Moundsville in Marshall County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Toy Memories

Photographed by Bradley Owen, March 31, 2026

1. Toy Memories Marker

Inscription.
In 1934, Louis Marx and Company opened a toy plant in the old Fokker Aircraft building in Glen Dale. It was the largest toy plant in the world under one roof.

Marx is credited with the introduction of the yo-yo to both American and European markets.

During WWII, toy production halted in order to manufacture munitions.

Marx manufactured one-third of all the toys sold in America. Louis Marx was known as the "Toy King."

One of the plant's most popular items was the big wheel.

Moundsville
Robert W. Schramm

Artist: Diana Holcombe

Erected 2016 by The Northern Panhandle Resource Conservation & Development Council and The Uptown Moundsville Activities Committee.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1934.

Location. 39° 55.422′ N, 80° 44.558′ W. Marker is in Moundsville, West Virginia, in Marshall County. It is at the intersection of 2nd Street and Jefferson Avenue, on the right when traveling west on 2nd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 128 Jefferson Avenue, Moundsville WV 26041, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Northern Panhandle.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Ohio River Valley,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance

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of this marker: Moundsville Historic Commercial District (within shouting distance of this marker); 233-239 Jefferson Avenue (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Historic Mount Rose Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Foreman Massacre Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Homestead Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); The Strand Theatre (approx. ¼ mile away); Joseph Tomlinson, Jr. (approx. ¼ mile away); Let It Be (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Moundsville.

Photographed by Bradley Owen, March 31, 2026

2. Toy Memories Marker

Diana Holcombe's artwork is on the right.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 15 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 7, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.