Watching a Truck from the Trolley During the Reunion
It’s a Long Distance
This is a quote I just found in an article. It’s talking about the current condition of using AI and the likelihood of what it will be useful for in the near future. I was incredibly taken with the quote below. It’s true about any new technology. It especially makes me think of Thomas Edison and the first practical lightbulb. He invented a light that would work, but then had to invent all the infrastructure to get the light to work in everybody’s home. It took so long that people began to think he’d lied. Today looking back and also think we had light as soon as the practical lightbulb was invented, but that’s not how this works, that’s not how any of this works.
But, let’s not forget that there is a huge gap between writing funny instructions for removing food from home electronics and doing scientific research. In other words, there’s a big difference between being cool and being a tool.
The difference between the two constructors being something cool is a toy, showing off, an experiment where a tool is something that is useful and practical and can be put to work. It’s an important difference to bare in mind.
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford museum is an incredible site for social history. I just love it and even though I’ve only made it once, I hope to go back again. I’ve always been sorry it doesn’t get as much press as Colonial Williamsburg, but as time goes on from when I was a kid you don’t hear nearly as much about Colonial Williamsburg either. (2026 will be the 250th anniversary of 1776 come on people, we were much readier than this for the 200th.)
Henry Ford put together a collection of famous homes and businesses connected with famous people. Mostly people associated with the Midwest and the 19th century, but some other pieces of history from farther afield. I was thinking about it the other day and I thought, “hey, I’d like to see a trip video like people do for Disney for the Henry Ford. I wonder if anyone has done that?” Turns out they have. In fact I’ve watched Randomland for Disney related content before so I was glad when a search brought up a video from a trip he took there. It’s 37 minutes and still only the highlights, but it will give you the basic idea.
Either he didn’t do as much prep for this trip or I don’t know enough about the other places he visits to catch things he misses because he definitely missed stuff here.
That Bubble Top car? That was the car Kennedy was shot it though he mentioned it was Kennedy’s car briefly in passing this is THE car from the assassination.
Did Ford ask for the Presidential Limos back? Yes, that was one of Henry Ford’s plans. The Ford Motor Company provided the White House with cars for free on the condition that they come back to the company to be displayed in Ford’s museum. Ford’s ideas were either brilliant or kind of evil. This was definitely one of the brilliant ones. They only have them up as far as Reagan’s car. After that the secret service didn’t want them on display so the public could see the security features. I saw the thickness of the windows in Reagan’s car and some of the secret hand hold stuff, pretty impressive.
That Wright Model Flyer diorama? That’s a real life size recreation of the famous first flight photograph of the Wright brothers. It was not only famous it was on display right there by it.
The Thomas Edison complex? It wasn’t just built from some remnants. They moved not only buildings, but train car loads of dirt from where they originally stood to make sure they were also standing on the same ground as Edison used them. During Edison’s first tour of the completed recreation he got tired and needed to sit down. They brought him a chair and afterwards Ford had it nailed to the floor what a great story is that?
I also think he missed some major themes that reflected what Ford’s plan was for the village. He was telling a sweeping story starting with his own family and the Firestones and go on from there. (The Firestone company was owned by his in-laws and exclusively provided the tires for Ford cars until a series of blow-outs caused extreme liabilities on Firestone so Ford cut them loose in 2001 ending an almost century long partnership.) It includes where Ford first worked on technology, the lunch wagon he ate at, the original Ford Motor Company (recreation), and the chance to ride a real Model T around the grounds.
Another thread was the story of technology with a heavy emphasis on Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers and the agricultural leader Luther Burbank. He also had a thread on the arts including Robert Frost and Noah Webster. Then there are things that are majorly historic like the Abraham Lincoln things including one of the courthouses were Lincoln practiced law. Then the focus on everyday things like McGuffey’s one-room school.
He did mention the Disney connection, but he didn’t explain how similar the layout of both sites are including the steamboat that used to (and sadly doesn’t anymore) drive around a loop river. They really drove theirs though. We got a double ride because our captain was just being trained and she missed the stop.
There are a couple of more connections to add. Be sure to check out the touring plan podcast episode for the Henry Ford museum. Check out this post from when I talked about the Henry Ford museum and its Laura Ingalls Wilder connection. In this post scroll down to the part about the Mold-a-Rama.
