Maker record
Stevens
J. & E. Stevens Company was an American manufacturer based in Cromwell, Connecticut, best known for cast-iron toys and mechanical banks. Founded by brothers John and Elisha Stevens in 1843 as a maker of hardware and hammers, it shifted toward toys after the success of its early iron playthings. Its products included firecracker pistols, toy cannons, locomotives, whistling tops, toy furniture and more than 300 mechanical bank models produced between 1869 and 1890. In the twentieth century, the company concentrated on cap pistols.
- Founded
- 1843
- Countries
- United States
- Locations
- Cromwell, Connecticut · 1843
- Founders
- John Stevens · Elisha Stevens
The story of Stevens
John and Elisha Stevens formed the J. & E. Stevens Company in Cromwell, Connecticut, in 1843. The firm began with cast-iron hardware, hammers and a small number of iron toys. After introducing a firecracker pistol in 1859, it increasingly focused on toys, including cannons, locomotives, whistling tops, toy stoves, furniture and miniature cutlery. In 1868 the company reorganized as a joint-stock corporation, and Elisha left to pursue other interests.
In 1869 the company introduced its first cast-iron mechanical bank. The line became a major part of its business, with more than 300 models produced between 1869 and 1890. By 1928 the company had turned exclusively to cap pistols. It continued producing iron toy firearms until the Second World War, when wartime iron restrictions disrupted production. In 1950 Russell Frisbie sold the company to Buckley Brothers of New York.