Thompson, Charles

I was born and raised in Little Rock, AR. I graduated from Central High School in 1972. After graduation I sought work wherever I could. When the economy plummeted in the 70s I moved to the Ozarks for a simpler life living off the land. With a new wife and child, I needed a way to provide for my family. I came across the Ozark Folk Center that was looking for crafts to sell in their store. Thus began Blue Mountain Toys. I started making rainbows, Noah's arks, wooden trucks and puzzles to sell around the Ozarks. But this dream came to an end when my child started growing up and the Blue Mountain Toys wasn’t making ends meet. For the next 25 years, I moved back to the city and found a job in a factory to provide for my family and children, but I never forgot about my passion making hand crafted toys. My children are grown and since retirement, I knew it was my opportunity to light the fire again. I renamed my business Charlie’s Dream because it was now time to pursue my dream of making hand crafted toys again.