Suwanee River Boat
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
It’s always interesting when things you are interested in cross. I saw a movie review YouTube channel that included a bit with the original Ghostbusters doing a stylized walk/dance through Times Square. I thought – “I never saw that.” I looked it up and apparently it was from the official Ray Parker, Jr. music video for the theme song. I looked it up and here it is.
For reasons I fail to understand part of it were drop in cameos of celebrities (mostly people who had connections to the leads and executive positions within the movie) doing the bust out shouts “GHOSTBUSTERS!” Unfortunately, instead of following the rhythm like anyone who knows the song would do, they just randomly say “Ghostbusters” breaking it in different places and saying it at different speeds. I mean, give them an earpiece and say the rhythm if that’s the only way they can say it correctly.
So ScreenRant that produces the video channel I watched also does a blog and they have a piece spelling out everyone who has a cameo. As I watched it I was kind of shocked because one of the cameos was Melissa Gilbert! Find it on this video about 2:20.
Melissa Gilbert Screen Capture from Ghostbusters Music Video
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
The first thing I’ll say is I love this movie. The second is I don’t want a sequel. I care about these characters and think they could do other things, but I don’t think they could end up in this exact spot again and ending in this exact spot is part of the reason it’s so good. My nephew, having seen many recent Disney movies said, “they could do a sequel. It could be about the mother coming back and she could really be the evil one.” See what you’ve done Disney executives? All the poor woman do was die and you’ve got people suspecting she’s the “evil” one. Do NOT do that! (See note)
Plot – Spoilers Alert!
There is a spooky Haunted Mansion outside of Louisiana. An evil ghost, “a ghost who haunts ghosts,” has something evil happening. The ghosts “follow you home” and haunt you worse and worse until you return to the Haunted Mansion. A “Dream Team” is put together aka people they can afford by the new owner of the Haunted Mansion, her son, a priest who really isn’t one, a scientist who built a camera with the hopes of photographing ghosts, a medium, and an expert on Louisiana houses and hauntings. As we get further into the story we realize that the villain of the piece is the Hatbox Ghost, real name Alistar Crump. (I’m sure named for Rolly Crump.) Crump was turned evil by revenge and started doing black magic to keep himself powerful and young. Master Gracey, the original owner, but not builder of the house, started to do seances when his wife died of yellow fever to try to reach her again. He failed, but his constant seances brought in ghosts from all over the world (almost as if it was a retirement home for ghosts). Finally Crump spent the last 200 years or so gathering souls under his control including each of the owners of the house that he has convinced to kill themselves various ways over the years. He’s now collected 999 ghosts but must collect 1 more that is willing so his power will be complete and he’ll have the ability to take over more than this one house and its land. The writing is great and the acting is great, but my favorite thing about it is that I could see if this movie had been released in the 1960s it could really have inspired the ride we have today. It tracks backward and forward.
Where the Movie “Inspired” the Ride
So one of the things I like best about this movie is its ability to take things in the ride and make it make sense within the story of the movie.
Ghosts like the Hatbox Ghost and Constance Hatchaway and even the opera singer and the mummy from the cemetery scene are shown as characters, some more fully developed than others.
The Hatbox Ghost helps kick off the haunted part of the story by standing in the lane and in a soft voice echoing Little Leota’s voice “Hurry back!”
Once a person steps inside the house they have a ghost follow them home and haunt them with haunting events that get worse and worse until they return to the house. (Hitchhiking ghosts)
One ghost seems to be a take-off on Captain Gore and is a sea captain trying to get back to the sea.
The paintings of the two men shooting a duel from the ballroom are in a hallway and the current owner of the house says sometimes she walks through there and feels a pain on both sides (the ghost bullets).
The Haunted Mansion building is the same as the one in Disneyland except for the conservatory from Orlando’s. The seance room is set under the round glass conservatory roof. Crump’s Mansion that we only briefly shows us the rest of the exterior of the Haunted Mansion in Orlando.
When they are looking for the seance room they are in a hallway with scones fashioned to look like human arms like there are in the Haunted Mansion which they draw attention to as the priest pulls on one thinking it’s a lever to open the door.
