Classic Toy Collection Part Of Historic Little Falls Homes

LITTLE FALLS (WJON News) -- Two historic mansions in Little Falls have a unique collection of kids' activities. The Linden Hill Estate's Weyerhaeuser and Musser homes have a collection of games, puzzles, and other kids' activities dating back to the early 1900s.

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Pat Sharon, Linden Hill Preservation Committee

Some of the games in the collection include the trivia-based game "The Electric Questioner," Milton Bradley's "Andy Gump and His Game" based on the popular comic strip of the time, and Parker Brothers' 1915 game "Polyanna" based on the novel. Linden Hill Preservation Committee Chair Pat Sharon says many of the games in their collection were designed to teach kids in addition to being fun:

"It was supposed to be a way to teach you your social studies because it covers so many things from sports to the life of the Eskimo, native costumes in leading countries, aviation, I wonder if Lindbergh's on here, anyway it's very very interesting but you'd better be bright."

Pat Sharon, Linden Hill Preservation Committee

She says the puzzles from the time are very difficult as well:

"Their puzzles have no rhyme nor reason to the shapes (for the pieces). It might be a K, it might be a dog, it might be a heart, it might be nothing there cut out and we've got hundreds of these (puzzles)."

Pat Sharon, Linden Hill Preservation Committee

Sharon says they are discovering new things every day as they have a hundred years and 8 attics worth of memorabilia the families left behind to go through.

You can take a tour of the Linden Hill Estate and some of the games and puzzles on display on Thursdays & Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Pat Sharon, Linden Hill Preservation Committee

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