Trek to the Stars:

Last Updated: April 12, 1998

• Where did Albert come from? In the Little House books there never was an Albert. And why does he look like Michael Landon, only a lot younger?
  Contributed by Catherine, June 30, 1997.

• First of all, we all know that the show had alot of things added that were never in the book. But if you research history on Laura Ingalls Wilder, you know that some things in her books were changed to capture the interest in children (i.e. Nellie's last name in real life was not Oleson.) Furthermore, Mary never got married in real life, never had a baby, and never taught at a blind school, though she did attend and live at one for a short time. Also, the family in real life only lived near Walnut Grove for a short time. They moved around alot, until finally settling in DeSmet, South Dakota.
  Contributed by Kenneth, July 9, 1997.

• The first names of the twins that play Carrie, are not Lindsay and Sidney. Those are their middle names. Their first names are Rachel and Robin. I'm not sure which first names go with which middle name though.
  Contributed by HYPER, July 1, 1997. (Original Nitpick for The Godsister)
  Correction: According to one book that included information about Little House on the Prairie and many other popular television shows the twins that played Carrie were Rachel Lindsay and Sidney Robin Greenbush.
  Correction by Jennifer R, July 7, 1997.
  Additional: This is in addition to the comments on the Greenbush twins' names. Alison Arngrim told me that the reason that they used Lindsay and Sidney, instead of Rachel and Robin, for the show, is that their mother felt that if they were out in public and people starting looking at them and whispering "Isn't that Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush?", all she would have to do is say "Rachel, Robin, come here" or something, and people would just think "Oh, that must not be them." That way the little girls wouldn't get mobbed.
  Additional by Rachel L, July 27, 1997.

• How are the actors that play Albert & Andy related, if at all?
  Asked by Amy, July 12, 1997.
  ANSWER: The actors, Matthew (Albert) and Patrick (Andy) Laborteaux are brothers in real life,  but they were both adopted.  You can catch Pat now on the TV show JAG.
  Answered by Kenneth P, Rhonda C, & Rachel L, July 26, 1997.

• I am a swiss journalist (who is working for a swiss Tvmagazine called TVGUIDE) in french speaking Switzerland. I am desesperately looking for informations about Katherine McGregor (who played Harriet Oleson in Little House...). Do you know if she's still alive? Do you know where I can contact her for a phone interview? And did you read something about her recently?
  Asked by Pascal P, July 30, 1997.
• ANSWER: I heard that she lives right down the street from Alison Arngrim (Nellie Olson) in LA. She also is said to teach drama.
  Answered by Rroon, September 17, 1997.
• ANSWER: Katherine MacGregor lives in California I believe where she has now retired and is a great believer in Eastern philosophy and religion. She left the show because she had cancer and I believe somewhere I read that this was how she became so involved with the Eastern faith because it helped her during the time she had cancer. I believe that she just recently got married to the leader of her church.
  Answered by Mark R, November 15, 1997.
• ANSWER:  I read an article about Katherine McGregor sometime this year and YES, she is still alive. She is 76 years old, and she lives somewhere in the States. The article was from People's magazine, or National Enquirer, I think... I don't remember exactly.. it was a while back. She is a big spiritualist... she believes in meditation and natural healing etc.... Apparently, after Little house on the prarie was off the air, she never acted since. Too bad...
  Answered by Park, November 15, 1997.

• Did you ever notice that when Laura got her first teaching job (2 weeks before she turned 16) that as soon as she put on her "grown-up" dress, she all of a sudden has breasts!!! Just goes to prove that Melissa Gilbert had to bound her chest up when she played Laura still in braids. Also, it's interesting to note that as soon as Laura and Almonzo are married, Laura grows about 4 or 5 inches!!! It's true! Before she and Almonzo get together, she is very short when next to him. But after they are together and Laura is no wearing her pigtails and pinafores, she is much taller! Guess they wanted to make her look more adult and not so childish. Wonder how tall her heels were that she had to wear??!!
  Contributed by Paige, August 5, 1997.

• This is not a suggestion, rather it is a queston. Can you get any picture(s) of Kevin Hagen,( Doc. Baker)?? I would be most appreciative if yo uwould even tell me where if you don't have them. Thankyou. A very grateful and loyal fan LHOP.
  Asked by Mort, August 22, 1997.
  Answer: I still don't have any pictures of my own, but you can find pictures of Dr. Baker and many more at the The Ultimate Little House on the Prairie Image Archive.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, October 31, 1997.

• I have a piece of info. for the folks that were complaining about not knowing the names of the twins of Nellie Oleson Dalton and Percival they are Jennifer(Jenny)Oleson Dalton Cohen and their boy is Benjamin (Benny)Oleson Dalton Cohen. Adam and Mary Kendall's baby boy that was killed in the fire at the blind school was Adam Charles Holbrook Kendall Jr. I hope this helps clear up a few things for you.
  Contributed by Scooter, August 29, 1997.

• I'm a big fan of Figure Skating, and in my BLADES ON ICE skating magazine this month, it says that one of my favorite skaters, a former national champion named Christopher Bowman, did some acting on LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. I would LOVE to find out what episode(s) he was in and what part(s) he played. He's about 30 years old now so that gives you an idea as to his age when the series was on.
  Asked by Wendy E, September 4, 1997.
• Christopher Bowman played the recurring blind student, George, at the blind school where Mary and Adam worked. He is first seen in "Blind Journey" in which the school moved with the help of Charles and Joe Kagan, from Winoka to Walnut Grove. However, I have also been told that he played the little boy in "Blind Man's Bluff" who pretended he was blind to keep his parents from getting a divorce.
  Thanks to John M, Jennifer Slegg, Jan D, and Amy H. April 12, 1998.

