116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Time Machine: Cedar Rapids’ Toy Hospital
100 years ago: 350 baskets of food, donated/repaired toys were delivered to needy families
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
A harried young businessman was asked in 1923 to deliver toys from the Cedar Rapids Toy Hospital to humble homes on Christmas Eve.
“My wife said I had to deliver some of these toys. Give me two or three. Awful busy. Haven’t much time!” he said as he snatched a short list of addresses and a few toys and headed out for delivery.
About an hour later, he came back with a happy grin. “Give me more toys. I’m going to work at this all day!” he said, as reported in the Dec. 11, 1924, Gazette.
Standard Glass & Paint started the Toy Hospital in Cedar Rapids in 1923, putting out a call in the Dec. 6 Gazette for old toys that could be repaired.
“Early response will be appreciated,” the plea said, “as the workmen must begin at once to have the toys completed by Christmas.”
The store filled its two display windows, at 317-319 Second Ave. SE, with the donated toys its employees had repaired in the Toy Hospital set up inside.
“Inside the building, toys of every variety are spread on tables and counters, chairs and radiators, waiting the finishing touch,” The Gazette reported.
“Two and sometimes three workmen have been kept at the task almost steadily for three weeks, repairing these toys, which will be distributed Wednesday (Christmas Eve) by men of the Gyro Club (a service club). Hundreds of children’s names are on the list, which has been compiled from those furnished by charitable agencies and churches.”
One of those toy surgeons told The Gazette, “I’ve never done anything in my life that gave me more satisfaction than this. Why, we have more fun fixing up these toys than the kids will when they receive them!”
Firefighters join in
The 1923 toy drive was a big success, and Cedar Rapids firefighters set up another toy donation site in 1924 at the Central Fire Station on First Street NE where Fire Chief James Kennedy and his crew repaired old toys for the Sunshine Mission to distribute on Christmas Eve.
Repair materials were donated. Kubias Hardware furnished saws and solder, S.S. Kresge provided planes, Stepanek and Vondracek Hardware gave nails and brads. F.W. Woolworth provided tacks, hammers and chisels, and Standard Glass & Paint, which continued its Toy Hospital, provided paint, varnish, sandpaper, glue and emery paper.
With the deadline for fixing toys nearing, the Standard Glass toy doctors issued an urgent plea Dec. 22 for seamstresses to create dresses for dolls. While the craftsmen could paint or repair, none of them could sew. Women were asked to take one or more of the dolls home, dress them and bring them back to the Toy Hospital for distribution.
The donors
A Dec. 23 Gazette story about the Toy Hospital reported on two young donors of toys:
“One little chap brought in a baseball bat and explained that last summer he had broken his leg playing ball, and his mother would not let him play anymore. He wanted to give his beloved bat to some other fellow.
“A beautifully attired little girl rode up to the door of the Toy Hospital and, with the assistance of the driver, carried in several armloads of expensive toys. The Toy Hospital workmen sought to learn her name. ‘Mother said I wasn’t to give any name,’ she said.
“And then she picked up an exquisite doll, smoothed the ruffle of its dainty dress, stroked its curls gently, her smile wistful, and laid it down again.”
The toy drive was a resounding success, with enough toys for 200 Christmas baskets with some left over. The Dec. 23 Gazette story also asked that anyone who knew of children not on the list — but who should be — contact the Toy Hospital.
The Christmas baskets, filled by the Social Welfare League with food and toys, were delivered to homes by members of the Gyro, Good Fellows and Rotary service clubs during the day on Christmas Eve.
In all, 350 baskets were delivered.
Continuing till 1940
The firefighters at the Central Fire Station decided the Toy Hospital was such a success they wanted to continue it annually. The fire station became the hub for toy donations. Retailers donated supplies, and firefighters repaired and repainted the toys, which were delivered to the Salvation Army in 1928 for distribution.
On Nov. 23, 1940, Toy Hospital planners came up with the idea to invite children to the Paramount Theatre for a Saturday matinee featuring Hopalong Cassidy in “Pride of the West.” Admission was a toy in any condition.
Seven truckloads of toys were delivered to the Central Fire Station for repair. Camp Fire Girls created dresses for the dolls.
That, however, would be the last Toy Hospital, given that the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, with manpower and raw materials in short supply.
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