Wagon Train Toys is brought to you by Rosemary and Michael Imrick, parents of toddlers who gladly try out every toy they can.  We know that toys need to withstand the bottomless creativity and boundless energy of growing kids, and we are committed to finding toys for other parents that we ourselves would be delighted to give to our own children--who enjoy being pulled in an Amish wagon by "Sunflower" the cart goat.  Sunflower was trained by our childen's Aunt Ellen, also pictured. That wagon, by the way, has seen over a decade of hard use, but is still going strong, which is what we expect from the toys and wagons we carry. 

A History of Quality

Wagon Train Toys is the next chapter in the 15-year history of quality toys and service on which Rosemary’s uncle, Dave McCusker, Jr., built the sterling reputation of his toy business.  The McCusker family ventured forth as pioneers in Internet commerce in the 90’s and rode the cusp of the Internet commerce wave with the successful DurableToys.com website.  As the second generation in the toy business, we are building on the solid McCusker model and taking our toy retail business on to a new adventure. 

 In the McCusker footsteps, we search out durable toys for your children and ours.  We carry toys made in the USA if at all possible, with a focus on the quality wagons made by Amish craftsmen.  For those items we cannot find made by our neighbors in the U.S., we look to quality manufacturers who make their items without exploiting their hired help, and to talented crafters who are paid fair trade prices for their handiwork.  You will find country of origin noted in the description of items we sell.

A Mission of Outreach: Adoption

Wagon Train Toys is committed to active outreach, with a particular focus on adoption.  Adoption “runs in the family” for both Michael and Rosemary, and we are now the third generation that has adopted either domestically or internationally.  After seeing the large numbers of children still waiting for families, we feel that it is crucial to raise awareness about waiting children and to make a material difference in their lives.  We offer you the opportunity to join us in making a difference--which we intend to do by donating a portion of our profits to Brittany’s Hope Foundation.   Brittany's Hope Foundation is an organization that makes a material difference in the lives of children in many countries, and is best known for providing grants to assist in the adoption of waiting children, especially those with medical needs.  We hope you will explore the Brittany’s Hope Foundation website and consider spreading the word about the children who wait.

A Mission of Outreach: Special Needs

As part of our adoption process, Rosemary scoured the Internet searching for detailed information on every possible special need that we might encounter in the process.  It was eye-opening to see the challenges children with special needs face, and to see the promise that they hold within them.  As we learned about some of the medical needs of waiting children, we could see that many of these children could benefit immensely from toys that would encourage their development.  We could also see that toys to accomodate some special needs, such as cerebral palsy, could be difficult to find.  We are in the process of looking for toys appropriate for children with different abilities, and we already have a few exciting possibilities.  We look forward to expanding this new line of toys as soon as possible.

An Enthusiasm for Play and Learning

 We believe the well-rounded child needs ample opportunity for constructive, active play and for learning life skills—and we don’t think the two are mutually exclusive.  The belief that all of life can be a learning experience was ingrained in us from childhood.  Both of us were homeschooled, Michael in far north “bear country” 30 miles from Lake Superior, and Rosemary on a small homestead in northern Indiana.  We both learned to love being active outdoors, to love learning, to explore, to question and to read voraciously.  We went on to become a professional in IT and a university English composition instructor respectively, but we never lost the desire for a life of simple quality, family adventures and endless exploration of the world, past and present.  We strive for balance between useful modernity and grounded simplicity in our business and in our life in general.  We see life as a journey and an adventure.  In the spirit of the original wagon train pioneers, we set our faces toward our goal, but we also want to enjoy every minute of the journey.

 “Hitch your wagon to a star!”
--Ralph Waldo Emerson