• Does anyone else out there think that the way Carrie is portrayed on Little House, it's almost as if she's retarded!! She acts WAY too young for how old she is supposed to be. I also get the impression that Carrie doesn't age as fast as everyone else on the show. Technically, she's only 3 years younger than Laura, but they keep her MUCH younger on the show. And the way Carrie acts..........Kind of like Cindy Brady acted on Brady Bunch. Cute, but stupid, almost retarded in a way!!
  Contributed by Paige, September 5, 1997.
• Additional:  This is another nitpick about how Carrie is portrayed. I'm reading all of the books now, and in the books she's much more important to Laura and more of a companion, especially after Mary leaves for the blind college. She's not too much younger, either, contrary to her age on TV. And while in the book she's somewhat frail and sickly, it's always bothered me, too that she's portrayed on TV as retarded or something!
  Additional by Cyndi, January 3, 1998.

• Where is Grace when Ma is working at the restaurant? Where is Grace when Ma is visiting people, or at the store, or in town? Isn't Grace a little too young to be at home by herself?? When Ma first started working at the restaurant, she took Grace with her. But we don't see Grace there anymore. So who takes care of her during the day? Albert and Carrie are in school, and Pa is at the Mill. Also, even though a lot of time passes during the 7th and 8th seasons, (more than just 1-2 years), Grace never gets any older. She's still around 18 months-2 years old. Gee, must be nice to not age as fast as the rest of the population!!
  Contributed by Paige, September 5, 1997.

• Everytime I see Mr. Edwards, he is wearing the same clothes. Doesn't he have more than one shirt in all those years? Okay, in the baseball episode he's wearing that red flannel shirt AGAIN but when they go to church he is wearing a suit, is this the only time he where's it?
  Contributed by Frank L, September 15, 1997.

• I was also wondering if Willy and Laura are related in real life or did they just have the same last name (Gilbert)?
  Contributed by Frank L, September 15, 1997.
• ANSWER:  YES! Melissa Gilbert (Laura) and Johnathon Gilbert (Willie) are real life brother and sister. Their younger sister, Sara Gilbert is also an actor and plays Darlene on Roseanne.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, December 19, 1997.

Who played Dr. LeDoux? Asked by Scooter, October 2, 1997. Answer:  Donald James Marshall played Dr. LeDoux Answered by Jennifer Slegg, December 17, 1997. In the episode "Welcome to Olesonville" who played the part of Lem McCarey (Lew Ayres?)? Asked by George W, November 7, 1997. Answer:  Lew Ayres played as Lem McCary on the episode "Welcome to Olesonville" Thanks to Cindy, Bob D, and Jennifer Slegg for contributing, April 12, 1998. Please send your reponces to these question to Re: LH Actors via trek2stars@oocities.com.

• Having read all of the Little House books and upon being close with my younger sister, I think it was not fair that Carrie and Grace did not get fairly depicted throughout most of the series. They were not present in the last episode, and they were cast aside for Albert and others such as Willie Oleson. Even James and Cassandra recieved more air time and had much more character development. I don't know why the real sisters were dropped. The producers had real material to work with such as Ms. Wilder's treatment of Carrie...that could have caused some friction between Laura and Almanzo. I would not be very nice to someone whose sister was mean to my little sister. Is there some reason why these two, especially Carrie, who was present from the first episode and then disappeared as the years went on, were virtually ignored and forgotten? Carrie has about two or three major storylines in about eight years' worth of acting. Why is this? Were the little twins not that good of actors and the producers just chose not to develop the character of Carrie? I point this out because Albert, Willie, and even James and Cassandra were in more stories. And in the later years, Jenny is the same age that Carrie and Cassandra would have been. Why didn't the writers just include real people and have Carrie and Grace's lives continued?
  Contributed by Kathy, November 4, 1997.
• Additional:  I am so relieved that I am not the only person who thought introducing Cassandra and James was not only unneccesarry but an injustice to the character of Carrie. Carrie is a true Ingalls and was on the show from the start. Before the Cooper kids were brought on she had an occasional line or two in each episode, but after the terrible twosome showed up she not only rarely to never spoke she had barely any on-camera time. The only episodes focusing on Carrie that I can recall are when she falls down the mine shaft and has a fantasy episode in which both Greenbush twins were featured.
  Contributed by Robyn R, January 16, 1998.
• Additional:   I also have been curious about the way Carrie was portrayed. She was there but rarely had any lines in the later seasons. I wondered what the reason behind this was. There were two actresses to portray Carrie, I thought it was odd that neither were used much. Did Michael Landon not get along well with the actresses or their parents?
  Contributed by Jennifer M, January 16, 1998.

