Coming up: Erie, not the North Pole, was where favorite Marx toys were made
Erie once was a toy capital of the world, with more "elves" making toys than in Santa's North Pole workshop.
Model trains, Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots and other treasured toys were made at Marx Toys factories in Erie and Girard from the late 1920s until 1980.
Thousands of employees designed, tested and manufactured toys. Their ranks multiplied each fall to fill holiday orders.
And under trees each Christmas, their children unwrapped dollhouses, soldier playsets and pinball games brought home from the plants.
"On Christmas Eve when we arrived at my grandmother's house, under the tree every year there were huge (boxes), presents for me from my uncle," said Paul Lubowicki, whose uncle, Leo Zebrowski, was a toolmaker at Marx.
The Erie Times-News presents a three-part series this month celebrating Marx toys, toymakers and toy works. Visit GoErie.com starting Dec. 18 to relive treasured memories and learn about our county's playful past.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Coming up: Marx Toys made in Erie were Christmas delights
