being held in the photo below belongs to a local Akron family and was made by a woman that worked at this company named Minnie May Pettit. Marbles this large are quite rare.
Map of what the company looked like in the 1890's.
From L to R: Glazed numbered porcelain marbles 1-15. Brian Graham looking over some marbles made by The American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Co. Part of a amber glass cane that was used to make cane cut marbles.
Two glass cane marbles that were made at the American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Co. The marbles are in the style of "submarine Indians". Both of these marbles are misshapen rejects that were found at the factory site. One black based striped cane piece was also found. See below. All of these artifacts contain oxblood colored glass. These marbles are extremely rare and were only made at this factory for a few months at most. These examples were probably made in the year 1892. Similar marbles were also produced in Germany as well.
A group of stoneware toys that were made by the American Marble and Toy Manufacturing Co.