Wallingford Historical
Society



WHS Quarterly Meeting and "The Town of Iron Toys"
Wed, Sep 16
|VFW Post 591 Wallingford
The Mechanical Banks of the J. & E. Stevens Company, presented by Richard F. Donohue.


Time & Location
Sep 16, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
VFW Post 591 Wallingford, 23 Prince St, Wallingford, CT 06492, USA
About the event
The Wallingford Historical Society will hold it's quarterly business meeting at 7:00 pm.
Directly following the business meeting, Richard F. Donohue, will present "The Town of Iron Toys"
In 1869, the J & E Stevens Company of Cromwell Connecticut began making iron banks that performed and action when coins were deposited into them. Mechanical banks quickly became popular with both children and adults throughout America and beyond. Today, mechanical toy banks are highly collectable and sell for thousands of dollars at auction.
Join Richard Franklin Donohue, Historian for the Town of Cromwell, as he demonstrates his collection of mechanical banks and explains their history and the amusing tales that inspired their design. Witness Boss Tweed take kickbacks, one coin at a time. See William Tell shoot an apple from the top of his son's head with a penny! Watch a gentlemanly game of 1880s Baseball from the third base line…