Wilson Walkies, created and made in Watsontown Pa. The toys were featured on a popular radio show, and also in a movie. They were advertised in newspapers across the USA, and were popular Christmas gifts for nearly a decade. Today, the toys are collectible, and can be found on ebay and at flea markets and antique stores all over the country.
Note - the above sign is modern, I made it for my own display, replicating advertisements in old newspapers. The buildings on the ends of the shelf are from the Landmark Pottery collection by Bill Raup. On the left is the Warrior Run Church, on the right is the Watson Theater.
A 1946 Newspaper Ad in the New York Daily News For Wilson Walkies
Wilson "Walkies"
These self-walking miniatures - no springs, no strings, no gadget things to get out of order - they walk on their own power. Eight current characters, all 4 1/2 inches (or more) in height - JOHNNY PENGUIN, LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, RED CROSS NURSE (with move able arms), a real year round deliv. PA BUNNY, and MA BUNNY - their ears "ride" in any style, CIRCUS CLOWN - with the funny face, MAMMY of pancake fame, and OLD SANTA CLAUS in his typical chimney;and here are the astoundingly low prices: Any two $1.00, the entire set of eight, packed in two colorful cartons including demonstrating device, $3.20: a full dozen $4.20, packaged as above with demonstrating device - ALL POSTPAID. Where can you match these values. THEY CANNOT TALK, BUT THEY WALK IN ANY LANGUAGE, Dealers prices: half-gross $15.50 - a full gross, 144, $20.00 prepaid to your door - this latter makes them cost only 21c each delivered. All orders shipped the day received - lose no time - say what you want and send remittance in full - No C.O.D. orders accepted - none outside the U.S.A. proper
Wilson "Walkies" 14 Wilson BLDG, Crestline Ohio
John Wilson was born in Danville Pa in January of 1872. He grew up to be a skilled carpenter , traveling throughout Pennsylvania working as a staircase engineer. He built the stair case at the Lancaster Opera House.
By 1930, Wilson had come to Watsontown Pa, where he was the superintendent of the Door And Sash Company. In 1935, Curtis Wagner the owner of the Door and Sash company, and his lawyer, Harry Chamberlain, were killed in a car accident, and the already struggling company closed permanently
Wilson was 63 in 1935, and unemployed. With a background in carpentry, he set to designing doll houses, which he hired friends to produce for him. He opened a small factory in a garage on 8th street in Watsontown, naming it the Wilson Novelty Company. He was constantly tinkering with new toy ideas, always playing with putty or clay.
"His daughter recalled him fondly as a man who was so busy with new inventions that he seldom gave a thought tp what he wore. he always appeared a bit disheveled, and would put off getting a haircut for six months at a time. "
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In 1936, Wilson filed a patent application for a "Walking Toy". In his application he described it as follows:
"This-invention relates to toys and particularly to walking toys, that is, toys having legs, the toy being so constructed that when impelled in one direction, the legs will alternately swing forward s causing the toy to walk.
The general object of this invention is to provide a toy of this character so constructed that when placed upon a surface having a very slight or gentle inclination, the legs of the toy .ill slightly swing from side to side, thus giving to the toy a very comical waddling motion.
Another object is to provide a toy of this character which is extremely simple and which is made of very few parts."
With a short period of time, the Wilson Walkies became quite popular. Wilson took over the old Watsontown shoe factory space, and hired full time and part time workers. Many parts of the production were a "cottage industry" - housewives, unemployed dads, and even high school students, did piece work at home. Painting faces, sewing clothing, even cutting the leather tails for the penguins, all of which they were paid for "by the piece".
In addition to the ever popular penguin and army man, custom pieces were made, often much larger than the standard 4.5 inches tall. Sarah Loftus recalled sets being made special to commemorate weddings, in particular.
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At the height of the toys popularity, Wilson had 80 full time and 20 part time workers working round the clock, making as many as 10,000 walkies a day. The war caused supply shortages everywhere, and for a short time, those shortages impacted the Wilson Walkie production as well. But the company bounced back, and produced the toys for more than a year after John Wilson's death in 1948.
Headlines in the early days proclaimed that "Man To Old To Work Founds Industry". The toys were featured on a popular radio show, and also in a movie. They were advertised in newspapers across the USA, and were popular Christmas gifts for nearly a decade. Today, the toys are collectible, and can be found on ebay and at flea markets and antique stores all over the country.
The Sunbury Daily Item
Jan 14 1939
In 1939, Miss Nancy Craig spoke about the Wilson Walkies, made in Watsontown, in her news broadcast about interesting toys that could be purchased in New York Stores. She said the Walkies were some of the most intriguing toys she had seen.
