One of the first stuffed animals many children receive as a baby is the famous teddy bear. They are fuzzy, they are cuddly, they are soft, cute, and huggable. Sometimes they are given a name, and sometimes children have a tea party with them. At an early age, a bear becomes a friend. As children get older, they often start a collection of them; after all, more than two items in the same category is considered a collection. How did teddy bears become so popular? Among the reasons started when President Theodore Roosevelt was on a bear hunting trip near Onwand, Miss., on Nov. 14, 1902. Mississippis governor had invited him, but unlike other hunters in the group, the president had not located a single bear. One of Roosevelts assistants cornered and tied a black bear to a willow tree. They summoned Roosevelt and suggested that he shoot the bear. Viewing this as extremely unsportsmanlike, Roosevelt refused to shoot the bear. Clifford Berryman, a political cartoonist decided to lightheartedly satirize the presidents refusal to shoot the bear. On Nov. 16, 1902, Morris Michtorm, a Brooklyn, N.Y., candy shop owner, saw the cartoon and had an idea. He and his wife, Rose, also made stuffed animals, and Michtorm decided to create a stuffed toy bear and dedicate it to the president. He called it, Teddys Bear, as the story is told. Michtorm mass-produced the toy bears, which were so popular he soon founded the Ideal Toy Company. Today, the teddy bear has worldwide popularity. In honor of Teddys Bears, the Historic Burlington Antiques Emporium sales display case for the month of May will house teddy bears and toy tea sets. The Emporium will also hold the 15th biannual Antiques Show and Garden Market on Sunday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join the Emporium dealers for food, music and antique evaluations by 21st Century Antiques. For Mothers Day, Sunday, May 14, the Emporium will honor the first 25 mothers to visit the shop with a carnation and chocolates. The Emporium is open six days a week, Tuesday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Thursday and Friday until 7 p.m. The Historic Burlington Antiques Emporium is located at 424 High St., Burlington, N.J. To learn more, call 609-747-8333. Happy antiquing!