With ark as a spark LARK embarked on making a mark

Kellogg, Minn.- In the beginning, there was a hand-cut wooden Noah's Ark.

From that one toy, which Donn and Sarah Kreofsky made for one of their children, a business grew.

The Kreofsky's started LARK Toys, which stands for Lost Arts Revival by Kreofsky, out of their garage in 1980. After countless craft shows and flea markets, they opened the Meadowlark shops and LARK Toys in 1984. "We wanted to find wooden toys," Sarah said. " I think there wasn't a lot of them out so we thought it would be a neat idea to make them."

The pine pull toys have names such as Wylie the whale, complete with a water spout that goes up and down as the wheels move, and Finney Fish, with fins that twirl. Many end up in the hands of toy collectors.

Today the shop at the end of Lark Lane is visited by thousands of visitors each year.

The business picked up after the toys were offered through specialty stores and catalogs.

LARK Toys no longer are available wholesale, but may still be purchased retail at the shop in Kellogg, through a web site, or via a catalog directly from LARK. Visitors still may see the toy parts being hand cut on a bandsaw at LARK.
 
Donn, 48, set up a museum at LARK to show off his vast collection of antique toys.

"I've always enjoyed toys," the father of three children said. "A lot of people like to come and see the toys they had."

Meadowlark shops also is home to Gip, the pot-bellied pig who dozes the day away. Gip's name came from pig spelled backwards, a theme at LARK.

The story goes that a magic troll by the name of Kral (LARK backwards) cast a magic spell and turns words backwards to give young visitors puzzles to solve.

"We decided we needed a mascot at LARK." Sarah, 45, said.

She is quick to point out a pot-bellied pig is not a pet for most people and care is taken so Gip is kept busy.

Article by Pamela Powers
Eau Claire Leader Telegram - Sunday, June 22, 1997