• I never knew that Albert died I just thought that he had a drug problem. I thought that Charles helped him get over it. Is this true? If it isn't what episode does it say that he did die? And didn't James almost die after he was shot by a bank robber?
  Contributed by Vicki B, November 12, 1997.
• ANSWER: This is one of the most puzzling nitpicks:  did Albert die? According to most of the people who have contributed nitpicks, YES. Laura must have made a mistake at the end of "Home Again" when she comments that Albert recovers from his drug problem and went on to medical school. Albert apparently dies at the end of "Look Back to Yesterday," but this is again one of our favourite nitpicks because the writers never said for sure if he did die. See these two episodes for further details and nitpicks. As for James, he was shot in "He was Only Twelve," and then God healed him.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, December 19, 1997.
• ALTERNATIVE:  Let's settle the issue once and for all on Albert Quinn Ingalls. Albert never died. There are still many, many people who believe Albert Quinn Ingalls died at the end of "Look Back To Yesterday". This, of course, is not true. It is very, very clear from watching the final scene of this episode many, many times that Albert is still living at the end of the story. True, the disease he has is potentially fatal, but his death is never deplicted or mentioned in any previous or subsequent "Little House" episode. I do not know why so many people came up with the belief that Albert died. If he had indeed passed away, then everything Laura said at the end of the episode "Home Again" would be proven FALSE, in which case Albert would never have sought his Masters degree and he would never have returned home to Walnut Grove as DR. Albert Ingalls. What the screenwriters had in mind does not matter, just as long as the fact remains visually clear Albert lives.
  Contributed by Hiphats, December 24, 1997.
• ALTERNATIVE:  In response to the debate over whether Albert Ingalls lives or dies, the answer is just a mystery, although I would have to lean toward him dying. At the end of "Home Again", Laura states that Albert Ingalls returns to Walnut Grove as Dr. Albert Ingalls. But, since the town was blown up in "The Last Farewell" shortly thereafter (reason for the short period of time due to Rose's age..fact is she didn't age), how could Albert return to a town that was destroyed?
  Contributed by Tim R, December 26, 1997.

• In the later Little House On The Prairies, James and Cassandra orphaned brother and sister were adopted by the Ingles family. Why then did they seem to disappear on the returning specials of Little House?
  Asked by Chris from Kentucky, December 6, 1997.
• ADDITIONAL: My guess as to why they were not included is the same reason that Carrie and Grace (the Ingles real children) do not appear in these same specials. As to why they are not included, I do not know.
  Contributed by Alex Trenta, December 19, 1997.

• When I watched the movie "Rocky Horror Picture Show", the actor who plays Rocky looks exactly like Almonzo Wilder! Could this be the same person?
  Asked by Nancy K, December 12, 1997.
• ANSWER: Peter Hinwood played Rocky. Dean Butler played Almanzo. Yes, they DO look alike though! (It must be a seventies thing...)
  Contributed by Rebecca, December 21, 1997.

• How come Laura's teeth were so crooked when she was young, but by the time she married Almanzo they were nice and straight? I don't recall her wearing braces...
  Contributed by Rebecca, December 15, 1997.
• Answer:  In response to whoever was curious about Melissa Gilbert's teeth going so straight without braces, I HEARD (remember I said HEARD, I do NOT know this to be true) that she wore braces on the backside of her teeth.
  Answered by Robyn R, January 16, 1998.
• Answer:  Melissa Gilbert probably wore braces during the hiatus of the show, or she had them placed on the backs of her teeth (the same way I believe Steve Sax of the Dodgers did).
  Answered by Mergena H, January 31, 1998.

• This isn't a nitpick or anything, I just want to know what's up with Willie (Jonathon Gilbert). He was soo cute. Also, how can we find out the cast's ages and what they've been up to lately? Oh, one more thing, My family and I went to Disneyworld August of 1992. The Guest was Melissa Gilbert. Well, my mom wanted to get her autograph very badly but my younger sister was hurt so she couldn't. She tried to write her but you know how that goes. My mom always thought I looked like her when she was younger. I had braids too. By the way, the show is NOTHING like the book. But it's Hollywood and besides the show would have been a little boring.
  Contributed by Mitzpieler the Mad, December 17, 1997.
  Send your reponces for the cast ages and their where they are now to Re: LH Cast Ages via trek2stars@oocities.com.

• This has just bothered me for soooo long, and now I can vent! In the episode where Charles and Caroline talk about how they first met, the actor playing young Charles is Matthew Laborteaux. It just bugs me to no end that they casted the same kid who was eventually cast to play Charles' adopted son, who would logically not be such a carbon copy. AHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhh I feel sooo much better now!
  Contributed by Christian B, December 22, 1997.

• I have always wondered what kind of Emmy Awards and Emmy nominations the cast and show has recieved. I have searched for teh Emmy's previously and looked in books, but they only show winners and not a list of nominees for the year. I have been curious for some time whether the actors were nominated for Emmy's (especially Melissa Sue Anderson for "May We Make Them Proud").
  Contributed by Tim R, December 28, 1998.

• I think it's a little odd that the ONLY thing that Charles and Caroline EVER did in the bed was eat popcorn and read the Bible.
  Contributed by Jennifer M, January 13, 1998.
• Can you blame them? With Carrie only a few feet away and no door between?
  Contributed by Alex Trenta, April 12, 1998.

• In one episode (The Nephews), Laura and Almonzo are visited by Almonzo's brother, Royal. During this episode, Royal and his wife left their two boys (who are incredible brats) with Almonzo and Laura while they went on a vacation together, without their two boys. However, episodes later (Times are Changing), we are reintroduced to Royal. This time, there is no wife and no boys, just Jenny, his daughter. Royal, in that episode, dies and leaves Jenny with Almonzo and Laura. What happened to Royal's wife and two boys? There is no mention of them. Did I miss something?
  Contributed by Roccy G, January 16, 1998.

