It should come as no surprise that the toy originally marketed as the “Thousand Wonder Builder” rightfully serves as the symbol for the myregion.org initiative as well as an icon for thinking without the box…a step beyond outside of it.

The myregion.org Tinkertoy logo is constructed of seven round pieces that represent the seven partner counties involved in this project, which, when connected by the sticks, add up to 13 pieces, symbolizing the number of “Essential Activities” or issues being studied.

The Tinkertoy was introduced in 1914, the result of two friends from two walks of life but with one interest. Charles H. Pajeau and Robert Pettit shared a daily commuter trip from Evanston, Illinois, to Chicago, where they would part and head to their respective jobs. Pajeau, a stone mason, and Pettit, a trader at the Board of Trade in the windy city, had a mutual passion – an intense dislike for their work.

Inspired by seeing children use pencils and sticks to impale thread spools, Pajeau created the first Tinkertoy. According to literature about him, Pajeau noticed that youngsters spent hours building things from simple items they found around the house. In particular, he observed how they enjoyed putting things together and taking them apart, following wherever their imaginations led them.

Together, the men created an entire toy construction kit made from wooden sticks and spools that would let children use their imaginations and their hands to build bigger and better creations.