In the seance room are 2 chairs. One if the Donald Duck chair from the infinite hallway scene Another is shaped like a Doom Buggy (the ride vehicle) and it does indeed ride the medium along as if it was a Doom Buggy and dumps her outside of the house.
Madame Leota is trapped in her crystal ball and after a brief reprieve is trapped again so she leads seances from inside the ball.
During one astral projection/reverse seance sequence we see the bust truly turning their heads to see what’s coming.
During an effort to get out of the house they are trapped in the stretching room which stretches. They hold onto the gargoyles that also rise up getting them away from all the dangers from the bottom of the paintings that have come to life and then the ceiling changes to what you see when you can see through the scrim except for the body.
When the dimensions are colliding as Crump tries to keep them in the house we see a set of stairs like those going in all directions like in the Orlando house.
He opens a door 2 times both times taking him to the cemetery where we see other ghosts including our 3 hitchhikers.
When Crump sends the ghosts after them at one point you see the floating skulls from the organ and the rotating ghost projections.
There is a ballroom full of characters from the ballroom scene at the Haunted Mansion and in the end they are all dancing to Grim, Grinning Ghosts.
Making the Hatbox’s ghost real name Crump is clearly a tribute to Rolly Crump who worked on the ride. Master Gracey is a fixture character of the Haunted Mansion although people don’t ever seem to understand that the title Master is not in the form of Mister, but is the older usage meaning a child of the house. I think the was a joke because Yale Gracey who also worked on the ride was quite a bit older than Rolly, but nobody gets it.
Also during the astral projection/reverse seance scene a ghost hides in a candle giving the candle a face that then tries to blow itself out to hide from the Hatbox Ghost. Seriously it’s the cutest think ever and I WANT MERCH of it!
Characters
I want to say that they cast this especially well. I didn’t know all the cast, including some that I think they expected me to know, but they were all fantastic. My favorite was the new owner’s little boy, Chase W. Dillon who has major reaction and comedy chops. I can’t wait to see what Dillon does best. But the interactions between the characters spark. They all have character arcs and a problem they have to get through over the course of the movie.
The other characters are:
Ben Matthias who is a widower scientific genius deep in depression who has invented a camera that can take photos of ghosts. He has to learn to deal with his grief over his wife and move on with it through the rest of his life.
Gabbie who is a doctor and a widow. She has come to New Orleans with her son after seeing what she thought was a great buy on an old house to start a bed and breakfast.
Father Kent who presents himself as an exorcist, but really he’s a salesman who dresses up to do phony exorcisms and has to learn to really help people and step up into that shepherd role helping people become what they need to be.
I would say this is the best Disney live action movie in a LONG while. I’d say it rates up there with Mary Poppins (the original), Swiss Family Robinson, The Parent Trap (the original), The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Love Bug (the original), and Blackbeard’s Ghost.
We went to see it in the theater as a family and we’ve watched it at least 8 times since it’s been on Disney+. I hope this movie will become a cult classic because it deserves it. Haven’t watched it yet? I’ll wait.
Note: As far as other Haunted Mansion movies go, the Eddie Murphy movie from 2003 is fine, but is basically more a Eddie Murphy movie than a Haunted Mansion movie. The Muppets Haunted Mansion is, of course, also amazing. There are problems (especially that the main “problem” Gonzo has to deal with was already dealt with in a feature movie – it’s called Muppets from Space), but I think it’s the best Muppet and most Muppet thing Disney has done with the Muppets since the completely perfect (with the song Love is Gone re-added) The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
Old Abe was the inspiration for the Case agricultural/tractor company at Midwest Old Threshers.
What Is Old Threshers?
