US Gorton Toy Soldier Sets, Union & Confederate, Bill Thompson, Wallace & Ladmo
This item is listed for historical interest only. It was listed on our site previously but has been sold and is no longer available for purchase.
Sold for: $125.00

Original era manufacture. Theseare two boxed sets, of six each, Union & Confederatesoldiers, produced by the Gorton Toy Soldier company of Phoenix Arizona.The soldiers are like new, in their original boxes with foam padding, as purchased by me back in 1990. Each box bears the signature of "Wallace" (Bill Thompson) and a 1990 date. There is a very interesting local connection to the production of these soldiers, as two friends of mine were involved in their creation and production, Bill Thompson(AKA Wallace), and Andy Masich.BillThompson has to be one of the most interesting people I have had the pleasure of knowing. His original desire was to be a boxer, but his true calling came later in life as part of the longest running Children's TV Show in US History, Wallace & Ladmo, here in Phoenix.In addition to being a clever comedian, he was a genuinely good guy, giving of himself to all who came up to him, friend and stranger. Outsideof TV land, Bill had a great interest in military history, especially the time period of the American Civil War, and participated in many reenactments and living history over the years.Ourgroup, the 23rd New York Infantry, had the honor of Bill serving in our ranks as a common soldier during many of our trips to the East during the 125th anniversary of the Civil War.One of Bill's favorite pastimes was the collecting of toy soldiers. At some point, Andy Masich (another 23rd NY member) and ArizonaHistorical Society executive, teamed up to create the Gorton line of soldiers, named for Andy's high school. I am not aware of their production total but we purchased an example of every set made and will be offering them for sale here as time allows. Bill's gone now, and Andy has moved on to dogreat things inhistorical preservation in Pittsburgh. We all had a great time together doing living history here in Arizona.