John Wilson applied for a patent on his toys on October of 1936, and it was granted on December 13th 1938
The complete patent for the Wilson Walkies can be seen here:
Al Fisher share his memories of his mother sewing sailor suits for the Sailor Wilson Walkie. "That was all she made - the sailor suit with the leggings on some but not all. The factory supplies her with a large bolt of blue cloth she made the suits on a treadle sewing machine in our kitchen. My aunt made the mammys dresses. They turned the sleeves with a pencil. I can remember carrying grocery bags of sailor suits into the factory for my mother,"
Red Cross Nurse, Soldier, Mammy, Circus Clown
In an advertisement for Mann's Department Store
Medford Oregon
November 1943
In 1942, a wilson walkie toy appeared in the movie Take A Letter Darling
July 25 1942
While volunteering at the Watsontown Historical Society last year, Sarah Loftus came in to visit, and she talked about the Wilson Walkies.
Mrs Loftus was good friends with Wilson's niece. She said Wilson would show up in his pajamas with a coat and hat, and show the new designs to his niece for her opinion. He brought a jitterbug, two pieces, sort of a roly poly. She said she did not like it, it didn't have a face, so he took a pen and drew a face onto it. But as far as Sarah knows, that one was never sold.
The great great niece of John Wilson shared this photo of the walkie mentioned above, with the face drawn on. She added: "Family debate surrounds whether it is a "jitterbug" or a representation of a Chinese "coolie." This walkie was never produced, so the debate continues."
Clown, Mammy, Penguin
She said that local women would put glue the clothing on the walkies in their own homes. Mrs, Loftus remember her mom making the clothing for Mamie. It was a "cottage industry", She said the army uniforms came premade, they just had to be glued on.
In the Wilson Walkie book by Mary Grishaver, she quotes Mrs Loftus in more detail.
"She (Sarah Loftus' Mother) received the fabric from the company: it was cut in long strips, the width of one of the dresses. She took two strips and put the right sides together. Then she drew around the pattern, over and over, down the length of the strip. She sewed around all the dresses on the strip, then cut them out.". Sarah would then help her mother turn the dresses, She also dipped the arms in a post of white flue, and stuck them into the sleeves. Her mother was paid $5 for each 100 dresses completed - and that was enough for groceries for a week.
She also told me that the Elephant walkies had ruffles around their necks - something that appears to be missing (probably long worn off) in every one I have seen.
There is one larger walkie at the Watsontown Historical Society. Mrs Loftus said she doesn't think the clothes are original on it. She said the larger ones were often made as brides and bridesmaids, and that some of them had hair, not just painted, but actual hair.
In 2013, Mrs Loftus shared her collection with the Montgomery Historical Society
"Mrs. Sara Loftus will be present with her collection of Wilson Walkies, a ramp walking toy made in Watsontown during the depression. Their manufacturing became a cottage industry as parts were distributed to people in their homes for painting and assembly. As a child, Loftus helped her mother dress many of the toys."
Robinson Industrial Crafts LTD, of London Ontario, purchased parts from the Wilson Novelty company. The walkers were assembled in Canada, using the parts from the Watsontown factory. They are still Wilson Walkies, but they were assembled in a factory, not in private homes, and the faces are typically decals, rather than hand painted.
Lithographed paper costumes on walkies were unique to Canadian Walkies.
Wilson Walkies were discontinued in 1950.
Williamsport Sun-Gazette
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
23 Dec 1950, Sat • Page 4
But in the 1950s and 1960's, the Marx toy company made plastic versions, which were produced in Hong Kong and sold by the Chardmore Company.
Flea Market Finds
Charles Mather
North County Times
Oceanside California
July 1995
Ramp Walkers Made By John H. Shade of Danville, between 1985 & 2000.
From 1985 to 2000, John H. Shade of Danville made a series of ramp walker toys in the style of Wilson Walkies. Shade made more than 100 different characters, and most are in the possession of his family and friends. Some have appeared on Ebay.
These all have JHS & MS written on the bottoms of their feet. John made the bodies, his wife Margaret made the clothing and did the painting. MS is for Margaret Shade, JHS is for John H. Shade.
In 2018, Efforts were made to reproduce the toy with a 3D printer
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More About The Wilson Walkies -
Sunbury Daily Item
Oct 29 1938
Nov 1938 Mt Carmel
Nov 1940
Nov 28 1942
March 2 1943
This article from 1943 names many of the women who worked
at the Wilson Novelty Company
Nov 20 1945
The Daily Item
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
10 Dec 1946, Tue • Page 11
How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls: Animal Movement and the Robots of the Future
David Hu
Thanks for this great article! We just found a Wilson's Walkies Santa with its original box (!) at an antiques store in Gettysburg, PA and had never heard of these before. So wonderful to read the history of this local toy manufacturing company!
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