The most American success story you’ve never heard is hiding in an Iowa toy museum

Fred Ertl’s Basement Empire During Dubuque’s 1945 Strike

When a union strike hit Dubuque in 1945, German immigrant Fred Ertl Sr. faced a tough choice.

He had five sons to feed but no job. So he got to work in his basement, melting scrap airplane pistons into toy tractors using river sand molds.

His sons helped, even taking out their car’s back seat to make room for deliveries. Word spread fast.

By 1946, Ertl moved to a real shop, and soon John Deere came calling with a license deal.

This basement side hustle grew into a toy empire that turned tiny Dyersville, Iowa into the “Farm Toy Capital of the World,” where you can still visit the National Farm Toy Museum today.

A Union Officer Said No to His Own Strike

Fred Ertl Sr. , a German immigrant and skilled metal worker, had no money coming in during May 1945.

Workers at the Adams Company foundry in Dubuque, Iowa went on strike, but Ertl refused to join them, even though he helped run the union. With no strike pay and hungry mouths to feed at home, Ertl needed cash fast.

His wife and five sons couldn’t wait while he stuck to his principles. The foundry worker knew he had to use his skills differently.

Melting War Scraps in a Basement Furnace

Ertl turned his basement into a small factory almost overnight.

He built a simple furnace to melt down broken aluminum airplane pistons and poured the hot metal into handmade sand molds. He gathered sand from the river to make perfect little tractor shapes.

His first toys were tiny versions of Allis-Chalmers WC tractors, machines that Iowa farmers used every day. Each small tractor took careful work, but Ertl’s metal skills made them look great.

Army Surplus Became Playtime Treasures

Ertl’s friend Max Blum helped him get a steady supply of scrap aluminum pistons from the Savanna Army Depot in Illinois.

The military had plenty of leftover parts after World War II ended, and these broken pistons found new life as toys. Ertl turned what would have been trash into toys kids loved.

The aluminum worked perfectly for casting, light enough for play but strong enough to last.

Kids Packed Toys Where Car Seats Should Be

The whole Ertl family joined the business. All five sons worked with their father, learning how to make the toys and helping with production.

They took out the back seat from the family car to make room for toy deliveries to local stores. The boys stacked boxes of toy tractors where they once sat during family drives.

Each family member had specific jobs in their home factory, from pouring metal to painting finished toys.

Farmers Couldn’t Get Enough of the Tiny Tractors

News about Ertl’s toy tractors spread quickly through Iowa farm communities. Store owners called asking for more as soon as they sold out.

Farmers liked how closely the toy tractors matched their real equipment, down to the smallest parts. Kids wanted toys that looked just like what their dads drove in the fields.

Orders came in faster than the family could make them in their basement.

The Business Outgrew Its Basement Home

By 1946, just a year after starting his basement workshop, Ertl moved his business to a 1,040 square foot building in Dubuque. The family hired their first workers from outside the family.

They improved how they made toys with better equipment and more space, but Ertl kept the handmade quality that made his toys special. This move marked the first step from family project to real company.

Papers Made It Official in 1947

The Ertl Company became official in 1947, moving to an 11,000 square foot building much bigger than both the basement and first shop.

They started making more than just Allis-Chalmers models and added other popular farm equipment toys. Ertl saw he could make accurate copies of all major farm equipment brands.

The company created better ways to make toys while keeping the details farmers and their children loved.

Big Green Tractors Changed Everything

Ertl took a chance when he asked John Deere bosses about making official licensed toys. The meeting worked out, and they gave him permission to make real John Deere replicas.

This team-up let him sell through John Deere dealers across America.

Farm families who trusted John Deere for their real tractors now bought Ertl toys for their children. The green and yellow tractors sold faster than they could make them.

The First Die-Cast John Deere Hit Shelves

In 1952, Ertl made the first die-cast John Deere Model “A” tractor. The toys sold in John Deere stores nationwide, bringing Ertl products to rural towns everywhere.

The Model “A” became the company’s most famous product, known for its correct size and true-to-life details. Farmers bought them for their kids, and collectors soon started looking for them too.

A New Factory Town Welcomed Toy Makers

The company built a big factory in Dyersville, Iowa in 1959, setting up a permanent home base. Dyersville welcomed the growing business, and the town’s economy grew stronger from the new factory jobs.

The facility gave Ertl room to make more toys and create new product lines.

People from nearby towns found steady jobs making toys that brought joy to children across the country.

Small Town Became a Toy-Making Capital

Ertl’s success transformed Dyersville into the “Farm Toy Capital of the World.”

Two other major farm toy companies eventually set up shop in the same town, creating a hub for collectible farm toys.

The National Farm Toy Museum opened in Dyersville, showcasing the history of agricultural toys and Ertl’s pivotal role in the industry.

What started as one man’s solution to feed his family during a strike created a legacy that defined an entire town.

Visiting Dyersville, Iowa

The National Farm Toy Museum at 1110 16th Avenue Court SE tells Fred Ertl Sr. ‘s story of making toy tractors from melted aircraft pistons during a 1945 strike.

You can see over 30,000 farm toys including rare Ertl prototypes for $7 adults, $6 seniors, $5 kids 6-17. Open 9am-6pm Monday-Saturday, 10am-4pm Sunday.

Watch their 10-minute film about toy production history and visit during the annual toy show in November.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• How Alaska almost lost its sacred totem poles to time
• This Alaskan valley exploded with the force of 30 atomic bombs — now it’s a hiker’s paradise
• How Alaska Turned the Dena’ina’s Hunting Grounds Into a State Park—And Banned Them From It