The roots of Holgate Toy Company trace

back to 1789 when Cornelius Holgate

established a woodworking shop

outside of Philadelphia in a colonial village called Roxborough. After many years,
the Holgate family moved the company to northwest Pennsylvania because of the
abundant hardwood forest. In 1929, Holgate was one of the first toy companies
in the U.S. to research & develop the educational, preschool toy market for children.
Holgate worked closely with the early educators in the emerging Kindergarten
program to develop safe, educational toys that had play value. Jarvis Rockwell,
brother of famous illustrator Norman Rockwell, originally designed many of
today’s most popular Holgate toys like the Rocky Color Cone, Jumbo Lacing Beads
and the Classic Bingo Bed. Rockwell’s concern for safety, durability and
multiple play earned him recognition as one of America’s finest toy designers.
In the early 1990s the Holgate Toy Company
became part of the Zippo family when it
was purchased by Zippo Mfg. 
Although this relationship only lasted
a few years a few pieces which can be
 considered Zippo collectibles today
were produced. A couple of toy trucks
with Zippo logos along with wooden cases that housed both regular and slim size
Zippo lighters. It appears that they tried to create a new product line using resources
form both companies, but it never really took off. Holgate/Zippo lighters have
surfaced on the secondary market with different finishes and advertising logos.
The Holgate Toy Company is located at 200 Biddle St., Kane, PA 16735
holgate packaging 3" x 3" x 1"
reverse side lifetime guarantee
holgate luggage tags w/leather strap
Zippos 60th anniversary approximately 4" in diameter

Pennhills Country Club
146 Pennhills Drive, Bradford, PA 16701
Penn Hills was established in 1922 and
the Penn Hills Country Club later in 1937.
George Grant Blaisdell was a member too.
The magnificent, castle-like club house
has a bar & restaurant with a beautiful view 
of the Pennsylvania woodland.

Travis Asel, stock car driver from Kane, PA
wooden zippo case non holgate item
reverse side