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Walnut, Grove - Rural town featured on
the western drama LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE/NBC/1974-83. Founded
in 1840 by Lars Hanson (Karl Swenson), Walnut Grove was located at
Plum Creek, Minnesota.
Its primary citizen's included:
- Farmer Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon),
- his wife, Caroline (Karen Grassle)
- Their
three female children Laura (Melissa Gilbert), Mary (Melissa Sue
Anderson), and Carrie (Lindsay & Sidney Greenbush) who lived on a
small homestead outside of town;
- Nels Oleson (Richard Bull), the
town's General store owner, his wife Harriet (Katherine MacGregor)
and their two children Nellie (Alison Arngrim) and Willie (Jonathan
Gilbert);
- Doctor Baker (Kevin Hagen) the town's physician;
- Reverend Robert Alden (Dabbs Greer), the town's minister;
- Lars Hansen (Karl Swenson), the town's Mill owner.
TRIVIA NOTE: On the final two-hour
TV Movie episode of the series entitled "Little House-The Last
Farewell" broadcast February 6, 1984, the land of the town of Walnut
Grove was purchased legally (but through nefarious means) in a land
swindle. Instead of leaving their homes, the citizens dynamited the
town in an act of final desperation/vengeance, leaving only
splintered wood and smoking piles of debris for the new owner.
In
reality, the TV Walnut Grove was located on leased farm country in Simi
Valley California about 40 miles from Hollywood. Because the lease
required that the television production crew return the land to its
original condition, the show's producer Michael Landon (died of
cancer in 7/1/91) decided to destroy the entire town instead of
seeing it bulldozed into oblivion. Scenes of the real destruction of
this TV town became part of the final TV episode. See also WESTERNS: "Little
House on the Prairie"
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