Cobb's Toys

Lyman Cobb (1800-1864) was the author of numerous spellers and primers in the 1830's including Cobb's Juvenile Readers, a spelling course, a reading course and an arithmetical course. These books were published by numerous publishers. Cobb also authored four twelve volume series of toy books which were first published in 1835 (and 1836).

The information about these series is incomplete and will be supplemented as new data is obtained.

The first three twelve title series were absolutely first published in 1835. There are ads that indicate that the fourth series was also published in 1835. At the present time however only the first three titles in the fourth series have been seen and the volumes examined all have 1836 dates. Notices for series four state that there were twelve book in the series.

Numerous firms printed these toy books. The content of the titles is identical from house to house but the cover/title page illustration is not always the same. There are also subtle size differences between the publishers. The companies listed below are the ones known at this time. It is very likely that there are others that published Cobb's Toys.

Known publishers of Cobb's Toys:
H. Baker, Cazenovia, New York
Ransom Birdsall, Elmira, New York
Birdsall & Huntley, Elmira, New York
William E. Chapman, Oxford, New York
Chapman & Flagler, Oxford, New York
B. & S. Collins, New York City
Collins, Keese & Co., New York City
J. W. Ely, Cincinnati, Ohio
Griffen, Mabbett & Co., Sandy Hill, New York
Hickok & Stark, Lewiston, Pa.
Hickok & Blood, Lewiston, Pa.
Horton J. Howard, St. Clairsville, Ohio
J. Kellogg & Co., Cleveland, Ohio
Kellogg & Parker, Louisville, Ky.
Benjamin Olds, Newark, N.J.
Benjamin Olds & Son, Newark, N. J.
O. Spafford, Erie, Pa.
Oliver Spafford, Erie, Pa.
Speed & Sinclair, Cortlandville, New York
Stevens & Flagler, Dansville, New York
A. Stevens & Son, Dansville, New York
H. B. Ten Eyck, Glen Falls, New York

The Series:

1st Series 1835

Wraps. Four illustrations. 3.25" x 2".
Eight pages including the covers, These books cost 1 cent each.

2nd Series 1835

Wraps. 3.5" x 2.5" 16 pages
2 cents each

3rd Series 1835

Wraps. 3" x 4". 16 pages
3 cents each

Fourth Series (Date uncertain - probably 1835)

Wraps. 5.5" x 3.125". 6 cents each. 24 pages not including the covers.
Ten illustrations including the title page.

H. Baker, Cazenovia, New York
Henry Baker published the four series of Cobb's Toys in 1841. His firm also published a number of primers including some of Lyman Cobb's.

Birdsall & Huntley, Elmira, New York
Ransom Birdsall, Elmira, New York
Birdsall & Huntley preceded the Ransom Birdsall company. Elias S. Huntley, the owner of the first Elmira bookstore and bindery was associated with Birdsall from about 1832 - March, 1836. During that time the house published several of Cobb's primers and arithmetical courses. In 1835 Birdsall & Huntley published Cobb's Toys. In 1836 Ransom Birdsall also reprinted the Cobb's Toys. Also of note is a reprint of the (one or more) series by Ransom Birdsall in 1838.

Chapman & Flagler, Oxford, New York
William E. Chapman, Oxford, New York
This firm published a number of Cobb's primers as well as Cobb's Toys. Chapman & Flagler was an active firm in 1835. By 1836 the company name had changed to William E. Chapman.

B. & S. Collins, New York
Collins, Keese & Co., New York
B. & S. Collins (Benjamin S. And Stacy B.) published the Cobb's Toys in 1835. The following year the brothers joined John Keese to establish its successor, Collins, Keese & Co. which published the four series. These firms also published the various Cobb primers.

J. W. Ely, Cincinnati
This company publish all four series of Cobb's Toys in addition to the Juvenile Readers, Spellers and Mathematical Courses.
These series were advertised in 1842.

Griffen, Mabbett & Co., Sandy Hill, New York
This publisher printed these series in 1836. It also published a number of Cobb's primers, juvenile readers arithmetical courses, etc.

Henkle & Chamberlain, Indianapolis, Indiana
This company published all four series in 1836.

Hickok & Stark, Lewiston, Pa.
Hickok & Blood, Chambersburgh, Pa.
J. H. (John Hoyt) Hickok (1792–1847) published in Lewiston, Pa. on his namesake imprint from about 1832 to 1835 as J. H. Hickok & Co. This firm published a number of Cobb's primers as did its immediate successors. William Orville Hickok (1815-1891), John's son, also worked for his father's house. The firm was known as Hickok & Stark in 1835. It moved in 1836 to Chambersburgh, Pa. and published as Hickok & Blood. Later iterations with John O. Hickok as the named Hickok of Hickok & Cantine (1839-1846) and Hickok and Parke did not print any of the Cobb's Toys.

It appears that Hickok and Stark published all of Series 1 and Series 2 and although not seen, probably Series three and four. Hickok & Blood published all four series in their entirety.

Horton J. Howard, St. Clairsville, Ohio
Horton J. Howard (1804-1883) established his book publishing and binding firm in 1824. He dissolved his company in 1853 when he moved to Iowa. Howard's firm published the four Cobb's Toys Series in 1836 and reprinted them in 1838. This company also published Cobb's Readers and other Cobb educational material.

J. Kellogg & Co., Cleveland, Ohio
This house published Cobb's Toys in 1835 and 1836 (presumably all four series).

Kellogg & Parker, Louisville
Active from about 1835-1842, this company published First, Second and probably the Third and Fourth Series of Cobb's Toys in 1835. This firm should not be confused with the Wall Street company of the same name.

Benjamin Olds, Newark, N.J.
Benjamin Olds & Son, Newark, N. J.
Benjamin Olds was succeeded by Benjamin Olds & Son in 1846 and by Benjamin Old's Sons in 1863.
Olds published the Cobb's Toys series in 1835, 1836, 1844, 1846, 1855.
Some Olds' books do not state "Cobb's Toys" on the cover or title page. This appears to start in 1844.

O. Spafford, Erie, Pa.
Oliver Spafford, Erie, Pa.
Oliver Spafford published the four Cobb's Toys series in 1835 and 1840. This company also printed other Cobb primers.
Some of the 1850, 1851 and 1852 editions of Cobb’s Toys have been seen with no reference to Cobb. See below.
Only the third series of Cobb's Toys has been seen with these later 1850's dated Spafford books.

Speed & Sinclair, Cortlandville, New York
Thomas Sinclair and John J. Speed established their company in 1832. In 1836 this publisher printed all four of the twelve book series of Cobb's Toys. After Sinclair died in 1841 the firm was dissolved.

Stevens & Flagler, Dansville, New York
A. Stevens & Son, Dansville, New York
Stevens & Flagler published the four series in 1835. The exact year(s) of A. Stevens & Son publication of the Toys is not known since there are no dates on its title page. This firm was publishing in the 1836-1839 range. These houses published Cobb's Toys as well as Cobb's Juvenile Readers.

H. B. Ten Eyck, Glen Falls, New York
This firm published Cobb's Toys in 1835 and 1836.