Product Description
Dirt-poor and alone, the Ingalls family moves to
Minnesota and fights to build their new home - Mr.
Edwards is reunited with the Ingalls when Charles
convinces him to settle in Walnut Grove - Caroline
gives birth to a baby boy who dies soon afterwards -
The town is put under quarantine due to a serious
illness - The entire family nearly perishes in a
blizzard but is saved thanks to the kindness of an
Indian friend - These and many other exciting
adventures are featured in this Collector's Edition!
Special Features:
* Interactive Full Motion Menu
* Character profiles
* The Ingalls Photo Album
* The "Little House" Episode Quiz (Season 1)
Season 1 (1974-1975)
24 episodes
#
Airdate
Prod. Code
Title
Overview
1
September 11, 1974
1002
A Harvest Of Friends
The Ingalls move to the banks of
Plum Creek, near
Walnut Grove, Minnesota. To acquire the deed to
his farm, Charles takes several jobs. Eventually,
the multiple duties and the stress become too much,
and an exhausted Charles becomes injured during a
picnic with his family. When a feed dealer takes
advantage of him to take his oxen, he and his young
children, Mary and Laura, try to meet the deadline.
This sends several of Walnut Grove's businessmen
into action to help their new friend. In the end,
Laura reminisces about her father claiming to reap a
harvest he did not expect, hence the title of this
episode.
2
September 18, 1974
1001
Country Girls
Mary and Laura begin school at
Walnut Grove School. While Caroline must deal with
the snippy Harriet Oleson, the rich part-owner of
the Mercantile, Laura must deal with her spoiled
daughter. As one problem winds into another, Laura
finds a difficulty greater than dealing with
Nellie. A looming essay for parents' day causes
worry for little Laura who wants to give a beautiful
essay, but is unable to write the words on paper. It
is her speech that truly shows the closeness of the
Ingalls family.
3
September 25, 1974
1003
100 Mile Walk
A hailstorm leaves the Ingalls'
crops in ruin. To recoup the money, Charles and some
friendly neighbors, including a light-hearted
Irishman, work in a dangerous dynamiting job. The
Irishman, who is employed as a powder-monkey brings
both cheer and eventually tragedy to Charles.
Caroline, meanwhile, rounds up the farmers' wives to
salvage what's left of the crops, despite the
pessimism that threatens their effort.
Note: This is a reference to the hundred
mile walk in the book "On the Banks of Plum Creek".
In the books however, it was locusts that ruined the
crop and invariably led them to move on, unlike the
television series where they stay in Walnut Grove
through most of their life.
4
October 2, 1974
1004
Mr. Edwards' Homecoming
While in
Mankato, Charles encounters a drunken Mr.
Edwards in the midst of a barfight, and brings him
to Walnut Grove. To rehabilitate him, Charles gets
him a job at Hansen's Mill while Caroline tries to
set him up with widow Grace Snyder. While Mr.
Edwards vies for Grace's attention, his personal
grudge with God seems to doom their potential
relationship.
5
October 9, 1974
1005
The Love Of Johnny Johnson
Laura's crush on a much older
student, Johnny Johnson, is
unrequited. His interest in Mary results in
sibling rivalry between the two normally close
sisters. Eventually Charles explains to her that
someday she, like Mary, will have many beaus vying
for her.
Note: In "On the Banks of Plum Creek"
Johnny Johnson is the name of the Norwegian,
barefoot, cattle-herd who works near their first
home in Plum Creek.
6
October 23, 1974
1006
If I Should Wake Before I Die
After the death of her dear
friend, Miss Amy feels lonely for her family. While
talking to the Ingalls girls at her funeral, Laura
declares it is not fair for loved ones to ignore a
birthday and always show up for a funeral. Miss Amy
decides to stage her own death and enlists the help
of Doctor Hiram Baker and Charles Ingalls.
7
October 30, 1974
1007
Town Party, Country Party
While at a party at Nellie
Oleson's, Laura hurts her ankle and becomes friends
with Olga, a friendly girl with a birth defect
causing one leg to be shorter than the other. The
Ingalls decide to throw their own party and while
Charles helps Olga despite her father's lack of
support, Laura exacts her own special revenge on
Nellie Oleson.
