Tonka started it's life in 1946 as Mound Metal craft and launched the Tonka name in 1947, named after Lake Minnetonka. The first logo, used until 1955 represented the waves of Lake Minnetonka along with three birds on top of the Tonka Toys Name. The Semi logger with the wood flat bed was only made in 1953 although they contunued other tandem type loggers. My 1953 logger began it's life with a Tonka employee in MN and retired to The Sunshine State.