• Why is it that Nellie appears to have an array of expensive dresses but Willie wears the exact same outfit in every episode of the first few seasons? After all, the Oleson family is supposedly wealthy.
  Contributed by Jan D, January 30, 1998.

• Anyone else notice that the only time Mary wore her hair in braids was when she and Laura dove into the lake to save the puppies from being drown? Mary in real life always had her hair in braids and her bonnet on!
  Contributed by Mergena H, January 31, 1998.

• Have you ever noticed that in every episode of little house someone always cries, always! I have watched every episode trying to disprove it but its true, someone is always bawling their eyes out!
  Contributed by Amanda, February 17, 1998.

• What has become of Kevin Hagen, the actor who portayed Dr. Baker? I always liked him, and wondered if he is still working.
  Asked by Lizabeth S-B, February 25, 1998.
• Answer:  I am not totally sure what has happened to Kevin Hagen, but you can find more information about by checking out his officiall webpage at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/tvnfilm/kevinhag.htm.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, April 11, 1998.

• Since everyone's been dissin' poor Albert...where oh where is ole Matt Laborteaux? After "Little House" he was on "The Whiz Kids"; then he made that ghastly movie "Deadly Friend", and then all of a sudden the man vanished. Is the guy still acting or has he chosen another profession? Hopefully he's not flippin' burgers at Mickey D's!!
  Contributed by Sophon T, March 6, 1998.

• I recall at least one medical opinion postulating mary's going blind was caused by/contributed to by inadaquate reading light. Is that not true?
  Asked by John A, March 12, 1998.
• Mary went blind because she contracted scarlet fever when she was young, and is mentioned in the fourth season episode, "I'll be Waving as you Drive By". This fever destroyed her corona and this is why she gradually became blind. Though I admit, reading in that poor light must not have helped.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, March 16, 1998.

• Help! I know that Harriet was engaged to Russell Harmon. I don't remember the actor's name right at the moment, but non the less, I thought that that actor was the tax collector on Centenial. Also what is the relationship between Dan Blocker of Bonanza to Dirk Blocker of School Mom (Able Makay)? Also if you'd set me straight on one last thing. I know that Ike Eisenmann (SP?) was the son on "Centenial", was he not the son in "Harriet's Happenings" with an entirely different family?
  Asked by Diana, March 27, 1998.
• Answer:  The only question I can answer is YES, Ike Eisenmann played two different sons of two different families, though he played two similar characters: A son who is from a non-American Family who does really well in school, and Hariet Olseon has a problem with it.
  Contributed by Alex Trenta, March 28, 1998.

• I was wondering if anyone knew what became of Mrs. Olson. I know she started out on Little House: A New Beginning, but she wasn't in the show finale, and I thought I saw an episode once a long time ago where she left Nells and they got a divorce. Am I right?
  Asked by Jamie T, April 3, 1998.
• Answer:  Katherine MacGregor (Mrs. Oleson) developed cancer during the final season of Little House, and was not able to do the final episodes for obvious reasons. Since then, she has recovered and now works as a retired drama teacher and maried the relgious leader who helped her through this tough ordeal. I believe she now lives a couple of blocks from Alison Angrim (Nellie) and remains good friends with all of the former cast members, though she did not do any TV or film acting since Little House. In order to cover Katherine MacGregor's absence, Nells reported that Harriet was visiting her mother in "Look Back to Yesterday" and they alluded to Mrs. Oleson being really sick and in the hospital in "The Last Farewell".
  Answered by Alex Trenta, April 5, 1998.

• Has anyone heard any kind or rumor that Michael Landon and Karen Grassle were involved in real life when they first started filming LHOTP? I've heard that for as long as I can remember. I even remember hearing they were close to getting married. And yes, I know Michael Landon was married at the time.
  Contributed by Jamie T, April 3, 1998.

Add your Cast and Character Nitpick or Question!

• I'm an agricultural writer in Minnesota. Recently I interviewed a family that had started a new country farm store. They named their store Farm Merchantile. When I pointed out that Mercantile is the correct spelling, they said they got this spelling from "Little House on the Prairie." Is it true that the general store was spelled incorrectly?
  Contributed by Andrea J, June 23, 1997.
  ANSWER: After numerous reponses to this question, we have concluded that Mercantile was spelled correcly in the Little House on the Prairie. However, many have also pointed that I [Alex Trenta] have spelled "Olsen" wrong! The correct spelling is "Oleson". I hope that I now have the correct spelling throughout the Guild.
  Thanks to all who contributed: Vince G (writer of several episodes), Jennifer R. July 5, 1997.

• "Bonanza" composer David Rose lent his musical skills to nearly every episode of "Little House". But, if you have a good ear for music, you'll find some episodes (especially those in the seventh and ninth seasons) use tracked (or re-used) music from earlier stories. You'll find some of these examples in the individual episode entries I have contributed. Incidentally, the seventh season probably has the most tracked music. At the time of its original broadcast, there was a Union strike involving actors, technical crew, musicians, etc. As a result, many TV series (like "Dallas") used "canned" music. The producers of "Little House" refused to resort to this measure, so they simply re-used music from the "Little House" music library so that David Rose would still be credited as composer.
  Contributed by Hiphats, July 1, 1997.