Note: In "On the Banks of Plum Creek", a
chapter by the same name shows a very similar story,
with the exclusion of Olga. In the story, Laura uses
the lobster to scare Nellie into the deep end and
become the victim of several leeches which were
unfortunately kept out of the episode.
8
November 6, 1974
1010
Ma's Holiday
The girls and Charles decide to
surprise Caroline with a romantic holiday. When
Grace Snyder can't make it, Mr. Edwards volunteers
for the job. Later on, he finds the Ingalls girls,
especially Carrie, to be more than he can handle.
Meanwhile, Caroline can't stop thinking about the
children and worrying for their safety.
9
November 13, 1974
1011
School Mom
When Miss Beadle is injured and
ordered to rest per Doc Baker, Caroline takes over
as substitute teacher of Walnut Grove School. During
her tenure, an uneducated youth named Abel enrolls.
Abel is relentlessly teased because he is
illiterate. Eventually, the harassment and Mrs.
Oleson's meddling become too much, and Caroline
orders the school closed. Caroline then takes it
upon herself to teach "Dumb Abel" to read.
10
November 20, 1974
1013
The Racoon
When Laura accidentally breaks
her glass doll, Mary brings home a
raccoon to cheer her up. Laura keeps him and
prides herself on teaching him tricks and his docile
behavior. To her dismay, food aggression and the
many kids at school cause her pet raccoon, named
Jasper, to bite her on the finger and run away.
Afraid of losing her pet for good, she makes Mary
promise to keep it a secret, but when the chickens
are disturbed by a rabid raccoon, Mary must break
the bad news to her father.
Note: Another on-screen spelling error
here, as there should be two "c"'s in the word Raccoon.
11
December 4, 1974
1012
The Voice Of Tinker Jones
Reverend Alden stirs a hornets
nest in Walnut Grove when he pleads for a Church
bell. Mrs. Oleson offers to donate a large bell as
well as a plaque commemorating her generosity. While
half of the residents refuse to accept the donation,
arguing that the plaque would be sacrilegious, the
other half frown upon the others' apparent
ingratitude. The blame invariably falls on Reverend
Alden and he is convinced he must leave. With the
help of a friendly mute, Tinker Jones, the children
decide to band together and forge the bell on their
own (sacrificing their own metal toys), before it's
too late.
12
December 11, 1974
1014
The Award
Mary is entranced by the award
for an extra credit exam, being a beautiful
dictionary. Her studying and carelessness causes a
fire to start in the barn. Worried and very angry,
Caroline forbids her to take the exam. Having second
thoughts, she decides to try to hold Mary to the
punishment to establish her credibility while Mary
decides to take the test anyway and win her Ma's
love back by winning the award. Eventually, in the
end, Caroline sees exactly the paper she expected to
see from Mary and the truth is finally made clear.
Note: Michael Landon does not appear in
this episode.
13/14
December 18, 1974
1008/
1009
The Lord Is My Shepherd
The Ingalls family is delighted
by the birth of a new baby boy. Unfortunately, Laura
becomes jealous, and refuses to pray for her new
brother's good health. Mercifully, Laura's prayer is
answered when the young boy dies soon afterward and
Laura is crushed with guilt, following a sermon by
Reverend Alden about miracles, she decides to run
away and pray for a miracle. Deciding that her late
brother meant more to her father than herself, she
pledges herself to God on a mountain offering to
take his place in heaven so that the baby may come
back to life. With the help of a heaven-sent
stranger, she realizes how much she really means to
her father.
Note: Originally aired as a two-hour
episode. In
syndication, it is seen as a two-part episode.
Guest star:
Ernest Borgnine
15
December 25, 1974
1015
Christmas At Plum Creek
When Christmas comes around, all
the Ingalls are caught up in the secrecy and
excitement. Charles and Mary take secret jobs to
obtain a gift for their loved ones. Laura meanwhile
is left out of the fun when she can't find anything
to give or any way to raise money. While she
succeeds in making the Christmas a memorable
experience for everybody, Carrie remembers the true
meaning of Christmas.