Midwest Old Threshers Reunion is a very unique event in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. There are other “reunions” where people bring steam traction engines, tractors, and small engines to show them off and have a good excuse to get them out and play with them. However, Mt. Pleasant’s event has a broad array of different events and interests gathered in one place. Besides the machinery listed above there are groups for old cars, old trucks, antiques, horse teams, an active printers hall, demonstration of equipment like a veneer saw, a threshing machine, and cooking down sorghum, an antique restored steam carousel, quilts, antique dolls, button collectors, a big craft show, trains (you can ride in), trolley cars still on their track (you can ride in), a group demonstrating life in the 1840s in the log cabin village fairly seriously and a group demonstrating life in the late 19th century not so seriously (desperadoes who steal candy & dance hall girls who stay fully dressed), a children’s game area including the chance to drive an actual tractor through an obstacle course and pony rides, fair food, big country music shows, and a theater museum mostly devoted to the traveling shows of the mid-19th to early 20th century. Come visit every year on an expanded Labor Day Weekend. This year it’s August 29 – September 2, 2024.
If you’re going to Midwest Old Threshers, take a listen to my touring plan. There are a couple of events on here I couldn’t get firm answers for in 2024. They are italicized.
Events Keep Coming All Year
With all this going on the reunion continues to burst at the seams, but that’s only one week a year. They have a whole bunch of other events through the year. This isn’t their full schedule, but these are the ones I think you might find interesting and ones worth searching for. They don’t have this full list on their flyer or on their website.
One of the departments of the organization is a traveling theater museum. It covers things like tent rep, opera houses, showboats, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin shows.
Learn how to drive a trolley. Call 319-385-8937 if you want to be on the waiting list for 2024.
The Bussey Doll Event:
I don’t think Bussey is going to have an event this year. Their link to the Threshers website is down and their Facebook page was unavailable when they tried.
The event is for doll collectors and those interested in dolls. There are speakers on various topics, everyone gets a gift doll, and there are vendor tables. My post about the year they did a Laura Ingalls Wilder theme is one of my most read.
Every summer they once again put on one of the plays once popular with traveling theaters to give you a taste of late 19th/early 20th century entertainment.
It is specifically geared to people practicing or curious about letterpress printing for letterpress printers, from beginners to professionals. They use the extensive collection of printing equipment gathered in the printing part of Museum B. If you want to know about how they ran the paper in De Smet or how Carrie helped run a newspaper this would be a great event to plan for.
Holiday Events
They also run events every year for Halloween when the Midwest Haunted Rails shows you a ghost of a good time and for Christmas when you can take the North Pole Express to visit Santa Claus.
Trashers House of Terror – October 3-5, 10-12, 17-19, 24-26, 31, 2024
Midwest Central Railroad North Pole Express – December 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, 2024
I hope you come and visit Mt. Pleasant for the best reunion anywhere or any of their other great events.
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
I actually HAD a second video all ready to go at the end of the month, but it was a short and for unknown reasons YouTube has decided it has a problem with me posting shorts right now. So hopefully April will be the month a break the one a month pattern. This is a really good video though. It’s about how you wind a striking clock like the one Laura and Manly had and he wound every week.
Here is the video I posted during March 2024:
1. Winding a Striking Clock Like Laura Ingalls Wilder’s: In the Kitchen With Laura
In this In the Kitchen With Laura we’ll learn how to wind a parlor clock that strikes. For Christmas one year Laura Ingalls Wilder’s husband Almanzo traded a big load of firewood for a parlor clock. Every week for the rest of his life Almanzo wound the clock and its tick-tock filled their homes. Learn what this type of clock looks like, see photos of Laura’s, a bit about how other clocks strike, and how to wind this kind of striking clock correctly and safely.
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
When I post my video diaries I always get comments about my Laura clothes. No, not my period dresses, but my Laura Ingalls Wilder t-shirts that I wear for travel and Laura trips. I thought everyone might enjoy a closer look at them. So enjoy our monthly series where we look at a Laura shirt. Sorry I didn’t get one done for March. I actually had a really great one written and almost ready to post, but then I found out something else about the shirt (it wasn’t this one) so I ended up skipping that one and didn’t have a chance to get another one written up.
Shirt of the Month
Here’s this month’s shirt:
This time my shirt is from Mansfield, Missouri. I don’t do a lot of long-sleeve t-shirts because generally if it’s cold enough to want sleeves, it’s also cold enough to want something a heavier weight than a t-shirt.
This one is my favorite color and you can see the large illustration on the pocket area also has the site’s name and location and a whiteprint of Rocky Ridge from the side-yard. It’s really pretty.