• I wonder if ANYONE affiliated with the production of Little House on the Prairie has actually been to Minnesota. If so, they would know that there are no mountains in southern Minnesota, where Walnut Grove is supposed to be located. You can see the fictional mountains frequently, especially in the episode where Laura runs away after feeling responsible for her baby brother's death. In reality, that part of the state is gently rolling farm land.
  Contributed by Karen B, July 23, 1997.
  ANSWER: I know that Karen Grassle, Alison Arngrim, Melissa Sue Anderson and Katherine MacGregor all have visited Walnut Grove for special events. There are probably more, but those are all that I can think of aff the top of my head. The Walnut Grove site also has stuff on display from cast members and the show. You can find out more information at http://www.vvv.com/~jenslegg/walnut.htm The real Walnut Grove is much different than the one depicted on the show!
  Answered by Jennifer Slegg, July 26, 1997.
  ANSWER: In response to Karen B. about the mountains of MN, when I visited Walnut Grove in 1994, I talked to a man who claimed to be "the first person from Walnut Grove to ever met Michael Landon". He told me that he really got on Mr. Landon for that slip up in his show!
  Answered by Rachel L, July 27, 1997.
  ANSWER: Of course you're quite right about that problem with the mountains. During the filming of the show, many of the cast members that had grown up in parts of the country other than California uased to laugh about how Laura would have to have run across three states to climb that mountain.
  Answered by Alison Arngrim (Yeah, It's Nellie), August 28, 1997.

• I'm not sure if this is a nitpick, but I was told from somebody that in one of the episodes, you can see a trail of smoke from a plane in the sky. Is this true? And if so, do you know which episode?
  Contributed by Gabbie T, July 26, 1997.
• Answer:  I'm sure you're thinking of the episode "Meet Me At the Fair." In this episode you can see a trail of tire tracks in the dirt cause by the camera crue following a hot air balloon. (Look for the trail a the bottom right side of the tv sceen.)
  Answered by Bob D, January 2, 1998.

• I always thought it was a blooper that the ending credits show Laura running down a grassy hill and at one point she spreads her arms out like an airplane for a few steps. Kids in our time are prone to do this since they have seen airplanes, but in her time they would be emulating birds and would be more likely to flap their arms in emulation of them, not hold them out stiff as though they are an airplane.
  Contributed by Shadoww, July 27, 1997.

• COMMENT:  If you have ever seen a hawk in flight it spends much (most) of its time gliding, looking much like a plane. We also think that flinging out your arms is a natural balance reaction that children do long before they are conscious of planes or hawks.
  Contributed by Colin and Natalie, November 8, 1997.

• I'm not sure if this is a nitpick, but does anybody notice that in some episodes (im not quite sure which ones though) that their mouth is moving faster then they talk or the lips are moving as if there saying something else then what we are hearing. Correct me if im wrong, but im sure you can tell that they are lip reading in some episodes.
  Contributed by Gabbie T, July 27, 1997.

The one tidbit of information I haven't found anywhere on the web is the actual location where the series was filmed. I'd also like to know, did they REALLY blow up the set during the filming of the final episode? I'm assuming they did, and that this is also part of the reason they haven't filmed a reunion (aside from the "inconvenience" of Michael Landon's death). Asked by Steve C, August 13, 1997. Well, after leaving this question posted for several months, I have received many responces and they are posted below. Thanks to all those who contributed. -Alex Trenta, December 19, 1997. Yes, they did blow up the town for real. Reason being that they had to leave the property they filmed Little House on the exact way they found it when they started. I believe it may have been in a contract. So, they incorporated it into storyline for the final episode. Too bad. It could have been an interesting tourist place. Answered by Lisa, October 9, 1997. The set for Little House was in the hills north of Simi Valley, in Ventura County, California, about an hour northwest of Hollywood. I remember hearing at the time that it was indeed blown up at the end of the filming. (We grew up in Simi.) Answered by Robert W, October 23, 1997. The reason the sets were blown up, (and they really were), is because supposedly Michael Landon was against cancelling the show and din't want the sets to be used for anything else. I learned this when that episode was aired, and it was written in something like TV Guide. Answered by Agent #08, October 27, 1997. I heard that the reason they blew up the town at the end of the last episode was b/c it was in the contract. they were alloud to use the land if they returned it to its original state after they were done using it. since they had to desroy it anyways, they just fit it into the script. i thought it was a pretty neat way to end it reguardless. Answered by Heather F, November 2, 1997. I do know that the location of the blind school (I think it was in Sleepy Eye) was filmed in Old Tucson AZ. If you watch some old episodes of Bonanza you will notice that the buildings are the same. The spinoff of LHOTP, (Father Murphy with Merlin Oleson) was filmed in Old Tucson also. I went there when I was younger during the filming of this series, and a trip to this movie set in Tucson AZ can give you some interesting info on various westerns that were filmed there. As to the location of Walnut Grove, it sure looks like parts of California. Answered by John V, November 16, 1997. Hi! They actually did blow up the little house set. Michael Landon didn't want anyone else to use it. :) Answered by Jenna P, November 30, 1997. The following buildings were not blown up in The Last Farewell (according to someone who worked on the show):  The Ingalls/Carter Home; The Ingalls/Carter Barn; The Church/Schoolhouse. A cast member owns the Ingalls house, and the other buildings are still standing on the land. Contributed by Jennifer Slegg, December 24, 1997. The original home of the Ingalls family is STILL THERE! It has been preserved. Walnut Grove, Minnesota does a nice program about the Ingalls family each year. One year the actress who portrayed Harriet Oleson was present! I reccomend a visit to everyone who can make the journey. Contributed by Shorty, February 14, 1998.

