Little House on the Prairie
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Beyond the Prairie (2000, 2002)
Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder
, two television movies produced by Marcus Cole and aired in 2000 and 2002, presented episodes from the later books in the Little House series (from The Long Winter to The First Four Years).The series starred Richard Thomas as Charles Ingalls; Lindsay Crouse as Caroline Ingalls; Meredith Monroe as Laura Ingalls; Barbara Jane Reams as Mary Ingalls; Haley McCormick as Carrie Ingalls; Walton Goggins as Almanzo Wilder; and Skye McCole Bartusiak as Rose Wilder.
Little House on the Prairie (2005)
Made in 2004 and aired in April 2005, the six-hour (five-episode) miniseries Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie was broadcast on ABC as part of The Wonderful World of Disney anthology series. Unlike the Landon series, the 2005 miniseries stayed fairly close to the spirit of the books Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie. It was released on DVD on March 28, 2006.
The miniseries starred Cameron Bancroft as Charles Ingalls; Erin Cottrell as Caroline Ingalls; Kyle Chavarria as Laura Ingalls; Danielle Chuchran as Mary Ingalls; and Gregory Sporleder as Mr Edwards. It was directed by David L. Cunningham.
- [2005 Miniseries DVD Review], at UltimateDisney.com
Historic sites and museums
The state of Kansas has designated the childhood home of the Ingalls at Independence as a historic site, which is open to visitors. It is the location from which the events of the book Little House on the Prairie take place. It includes a cabin modeled after the original (at the William Kurtis ranch), and the original post office. Much of the surrounding countryside retains its open and undeveloped nature.
De Smet South Dakota attracts many fans with its historic sites from the books By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years. From 1879 to 1894 the Ingalls family lived in De Smet and the family homestead, a house in town built by Charles Ingalls, the Brewster School where Laura taught, and the surveyor's home the family lived in between 1879 and 1880 are open to visitors. Additionally, the bodies of Charles, Caroline, Mary, Carrie and Grace Ingalls, and that of Laura and Almanzo's unnamed infant son are laid to rest in the De Smet Cemetery.
Mansfield, Missouri is the chosen final home town of Laura. It was here, on her farm, that she wrote the "Little House" books. Each year the whole town celebrates with a festival, turning back the clock to the late 1800’s. During the festival the town square becomes a showcase for handmade crafts. There is a big parade, and folk music is played from the gazebo in the park. There is an elaborate musical pageant. Laura, Almanzo and their daughter Rose are all laid to rest in the Mansfield Cemetery.
Walnut Grove, Minnesota may be the most recognized name of all the towns Laura wrote about in her books, (although it is the only town she did not mention by name) because Michael Landon's television series "Little House on the Prairie" of the 1970s and 1980s was located here. Although the show depicts the family as living here through Laura's adulthood, in reality, they only lived here a few years.
In 1874, when Laura was seven years old, the family left their home near Pepin for the second time and settled just outside Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Laura writes of her early years here in On the Banks of Plum Creek. The family lived in a dugout in the creek bank until Pa could build a house. Laura and Mary began school again, and made both friends (the Kennedy children) and enemies (Nellie Oleson).
Pepin, Wisconsin was Laura's birthplace. Her birthplace is seven miles northeast of the village, and is marked by a replica cabin at the Little House wayside (near Lund, Wisconsin). Pepin celebrates her life every September with traditional music, craft demonstrations, a "Laura look-alike" contest, a spelling bee, and other events.
Laura's baby brother, Charles Frederic Ingalls (Freddy), was born in Walnut Grove on November 1, 1875, although Laura did not include this in her books because he only lived for nine months.
Pa had felt that Minnesota would be "the land of milk and honey", but a plague of grasshoppers destroyed the wheat crops two years in a row. Pa was offered a job managing a hotel in Burr Oak, Iowa, and the family moved there in 1876. A year later, the family returned to Walnut Grove.
Laura was nearly 11 years old now, old enough to earn money for the family by babysitting and doing odd jobs. At first, the Ingalls family lived with their friends, the Ensigns. Pa built a house in town, and worked as a storekeeper, butcher, then carpenter.
In the spring of 1879, Mary became very ill. Her illness was followed by a stroke, which resulted in blindness. Soon afterward, Pa's sister Docia came from the Big Woods and offered him a job with the railroad going west. Though Ma wanted to remain in Walnut Grove, Pa felt a better future could be found in Dakota Territory. He accepted Docia's offer gladly. Thus ended the Ingalls' stay in Walnut Grove.
External links
- [Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Walnut Grove, MN]
- [Complete guide to the world of little house on the prairie, and a special guide to pioneer life.]
- [Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society], located in De Smet, South Dakota
- [The Little House archive], bibliography for the series, its spinoffs, and Little House scholarship.
- [Ingalls family info]
- [Little House Encyclopedia], an unofficial fan site.
- [Little House fan page]
- [other Little House fan page]
- [Little House fan page]
- [Little House forum]
- [Little House fan page]
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