Note: For the American folklorist, see Edward D. Ives

Edward D. Ives

Edward Dawson Ives was a folklorist. His work concentrated on the oral traditions of Maine and the Maritime Provinces of Canada, particularly, as he said, "on local songs and their makers but also on cycles of tales about local heroes." He founded the Maine Folklore Center in 1992 and was its...

, and for the American Olympic oarsman, see Edward Ives (rower)

Edward Ives (rower)

Edward Ashley Ives is a former American competitive rower and Olympic silver medalist.-Career:...

.

Edward Riley Ives (September 13, 1839 – 1918) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 toymaker from Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

. He married Jennie Blakeslee in 1866, and with the help of his father in law and brother in law, he founded the Ives Manufacturing Company

Ives Manufacturing Company

The Ives Manufacturing Company, an American toy manufacturer from 1868 to 1932, was the largest manufacturer of toy trains in the United States from 1910 until 1924, when Lionel Corporation overtook it in sales.-Early history:...

 two years later in 1868 in Plymouth, Connecticut

Plymouth, Connecticut

Plymouth is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England. The population was 11,634 at the 2000 census. The Town of Plymouth includes the villages of Terryville and Pequabuck.-Geography:...

. It became one of the largest toy

Toy

A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...

 companies in the United States during the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century. Late in his career, he turned the company over to his son, Harry Ives.

Edward Ives was a distant cousin of U.S. classical music composer Charles Edward Ives. Ives and his son were the subject of a biography titled Messrs. Ives of Bridgeport, written by Louis Hertz and published in 1950.