Whether visitors left with a tiny wagon or not, they undoubtedly saw the impressive structure, and so couldn’t have left without some knowledge of the Radio Flyer. Fast forward to the 1950s, when Sputnik and “I Love Lucy” came on the scene. It was during this time, when fear of communism radio flyer wagon loomed, that the little red wagon cemented its status as an American icon. “Sooner or later you’ll have to buy the kids a big red coaster wagon. (This probably is a factor in their growing up to be 100% pure red-blooded American),” reads a 1953 ad in the Logansport Pharos-Tribune.
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Starlight Children’s Foundation is a 5013 organization that delivers happiness to seriously ill children and their families. To learn more and to help Starlight deliver happiness to seriously ill kids this year, visit and follow Starlight on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Antonio’s biggest bet came in 1933, when he took out a $30,000 loan for a Radio Flyer exhibit at the Chicago World’s Fair.
It’s super easy to fold up and can fit in tight spaces which is great when you’re headed to the park or on a road trip and this lightweight wagon makes it easy to transport and carry around from place to place. On any given day children and adults alike enjoy the slide. The Radio Flyer brand just celebrated its 100th birthday and the company commissioned a larger wagon that sits in downtown Chicago. The Spokane wagon has been voted by USA Today as the top roadside attraction in Washington.
As shown in this picture, the kids love to pull their siblings and cousins, but once the wagon gets loaded up it can get kind of heavy for the little guys. This is where the push handle and pull handle work in tandem, allowing two people to share the load. Whether you have an old wagon you’d like to restore or you’re in the market for one of these classic toys, s have both sentimental and monetary value to kids of all ages. Take your time looking around to find the model that’s right for you. When Antonio Pasin came from Italy to the United States in 1914, he was only sixteen years old. Three years later, Antonio had saved enough money to open a small woodworking shop.
Of course, baskets and car seats are available accessories, but a rear cargo rack is standard. “My niece a few years ago was diagnosed with brain cancer and she spent eight months in children’s hospital and she would sleep in the Radio Flyer wagon – she preferred to sleep in that,” Garone said. “It just made those moments when she knew she was going into more chemo, going from her bed to the treatment room… it transformed it and allowed her just to be a kid with something familiar and loved.”
Radio Flyer Inc. was founded by Italian immigrant Antonio Pasin. Pasin’s family had been fine woodworkers for generations, specializing in furniture and cabinetry. But he longed to leave his small town outside of Venice and make a new start in the United States. His family backed his plan, selling their mule to raise money for Antonio’s ticket. Here he hoped to work as a cabinetmaker, but at first he could only find unskilled work, beginning as a water boy for a crew of sewer diggers.
When the United States entered World War II, many industries converted to making wartime products. Radio Steel halted its production of wagons to manufacture so-called blitz cans. These were five-gallon containers used for either fuel or water, mounted on tanks, trucks, and jeeps.
Whether you’re looking for an upgrade or a new wagon for your littles, at Target you’re sure to find one to suit your needs and lifestyle. A young sixteen year-old from Italy by the name of Antonio Pasin immigrated from Venice to the United States. Coming from a family of cabinet makers, Pasin was naturally gifted in design and carpentry skills. After moving to America, he started his first company, Venetian Furniture Company, which was inspired by his childhood home of Venice. He loved to play around with designs and ended up creating what he called the “Liberty Coaster,” named after the Statue of Liberty that greeted all new immigrants in New York City.
Besides the summer home he holds in my nightmares, the statue appears to have been lost to history. But the company did celebrate its 80th anniversary in 1997 by building another giant 40-foot Radio Flyer wagon—sans boy—which is still parked outside their corporate offices in Belmont Cragin. Anniversary no. 100 arrived in 2017, though sadly, company matriarch Anna Pasin didn’t quite live to see it. Antonio’s widow died at the ripe old age of 107 (!!!) in 2016. When Antonio Pasin died in 1990 at age 93, his son Mario had already taken charge, and Mario’s son Robert took the reins in 1997.