**Spoilers Possible** I recently got the chance to see the new 2007 Nancy Drew movie starring Emma Roberts. I came away marveling that they managed to get it made. Unlike the absolute mess of the last attempt in 2002 (which seemed to have as much of a grasp of what people liked about Nancy Drew as the pitiful Dukes of Hazzard movie did about what people liked about that show), this one touched all the bases. I could have done without the subplot where Nancy has to deal with “normal” teenagers in LA, but I was amazed how little Hollywood managed to mess things up.
Nancy is the absolutely brilliant, super nice, supremely compotent, good at everything heroine we’ve always known. The world she lives in seems to be the one from the books with all the rules intact with the addition of cell phones and digital recorders. She makes…
Here are the blog posts and pages that have had the most views last month. Take a look maybe there is something there that will interest you too. (OK I’m doing it a little late this month. Here are the last 30 days starting July 10th.)
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 , Google+, LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
TO: Media Outlets
RE: Plum Creek is Down – WILDER PAGEANT is UP!
DA: Monday, July 9, 2018
FR: William Richards (507-828-6616)
The Wilder Pageant in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, will be ready with added performances Thursday through Saturday on July 12-13-14 and July 19-20-21. Flood damage from the July 3rd downpour forced cancellation of the past weekend’s performances.
FLOOD RELIEF NIGHT $5!: Persons from selected communities that have experienced flood damage will have general admission tickets this Thursday night, July 12th, reduced from $18.00 to $5.00. General admission tickets will be sold to anyone with a driver’s license from Tracy, Balaton, Currie, Walnut Grove, Wabasso, Slayton, Westbrook, Lamberton, Storden, or Jeffers. This is a $13.00 discount. Children with the license holder will get the same discount. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. The story of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family overcoming adversity is also your story.
A FLOOD OF VOLUNTEERS: A tremendous crew of over sixty people worked for hours during the weekend to repair roads, pressure wash mud, and clean sets and costumes. Somethings washed away—and others were damaged beyond repair. By Sunday evening, power was restored, roads graveled, and most equipment and sets were back in operating order. Director Erin Richards said, “The help has been fantastic! The hard work of cleanup has transformed a bleak landscape into an outdoor theater site ready for our many Laura Fans!”
THE WILDER MUSEUM is open and running normal hours. The Family Festival is on track for its Saturday events, including the Laura and Nellie Look-a-Like Contest. The Wilder Dugout site is still inaccessible due to flooding. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant is an outdoor drama depicting the early years of Laura Ingalls and her family, set in the backdrop of the town of Walnut Grove, Minnesota, on the banks of Plum Creek.
GO FUND ME: A crowd funding site plans to be operational by Wednesday to help defray costs from storm damage. The Wilder Pageant has incurred a number of expenses for site electrical repair, sound equipment, damaged costuming and props, lots of gravel for road and site, repair of special effects, and the loss of our first two performances due to flood damage. The costume and dressing rooms are in need of repair and possible replacement. The Wilder Pageant Committee Go Fund Me site will accept donations at: http://www.gofundme.com/wilder-pageant-committee
WILDER PAGEANT FLOOD RELIEF NIGHT $5!: Persons from selected communities that have experienced flood damage will have general admission tickets this Thursday night, July 12th, reduced from $18.00 to $5.00. General admission tickets will be sold to anyone with a driver’s license from Tracy, Balaton, Currie, Walnut Grove, Wabasso, Slayton, Westbrook, Lamberton, Storden, or Jeffers. This is a $13.00 discount. Children with the license holder will get the same discount. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. The story of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family overcoming adversity is also your story.
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 , Google+, LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
July is always a big month for events. In addition to the regular events there is a new Event in Keystone, Ingalls Christmas in July. I hope you have a Laura trip planned for this month.
Family Festival held in Walnut Grove City Park on pageant Saturdays July 6, July 13, and July 20, 2018
11:00 am to 6:00 pm Check the Walnut Grove website for full schedule and more details as it gets closer. At this point, no speakers or celebrity appearances
are scheduled.
NOTE: July 11-14, 2019 they will have a Little House on the Prairie TV show cast reunion. They are still under negotiation so no cast list or firm date has yet been announced yet. Watch for more information. Check out my podcasts about my trip to the 2014 Walnut Grove Reunion.
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 , Google+, LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
Footbridge at Dugout Site Surrounded by Flood Water
TO: All Media Outlets [ For Immediate Release]
FR: William Richards (507-828-6616) Media
DA: July 5, 2018
RE: Wilder Pageant Rebuilding after Big Flood on the Prairie
On July 3rd, nine inches of rain and over three feet of churning Plum Creek swept parts of the set and staging away at the Wilder Pageant site forcing cancellation of this weekends performances. The water is receding leaving mud and holes. Pageant cast and crew have been quick to repair and restore road access and electrical and other services to allow for cleaning and repair.