What sold me was the reproduction of Laura’s signature down the arm. I’m not all that big on autographs, but there is something about Laura’s. It’s just so darn pretty. I couldn’t resist.
Can You Get It?
Luckily for you this is from my trip to Mansfield in September 2023 so it’s still available. It isn’t in their online store but call them at (877) 924-7126 to order. Ask for their choice of colors.
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
April is the home of National Library Week and it leads to a lot of Laura programs. This year I have 2 of them.
In the Kitchen with Laura – Historical Society of Marshall County – Marshalltown, Iowa – Tuesday, April 9, 2024 – 6:30pm
A Long Way Home aka General Laura Program – Eldora, Iowa – Tuesday, April 30, 2024 – 10:30am
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
April is unusually busy this month. No homesite events, but we have a production of the musical and 2 cast reunion events as the year of the 50th Anniversary of the TV show rolls on.
Malone, NY
Fiber Arts at Wilder Farm
Every Wednesday starting April 17, 2024 (no end date), 3pm-5pm
2024 CBF Ticket Information -These are only the Little House related events (plus Lesley Ann Warren’s Cinderella because that is awesomesauce – best live action Cinderella ever!) This is the ticketed events list. Non-ticket events haven’t been published yet.
*All Cherry Blossom Festival tickets will go on sale on Presidents Day at 8 AM (CST). This is a list of the ticketed festival events ONLY. A full schedule will be released later as it is finalized.
Click on the following link if you would like to view every ticketed event:
2:30 PM (Marshfield Community Center, 110 Commercial Street): The annual Cherry Blossom Tea; Lesley Ann Warren (Cinderella, Rogers & Hammerstein’s 1965) will be the keynote tea speaker and the tea will be “Cinderella” themed. Admission will be $12 per person and can be ordered online at or by calling 808-345-4975. Hats are highly encouraged for this festival event. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/844108490217?aff=oddtdtcreator
Friday, April 26:
8 AM (Marshfield Assembly of God, 1538 W. Washington): Laura Ingalls Wilder Breakfast- The Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum hosts, “Nellie’s Breakfast”-benefiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Children’s Literature Festival. The program will feature a panel celebrating the 50th anniversary of Little House on the Prairie. Panel participants will include:
Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson)
Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder)
Wendi Lou Lee (Baby Grace Ingalls)
Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle)
Jennifer Donati (Baby Rose Wilder)
David Friedman (Jason Carter)
Patrick Labyorteaux (Andy Garvey)
and other memorable cast members from the classic television show.
Cast Reunions at Non-Homesite Towns of More than 3 Cast Members
The Prairie Days, a 50th LHOTP Cast Anniversary Celebration at Patti’s 1880s Settlement in Grand Rivers, KY will be held April 5 – 7, 2024
Little House on the Prairie Cast Member Meet and Greet ~
Fri., April 5 – Noon-4pm, Sat., April 6th 10am-4pm, Sun., April 7th 1pm-4pm
Located in the Settlement on Ashley’s Back Porch Cost: $12 over 12, $6 under 12 Little House Murder Mystery Dinner Theater ~ Fri., April 5th 6:30pm Cost: $175, Limited to 90 Guests
VIP Breakfast ~ Sun., April 7, 8:30am Cost: $100, Limited to 90 Guests
Stage Coach tickets available on April 6-7. Tickets need to be pre-purchased.
Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson)
Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder)
Pamela Roylance (Sarah Carter)
Jennifer Donati (Baby Rose Wilder)
Wendi Lou Lee (Baby Grace Ingalls)
Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle)
David Friedman (Jason Carter)
Dan McBride (Henry Riley – Customer at Nellie’s restaurant)
Olivia Barash (Sylvia Webb – the rapist clown episode)
Sarah S. Uthoff is a nationally known Laura Ingalls Wilder authority and has presented at five of the Wilder homesites, many times at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, many conferences and numerous libraries, museums, and events around the Midwest. She is the main force behind Trundlebed Tales fighting to bring the History, Mystery, Magic, and Imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other greats of children’s literature and history to life for a new generation. How can you help? Attend one of her programs, schedule one yourself, watch her videos, listen to her podcast, look at her photos, and find her on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
Sarah's Notebook 