Little House on the Prairie: Welcome To Olesonville
Episode score
6.7
Fair
Welcome To Olesonville
- 186.
- Season: 9
- Episode: 3
- First Aired: 10/11/1982
- Prod Code: 9454
While cleaning out a home in Walnut Grove that she recently purchased, Harriet Oleson comes across a bearer's bond that allegedly requires everyone in town to pay her $10,000 each. Upon announcing her findings to the community, Harriet makes it clear that she isn't planning on collecting any money from them, but she has a plan to re-create Walnut Grove in her own image, and just in case anyone objects, she has the perfect threat to wave in their faces. With Olesonville representing the new name of the town, and Harriet pressing her husband on to serve as the mayor, it seems that Almanzo may be the best one to run against him and gain some power back for all the residents. Naturally, it doesn't take long to see that this born farmer is not the ideal choice for such a politically driven role, but with the Olesons dominating more forcefully every day, something must be done to reverse these recent developments. Read full recap »
- Writers:
- Paul W. Cooper
- Director:
- Maury Dexter
- Stars:
- Dean Butler (Almanzo James Wilder (co-star prior to season 7))
- Lindsay Kennedy (Jeb Carter (1982-1983))
- Leslie Landon (Etta Plum (1982-1983))
- Melissa Gilbert (Laura Elizabeth Ingalls/Wilder)
- Dabbs Greer (Reverend Alden)
- Kevin Hagen (Dr. Hiram Baker)
- Richard Bull (Nels Oleson)
- Ketty Lester (Hester-Sue Terhune (1982-1983) (co-star 1978 - 1981))
- Stan Ivar (John Carter (1982 - 1983))
- Allison Balson (Nancy Oleson (1981-1983))
- Pamela Roylance (Sarah Carter (1982 - 1983))
- Katherine MacGregor (Harriet Oleson)
- Victor French (Isaiah Edwards (1982-1983))
- David Friedman (Jason Carter (1982 - 1983))
- Jonathan Gilbert (Willie Oleson)
- Shannen Doherty (Jenny Wilder (1982-1983))
- Recurring Role:
- Sam Edwards (Mr. Anderson)
- Elmore Vincent (Floyd)
- Ruth Foster (Mrs. Foster)
- Carl Pitti (Dance Caller)
- Guest Star:
- Lew Ayres (Lem McCary)
- Charles Lane (Jess Moffet)
- Norma Ransom (Maddy Sutherland)
- Noni White (Elsie Moffet)
- Doc. Livingston (Farmer #1)
- Thomas Murphy (Farmer #2)
- Clyde Harper (Pig Farmer)
- During the debates, Lem McCary mentions that he was there when Lars Hanson founded the town "52 years ago." The sign as one enters Walnut Grove states "Founded 1840." That means this episode is supposed to be taking place in 1892, when Rose Wilder would have been six, and her mother Laura 25. Clearly, since Rose is only a baby in this episode, Laura would only be about twenty, which would put the setting of this episode in 1887--five years earlier. edit »
- One of Mrs. Oleson's provisions for not cashing in the bond is that Nellie be allowed to perform as church soloist on Sundays. Either the writers forgot that Nellie and Percival moved to New York City over a year ago, or Harriet was supposed to say "Nancy," and the editors didn't catch the mistake. edit »
- In the part where Jenny and the others go over to Mr Moffets' place to bring him to vote, he doesn't want to but his daughter says she will go with and vote, I didn't think women had the right to vote back then, or was that just for president, or did the women get to vote 'cause it was just a town vote? edit »
- Wasn't the old Lars Hanson house that they "fix-up" the same one that was made into the blind school and later burned down? I know that house has been used in numerous episodes as different houses, but in this case, Lars Hanson must have had two houses that looked exactly the same!
Reply: Not only that, but Reverend Alden made it clear in Blind Journey: that the Hansen estate had been left to him and the Church (although he asked for the congregation's blessing for the use of the house as a blind school), not to Mrs. Oleson. Even if the house had survived the fire, the bond - like the rest of Hansen's property - would belong to the Church. edit »
- Walnut Grove must have grown by leaps and bounds just since season 4's A Most Precious Gift. In that episode, it's established that the town's population is 127, but in this episode, 121 people vote in the election. Assuming a conservative ratio of one child per voting adult, that would put Walnut Grove's population at 242, a huge jump in just two years. edit »
- In this episode, we hear that Walnut Grove was named by Jess Moffet, because there was a stand of walnut trees on the hill in town. edit »
- Actor Charles Lane, here playing the old man Jess, appeared in over 250 films in his lifetime, including many Frank Capra productions. Audiences may best remember him as the flustered, hysterical airport manager in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. He was married for 70 years, remained an active actor until age 101, and died in 2007 at age 102! edit »
- It's interesting to note the sudden presence of so many senior citizens in Walnut Grove. Where did they come from all of a sudden? edit »
- The town name of Olesonville was actually mentioned way back in the first season in the episode "The Voice of Tinker Jones." Mr. Kennedy objected to the idea of Mrs. Oleson buying a church bell and displaying a plaque with her name on it. He implied that someday the town would be called Olesonville. edit »
- (Harriet rushes elderly customer out out of the mercantile)
Nels: Rather rude, Harriet.
Harriet: Well, somebody had to get rid of him. If I hadn't, he would have stood here all day, yapping. That's the trouble with these old people. They never buy anything. They just want to stand around and talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk! edit »
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Show Score
9.0
fair
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