The Wilder Pageant production, “Fragments of A Dream” about the early life of Laura Ingalls Wilder in Walnut Grove, will add Thursday performances to the next two weeks schedules to provide opportunity for people who were unable to see shows this weekend. The Family Festival will be on for the next two Saturdays and Pageant suppers will be offered on all pageant dates.
Plum Creek Flood Waters Receding
Volunteers have been cleaning, washing, rebuilding and checking out all sound and light systems to get the show back on track for the next six performances. Roads in the area have been flooded so it is best to check on which roads to use to get to Walnut Grove and the pageant site. The Wilder Museum is in full operation but the Laura Ingalls Wilder Dugout site is not available due to significant water damage to the road. Contact either the Wilder Pageant (888-859-3102) or Wilder Museum (888-528-7298) in Walnut Grove or access the web site at http://walnutgrove.org/index.html
Costumes in Storage Trailer
From Erin Richards, director of the Wilder Pageant: “The waters have receded and the land is drying up. It is now time for clean-up. The pageant committee has set clean up times as follows: Friday, 5:00-9:00 p.m; Saturday, 1:00-5:00 p.m.; and Monday, 5:00-9:00 p.m. We will be setting chairs at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. It is still muddy and very dirty out there so closed toe shoes or boots are a must, boots are best. We have gloves available for your use. Gravel has been put down but be careful where you park. Masks are also recommended as some areas are very ‘fragrant’ with mold and mildew. If you bring young children, you need to watch them at all times as we don’t know what’s been left over from the flood such as objects or contamination. Thanks for all continued support! You are all wonderful.”
Road Washed out on way to Pageant Grounds – Photo by Nancy Amsden
I reported yesterday that the pageant was cancelled for this weekend since the pageant grounds are flooded. They are still waiting to see what’s going on after the water goes down, but hopefully they’ll still get something worked out for the following two weekends. That’s their current plan anyway. If you have tickets definitely call first and check road closures for the surrounding areas.
Flood Waters Surround Building at End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum – Photo courtesy of Jakob Etrheim
There are other museums in the area also under flood danger.
Wheels Across the Prairie
Wheels Across the Prairie Museum is located in Tracy, Minnesota – the next town down the line from Walnut Grove. This is where Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie, and Grace waited for Pa to pick them up at the end of the line of the railroad. The museum has the original depot including the bench they would have waited on. They also have the Laura collection of Marcy Schramm that’s in the main building which is safe from the flood so far. Schramm’s father was one of the founders of the museum.
According to Jon Wendorff, Wheels’s director, water has overtaken the “blacksmith shop, general store, cottage, one-room school house and our new building.” They are closed until Saturday, possibly longer. Wendorff says, “pray for the rain to stop all across the state.”
End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum – Buildings Surrounded by Water – Photo courtesy of Jakob Etrheim
End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum
End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum is about a county south of Walnut Grove in Currie, MN. I must admit I’ve only driven past although it’s been on my agenda to stop for awhile. Funny thing I always seem to be leaving Walnut Grove heading West…. 🙂
It’s a historic village/railroad museum and it has one of the end of the line turn arounds like Laura describes in Tracy in By the Shores of Silver Lake. I’ve seen one before, but if you haven’t – and even if you have – it’s worth a stop if it fits into your schedule.
Like Walnut Grove and Tracy, Currie has been under flood conditions. The main road east of town is shut down at the bridge.
According to Jakob Etrheim the water hasn’t made it into their buildings yet. “So far so good. Water is up to the buildings but not in yet. But the crest hasn’t come yet either.”
Cedar Rapids Flood
As I said in my intial report, we’re experienced in flooding. Ushers Ferry Historic Village where I used to work was majorly effected in both 2008 and 2016. There is a lot to flood recovery. It’s not just waiting for the water to go down.
Send all these museums and organizations and good thoughts and maybe consider how much you could send to help keep our southwestern Minnesota Laura sites up and running once they get that far. I’ll do my best to keep you updated.
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 , Google+, LinkedIn , SlideShare, and Academia.edu . Professionally she is a reference librarian at Kirkwood Community College and former director of the Oxford (Iowa) Public Library.
**Spoilers Possible** I recently got the chance to see the new 2007 Nancy Drew movie starring Emma Roberts. I came away marveling that they managed to get it made. Unlike the absolute mess of the last attempt in 2002 (which seemed to have as much of a grasp of what people liked about Nancy Drew as the pitiful Dukes of Hazzard movie did about what people liked about that show), this one touched all the bases. I could have done without the subplot where Nancy has to deal with “normal” teenagers in LA, but I was amazed how little Hollywood managed to mess things up.