Note: This is the first episode in a
multi-part story arc involving a horse named
"Bunny", which will figure in third season episodes.
16
January 15, 1975
1017
Family Quarrel
Nels Oleson has had it up to here
with his wife's snobbish, meddlesome behavior,
particularly toward the Ingalls family. Mrs. Oleson
doesn't take kindly to her husband's old-school
beliefs either. The two get into a huge argument and
decide to separate. This sends the Ingalls and the
Olesons' other friends to intervene and convince
them to settle their differences.
17
January 22, 1975
1016
Doctor's Lady
When Mrs. Oleson's niece Kate
(guest star
Anne Archer) comes to visit, Doctor Baker falls
for her and proceeds to court her. Unfortunately
doubt lingering in his mind about his age causes his
hopes for a happy relationship to fade. He must
wrestle between his love for Kate, and his fear
concerning his age to make a difficult decision.
18
January 29, 1975
1018
Circus Man
A medicine man adorned with
bravado and sleight of hand stays with the Ingalls
and advertises his miracle powder. After residents
start to prefer his powders over Doc Baker's medical
treatment, the Ingalls send him packing. However
when Jack (the Ingalls' family dog), comes down with
a sickness, he returns to bring Laura the hope she
needs, and eventually confesses the truth.
A
typhus outbreak sweeps Walnut Grove, and several
people become critically ill. The church is set up
as a makeshift hospital-morgue while Charles, Doc
Baker and Rev. Alden – all quarantined with the
illness – search for the source of the plague.
During the search Charles is devastated to see his
dear friend Mr. Edwards sick with the typhus.
However, Edwards holds the key to the source.
20
February 12, 1975
1020
Child Of Pain
When Miss Beadle discovers that a
kindly boy in her class has taken another beating
from his alcoholic father, the town council decides
to take action. The Ingalls take in the boy and they
decide to help rehabilitate his father. Despite many
of the members lack of faith in his redemption and
Charles' own doubts, he stays with the boy's father
to break him from his dangerous habit.
21
February 19, 1975
1021
Money Crop
A young, university-educated
farmer named Joesph Coulter convinces the farmers to
buy new hybrid corn. As he returns with the crop,
Coulter's horses bolt which caused his wagon to veer
down a steep hill, trapped the farmer beneath, and
exposed the precious seed to hungry crows. The
residents of Walnut Grove fear that they may have
been cheated, and take their frustrations out on his
wife with harsh accusations. Charles is convinced
something is wrong and hurries to look for him.
22
February 26, 1975
1022
Survival
While returning from a family
trip, the Ingalls receive a twofold warning from a
mean-hearted official. He warns them that a blizzard
is coming, and that a dangerous Indian fugitive is
on the loose. He surprises the Ingalls by claiming
his crime was his birth into the Indian race. Later,
the family must take shelter in an abandoned cabin.
Charles nearly freezes to death but is rescued by
the Indian fugitive, Jack Lame Horse. However, when
the same ruthless Marshall shows up, Charles is
forced to show his gratitude by saving the
fugitive's life.
23
March 5, 1975
1023
To See The World
Johnny Johnson has an argument
with his father. Afterwards he decides to leave "to
see the world." Mr. Edwards accompanies him while on
his way to purchase an expensive hunting rifle.
However, when Johnny refuses to be swayed, Mr.
Edwards relies on his money, and the charms of a
young woman to send the young boy home.
24
May 7, 1975
1024
Founder's Day
Founder's Day comes to Walnut
Grove, and everybody is looking forward to the
exciting competitions. While Laura and Mary try to
outdo the Olesons, Charles is challenged to a
logging contest by an ancient lumberjack. While
Charles wants to gain respect from the stubborn old
man, his opponent hopes to prove that he is still
the "Bull of the Woods" despite the constant urging
of his wife. The excitement reaches a boiling point
with the final competition, the logging contest, and
Charles proves himself in quite an unexpected way.