• Why is it that the weather is always sunny and warm in most of the episodes throughout the series? Didn't the seasons ever change there? It always seemed to be Spring or Summer, and they hardly ever wore warm coats and boots. The only time it was wintery and cold or rainy and stormy was when the theme and mood of the storyline required "bad weather", like the somber episode when everyone contracts Anthrax. Of course a Christmas episode would require snow. I am sure that part of the country saw its large share of bad weather, yet Walnut Grove always had decent weather.
  Contributed by Lou, August 15, 1997.
• The producers really paid no heed to the fact that Minnesota has extremely long, cold winters with lots of snow. Realistically speaking the Ingalls should have been snowed in most of the time. It was only cold and snowy when it was it was necessary for the plot-- highly unrealistic. As much as I love the show, this always drove me crazy. The weather was always far too agreeable in Walnut Grove.
  Contributed by Carrie T, November 5, 1997.
• I'm from South Dakota. The Ingalls mostly lived in DeSmet. Every year they put on little plays from the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder. It's really neat. You should all come and see. Winters in the Midwest can be ferocious so they had to have some bad weather on the show. Trust me.
  Contributed by Mitzpieler the Mad, December 17, 1997.

• Has anyone ever noticed that the background noise outside of the school throughout the series is the same? Lots of children playing can be heard and through that a girl's voice says, "Nellie!" This same track is used up to the last season, and I'm pretty sure that I've heard it on other NBC shows of the period, whenever child crowd noise was needed! Has anyone else noticed this?
  Contributed by Margaret, September 27, 1997.
• Additional:  Whenever you hear kids playing out in the playground, they used the same background sounds. You can hear Laura saying "Nellie!" even after Nellie has moved away and Laura is grownup! :)
  Additional by Jenna P, November 29, 1997.
• Addtional:  For the comment on the same crowd noise being used, containting that one girl saying "Nellie!" She also says, "Noam, catch up!", usually right after saying "Nellie!" I've heard this track in movies from the 1960s, and I'm pretty sure I've heard it on "Highway to Heaven".
  Additional by Eddie D, January 12, 1998.

• I don't remember the name of the episode but it was the one where the circus came to town. There was one part that it showed a guy riding a unicycle. It had rubber tires. If i remember correctly, there wasn't any rubber tires in those days because even the wagon wheels were wood.
  Contributed by Dina G, October 29, 1997.

• Did they film the shows on location in California, or did they build a giant set in california. it looks like it is outside, but how do they get those big cameras in those little houses?
  Asked by Catherine, December 25, 1997.
• Answer:  I am sure it is the same as with all TV shows. All outside scenes are filmed outside in California near the sets that are built as buildings. All inside scenes are shot in a mock-up of the house on a sound stage in a studio. This is why the camera never directly follows someone out of a building. You see them leave the house out the door, and then the scene cuts to the outside where you see them just leaving the house. (A great place for nitpicks to happen since these two shots are at different locations, costume and hair changes are quite frequent. )  Where exactly the studio is, I am not sure.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, December 27, 1998.

• Any truth to the rumor that Stan Ivar was saddened at the thought of the Litle House being dismantled and lost forever, that he had it dismantled and rebuilt at his ranch?
• Has anyone noticed that there is a building in Walnut Grove, that was there from the first to the last episode, that was NEVER used or seen close-up? To pinpoint it: If you draw a line from the Mercantile to the post office building; go to the middle of that line; travel backwards (away from the main road); somewhat across from the bank; that there is a one-floor cabin there, somewhat under some trees. This cabin has never been used in any way. I can only guess that it might have a "modern" building the cast/crew used for their purposes.
  Both contributed by Eddie D, January 12, 1998.

• This has bothered me forever! Remember when Mr. Edwards fixed the roof on the Ingalls home? Well every time there was a dinner table scene you could see all the wide gaps in the roof! Also, the you could see through the walls as well! When it rained it should have poured in that house!!!!! OK, I feel better now!
  Contributed by Laura D, January 14, 1998.

• Has anyone ever noticed that nearly every train ever shown on "Little House" has the number 3 on the front?
  Contributed by Jennifer M, January 19, 1998.

• If they didn't destroy the Ingalls's house on the show, did they in real life? If not, can you visit? Someone said they had to destroy everything and leave it as they had found it?
  Asked by Catherine, January 25, 1998.
• Answer:  The Ingalls house was not destroyed ON or OFF the air, but was moved off of the production land and is currently owned by one of the actors, though I am not sure whom or if it can be viewed.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, April 12, 1998.

• All I can ever think when I am watching "Little House" is that the "prairie" looks exactly like...California! Not an original observation, I am sure, but after living in suburban LA for two years, I can safely say that the show looks like it was filmed in the hills around Hollywood. Am I right?
  Contributed by Lizabeth S-B, February 25, 1998.

Add your Production Nitpick!

