I Volunteer to Go Fishin’ By Ken Foust

Nineteenth Century American paper and wood toys are generally from the factories of Reed, Bliss, Crandall, or Milton Bradley. Some are clearly marked with the manufacturer’s name, others less so, and some not at all. There isn’t so much as an initial anywhere on the hull or the sails of this vessel, but it’s marked nonetheless. You’ll find the name on the two wooden blocks that represent crates of cod. Pictures of fish are on each side of the blocks, and wording is too. Above the pictures are the words “FRESH COD;” while beneath them we see “REEDT Co.” and “Packing Co..” The “T” presumably stands for “Toy.” The name “REED” definitely refers to William S. Reed of Leominster, Massachusetts.

Even if the crates were missing, you could still identify the maker of the boat by the two dates on top of the deck. The first reads “Pat. July 24, 1877”, and the second “Re-issue May 16, 1882”. The patent covers toy boat hulls or wagon bodies which could hold all of the other parts of the toy inside for ease of shipping. Reed was the inventor, and he christened this ship the “Volunteer.”

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