Peanuts the Wonder Horse

When I was 4 or maybe 5 I got a red Wonder Horse for my birthday, or was it Christmas?

My Aunt Rose was visiting and we were eating peanuts so the red Wonder Horse was named Peanuts. I'm sorry I don't remember the day or who gave it to me but I remember many days of riding Peanuts long and hard. Not only was he fun to ride; pounding both front and rear legs into the ground, but I would turn him on his side and the hollow underside became something of a doll house where other smaller toys lived.

I loved, and still have, Peanuts. Over the years and several moves I could never quite let him go.

On a recent trip to Arkansas with the North American Travel Journalists Association I took a tour of NE Arkansas. As we were being toured around Pocahontas I spotted a Wonder Horse in a store window. I mentioned that I had one and found, to my delight, that I was in the town where the famous Wonder Horse, a nationally known child's toy, was invented by William Baltz.

More information on Randolf County and Pocahontas.

The picture above was taken in the local museum where the original Wonder Horse can be seen as well as some of the more "modern" versions such the one in the picture which is of the same vintage as my Peanuts.