Hoproco, the Hopewell Products Company, operated from 1923 to 1929 on Burton Avenue in Hopewell, manufacturing metal and wooden mechanical toys and novelties. This presentation and references explore the history of Hoproco, its factory building, and the five known toys that the company created that are still prized by collectors today.
See below for the presentation video and slides, product images, and references from the Hoproco – Hopewell’s 1920s Toy Company – Talk & Exhibit presentation by Douglas Dixon, held on November 2, 2022 at the Hopewell Theater, and online via Zoom.
Thanks to the Hopewell Museum and the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and collectors Larry & Cindi Kianka, Mary Briggs, Mary Ellen Devlin, David McCandless, and Craig Thompson for sharing information and images for this project.
– Contents – Exhibits – Video and Slides – Images – References –
Exhibits
Thanks to Larry & Cindi Kianka, Mary Briggs, Mary Ellen Devlin, and Hopewell Museum / Hopewell Valley Historical Society for exhibiting toys from their collections at the event.
Presentation Video & Slides
Hoproco – Hopewell’s 1920s Toy Company presentation by Douglas Dixon, November 2, 2022, exploring the history of Hoproco, and the five known toys that the company created.
Hopewell Public Library “Wednesday Night Out” Lecture Series, co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum.
Hoproco Images
See the Hoproco Toys album for some 45 images from the Hopewell Products Company in the Image Gallery.
These include close-ups of the toys, plus product boxes, and retailer product sheets
Hoproco References
See the full history briefs (PDF) for more details and images of these products, and the full history of the Burton Avenue factory building.
Hoproco Tin Toys (1920s) History Brief (PDF)
Describes the five known colorful tin toys that were manufactured by Hoproco from circa 1925 to 1928: Indoor Golf, Buddy Sand Sled, Hopewell Flyer, Twin Flyer, and E-Z-Go-Round.
18 Burton Avenue – Stair / Toy Factory (1897) History Brief (PDF)
Describes factory building used by Hoproco, originally built as a sash and blind / stair factory in 1897 by John G.Burton. Later used for ornamental iron work, awnings, and a warehouse, the building still stands, now as a residence and art studios.
Hoproco Toys Handout (PDF)
One page summary of the five Hoproco toys
We welcome additional information and materials on Hoproco to share.
More on Hoproco Toys
Hoproco, the Hopewell Products Company, operated from 1923 to 1929 at 18 Burton Avenue in Hopewell, and is still remembered for the five known metal toys it created.
Hoproco History
- Hoproco – Hopewell’s 1920s Toy Company – Summary of the company and the toys
- Hopewell Toys of the 1920s – More on toys of the period and how Hoproco fit into the market
- Hoproco – Hopewell’s 1920s Toy Company – Talk & Exhibits – Talk description
- Hoproco Toy Company – Video and References – Talk video and references
Video / Presentation
- Talk Video – Hoproco – Hopewell’s 1920s Toy Company – 11/2022 (YouTube)
- Talk Slides – Hoproco – Updated version of the presentation slides (PDF)
Briefs
- Hoproco History Brief – Hoproco Tin Toys (1920s) (PDF)
- Factory History Brief – 18 Burton Avenue – Stair / Toy Factory (1897) (PDF)
- Handout – Hoproco Toys Handout (PDF) – One page summary of the five Hoproco toys
Images
- Image Gallery – Hoproco Toys album – 45+ images of the toys and materials
Map
- History Map – 18 Burton Avenue – Property map and historical images
