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The Marx Toy Museum in Moundsville will host a special event for former employees and family members of those who worked at the Marx Toy Company in Glen Dale. Marx Employee Day will be held at the museum from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 14, to celebrate the men and women who had a hand in producing the iconic toys of Louis Marx & Co.
There is no admission charge for former employees; family members and visitors are asked to make a small donation each to support the mission of the organization.
At its peak, the Glen Dale factory employed more than 2,000 people, and its assembly lines were in constant motion until the company ceased operations in 1980. Over the years, thousands of workers, spanning multiple generations, found their employment at Marx Toys. Throughout the Ohio Valley, retirees of Marx continue to reminisce fondly about their years of labor as “Santa’s Helpers.”
Marx was a major manufacturer of children’s toys from 1919 to 1980 and considered the world’s largest toy producer during the 1950s. In 1955, Time Magazine reported that one in three toys sold in the United States was made by Marx.
Today, Marx is recognized as one of the most popular brands in toy history and credited with some of the most iconic toys ever produced, including the Big Wheel cycle, Johnny West action figure, Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots game, Fort Apache playset, wind-up Merrymakers mouse band, Jocko the Climbing Monkey and many more.
In the United States, Marx toys were produced at three primary facilities: a factory in Erie, Pa., which focused on metal toys and wind-ups; another in nearby Girard, Pa., dedicated to toy train production; and finally, the largest toy manufacturing plant in the world, in Glen Dale.
The Marx Toy Museum is located just a little more than a mile from the old Glen Dale factory. Those attending the employee day are welcome to bring along old factory-related photos, paperwork and memorabilia to share with others in attendance.
At 1 p.m., the museum will take a group photo of Marx employees.
The museum will close its doors for good on June 20 but plans to maintain and online presence and offer touring exhibits.
For more information, go to www.MarxToyMuseum.com, or call the museum at 304-845-6022.