• Has anyone else ever noticed how long Laura owned and wore her brownish red print dress? I am referring to the one she purchased at the Oleson's store in "Sweet Sixteen" to wear to her first teaching job. She was just about to turn 16 then and she wears this same dress for several seasons to follow, and even has it on in the Little House movie "The Last Farewell". It is such a unique dress that it is easy to remember, and I wonder how the writer's explain Laura keeping it impeccable for all those years and also how the dress grew with her, since she bought it when she was 15 and still wears it well after the birth of Rose!!!!
  Contributed by Kimberly, June 30, 1997.
  Additional: I liked the crack about Laura's old brown and red print dress too. (Melissa Gilbert always hated that dress.)
  Additional by Alison Arngrim (Yeah, It's Nellie), August 28, 1997.

• No one ever mentioned it but it seems like any Ingalls-related male had a curse on him. First, Charles and Caroline's baby son died, then Adam and Mary's son died in the fire, then Almanzo and Laura's son died, and then Albert died! If I was James, I would be very scared!
  Contributed by Lori J, July 11, 1997.
• Addtional: About the males dieing in the Ingalls family. Don't forget James was shot in a bankl robbbery (When he was twelve)and almost died.
  Contributed by Stephanie A, November 25, 1997.
• Addiotnal:  If I may be very wicked, our wonderful Michael Landon apparently brought along the "Bonanza curse" when he moved to Little House. Of course, there was a difference: in Bonanza (one of my all time favourite shows), any woman who loved a Cartwright might as well make certain the undertaker was on call, especially if she presumed to marry Ben or attempt to marry his sons.
  Contributed by Elizabeth M, January 15, 1998.

• In ALL the years that Little House was on the air, did Charles EVER pull in a crop? It seemed like it was always too dry, or there was that monster hailstorm, or it was always something, but Charles must have been the unluckiest farmer in history.
  Asked by Laurie B, July 18, 1997.
  Answer: As far as I can remember, Charles pulled in only one good crop, in "Barn Burner." Here Charles feels guilty that he has had a good crop, and the Garveys have lost everything. Though I agree, Charles seems to be fairly unlucky with his crops, especially since he can have more than one diaster in a year and have his entire crop wiped out everytime.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, July 26, 1997.
  Answer: Actually, in reading the books, one notices that he was JUST ABOUT that unlucky in real life. I am certainly glad that I'm married to a mechanic and not a farmer :)
  Answered by Rachel G, August 17, 1997.

• After Percival Dalton arrives to give business advice to the Oleson's regarding Nellie's Restaurant and Hotel, the name of the business changes to "Caroline's" in order to attract and keep business. Did anyone ever explain why the Nellie's Restaurant and Hotel sign on top of the building stayed the "Nellie's", but the name on the window changed to "Caroline's"?
  Contributed by Kelly S, August 19, 1997.
• Answer: ...why Nellie's said "Caroline's" on the window after Percival arrived: I thought he wanted to change the name of the restaurant to attract more business because people knew Caroline was a better cook.
  Contributed by Cyndi, November 9, 1997.

• Thank God for the Little House Nitpickers Guild. I thought I was the only one.
• I used to watch the show just so I could shout corrections at the screen. Laura never HAD a brother. Mary never had a HUSBAND. Pa! Get a haircut, whaddya think this is, Berkley in the '60s?????
  Contributed by Mary C, September 18, 1997.

• Who owns the Mill after Mr. Hansen dies? In "Back to School", Caroline makes the comment that they and Johnathon will have to hire someone to take over while Charles recovers from his injuries. This implies that Charles and Johnathon own the mill. What happens then when Johnathon moves to Sleepy Eye to start a frieghting company? Does he sell his portion to Almonzo because we now see him and Charles working in the mill? Finally, when Charles sells his farm and moves to the city, who gets his share? Edwards? I wish that it was mentioned in the scripts somewhere of who owns the mill. If Charles does own the mill until Season 9, then why is he still short on money?
  Contributed by Alex Trenta, October 31, 1997.
• Additional:  I also have a nit pick about the mill. Since Pa worked at the mill doesn't it make sense that he would have gotten his lumber wholsale? I mean he never fixed up his dumpy house and it always looked half finished and weather beaten from the start. Jonathon Garvey with all of his bad luck had a better house with real rooms. In fact every other house shown had real rooms.
  Contributed by Ellen G, March 30, 1998.

• Has anyone ever noticed that several of the story lines in Little House were identical to the story lines in Bonanza (I'm talking right on down to some of the actual spoken lines)? Is that Deja vu or what?
  Contributed by Laurie, November 7, 1997.

• Have you noticed that in the episode where Albert and Charles head back to Walnut Grove after Albert falls in with the wrong crowd in the city and it is discovered that Albert is addicted to Morphine...here's the part where you can tell they weren't thinking ahead or they didn't remember...at the end of that two part or two hour show...Melissa Gilbert says that Albert went on to become a Doctor...But in Home Again...Albert dies before he even goes to medical school (while he's in Walnut Grove, he receives word that he has won a scholarship to med school!) Just thought I'd point that out!!
  Contributed by S. Provost, November 24, 1997.

• This one has always bothered me. The inside of the Ingals house is only partialy plastered. In Ma and Pa's room and Carrie's side the corners look terrible. Why couldn't they plaster the corners? I don't think they ever did fix it.
  Contributed by Karnella, December 8, 1997.

• How exactly far in Sleepy Eye and Mancato? It seems sometimes they do the trip in a day, and others it takes weeks.
  Asked by Robert S, December 15, 1997.

• The recent WTBS Little House marathon was perfectly miserable! The saddest stories in the series were shown back to back, including the one that has the worst of my nitpicks featured - the episode where Mary's baby is killed in the fire. No mother, regardless of vision problems, would know a fire was starting when she was in her baby's room, and not automatically grab her child.
  Contributed by Elizabeth M, January 15, 1998.

