Tonka toys began in 1947 and were manufactured by the Mound Metalcraft Company, a business that began in a small schoolhouse basement in Mound, Minnesota in the United States. They originally manufactured garden tools. They began Tonka toys by producing a steam shovel and crane. In 1949 they went on to produce the first Tonka dump truck. Tonka toys premise of their design was to produce toys for children that would be durable and provide the child with as much play value as possible. They officially started using the name Tonka Toys in 1955. The company joined with Hasbro in 1991 and are still producing toys today.

The toys were originally produced in sheet metal and still are, but they also began producing in plastic. Sets began to be produced by Tonka; the Bottom Dump Lorry that the Museum now owns was part of Tiny Tonka No.822 construction set that was only produced in 1975. It included Detachable detailed bottom dump, Fully operational cement mixer, Dump truck that raises/lowers and lowboy & loader.