• I always thought it was odd that Charles was a farmer yet when they showed the property surrounding the Ingalls' house there were never any crops in the fields, only grass. Of course, occassionally Charles was shown in the field plowing, but the house is never in sight. With all that wide open land surrounding the house it seems that some of it would have been used to plant crops.
  Contributed by Jennifer M, January 16, 1998.

• What was the deal with "Bringing in the Sheaves"? There were a few other songs they sang from time to time but they would only sing the other hymns once for every three times they sang "Bringing in the Sheaves". Were they to poor to buy hymn books and this was the only song they knew?
  Contributed by Jennifer M, January 23, 1998.

• After Mr. Edwards takes in Matthew (the wild boy), you don't really see him again until the episode where his father comes back. Mr. Edwards finds that monkey in one episode and Jenny has to come over after school to watch it, but shouldn't Matthew have been able to do that? He was supposed to be living there right? Just curious!
  Contributed by Annette, January 27, 1998.

• Why is it that Pa could do everything right in some episodes (cook, take care of children while Ma worked, work in the mill, and plow his fields), and then in some episodes not even know how to make oatmeal (the Women's Rights episode)? Of course, this was a great "fiction" show idealizing family values which is lacking in today's television. I wish my children had such great role models!
  Contribured by Cynthia D, February 5, 1998.

• I've read many comments about planes(children spreading arms and jet streams in the background)In the episode where Caroline cuts herself badly, Pa and the girls go for a day trip and stop at a small lake for a swim.Pa swings Mary from a rope and while doing so makes the sound of a plane..."NNNNNeeeeeeeeeerrr";mary lets go of the rope into the lake as to crash from the sky
  Contributed by Chris K, February 18, 1998.

• I've always found it strange that when Caroline was pregnent with Baby Charles she was only pregnent for one episode, when on the other hand when Laura was Pregnent with her Rose she was showing for a lot longer.
  Contributed by Robert B, February 23, 1998.

• I could never figure out how Almonzo's brother(Royal) and wife had two boys that they asked Almonzo and Laura to watch for that summer while they went rafting, but in a later episode Royal has only a daughter, no wife or sons, and dies at Almonzo's house leaving his daughter to be raised by Laura and Almonzo.
  Contributed by Stacey G, February 25, 1998.

• I have a collection of canvas bags from places I like and places I've traveled to. Having just gotten my second one from the Walton's Mountain Museum, I'm wondering if I can get one from Little House. I've heard there's a Little House Museum somewhere, does anyone know if they have a website where maybe I could buy a souvenir canvas bag?
  Asked by A secret Girl, March 6, 1998.

• How many times did they actually use the big house that eventually became the blind school????? It was in "Haunted House" and "For My Lady", to name two others.
  Contributed by Laurie, March 13, 1998.

• Whenever you see the scoolhouse it is full of children. The same building was used for the church. How come in church you see the same amount of people but they are mostly grownups. The only children ever pictured in church are the Ingalls, Olsens, and Garvey's. If the building is full of children on school days, doesn't it make sense that the building should be twice as full on Sundays. Don't the children go to church?
  Contributed by Ellen G, March 30, 1998.
• Additional:  What is even more amazing, that in "The Gift" in which Mary and Laura are charged with getting Rev. Alden a birthday present, the kids meet outside for sunday school, and there must be at least 20 of them.
  Additional by Alex Trenta, April 5, 1998.

Add your General Story or Plot Hole Nitpick!

• In your list of nitpicks, the episode numbers are different from those on Jennifer Slegg's Little House on the Prairie web site. Why are these different? Is someone leaving out or adding some episodes? I'm confused!!!!
  Asked by Catherine, July 22, 1997.
  Answer: As far as I can tell, I am not missing any of the episodes. The different episode numbers come from each of us using a different numbering scheme. I tried to base my on the original forms of the episodes: If an episode was originally a two hour special, it received one number, and if the story was originally a two-part episode, it recieved two numbers, one for each part. There seems to be no standard for numbering, but if there are some episodes missing, please tell me.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, July 23, 1997.

• If you are going to criticize for spelling you should learn to do it right yourself, what is a conversatin? (See Circus Man)
  Contributed by Andy Raines, October 20, 1997.

• How do you spell their last name -- is it Ingalls or Ingels or Ingles? I have seen all three on your web page. I thought it was Ingalls. Am I right?
  Contributed by Catherine, December 22, 1997.
• Their name is spelled "Ingalls."
  Answered by Catherine, December 25, 1997.

Add your Nitpick for the Nitpickers Guild!

• Please advise where we can purchase Little House videos!
  Asked by Rodney, July 11, 1997.
• Answer: If you look at Aaron's Little House on the Prairie Videos, you will find a websight listing the Little House Videos for sale, and where to find them. You can find other interesting information about Little House by checking out the Internet Toys for Little House on my Little House main page.
  Answered by Alex Trenta, July 12, 1997.
• This is an anwer to where the Little House videos may be purchased. I am currently receiving them from Time Life videos.
  Answered by Kimyco H, October 25, 1997.

Add your General Nitpick to Little House on the Prairie!

If you have any suggestions, e-mail me at trek2stars@oocities.com.

Trek to Stars  Little House Nitpickers Guild

Last Updated: April 12, 1998.

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