Please forgive my noobness

I hope you guys and guyettes do not mind someone with fresh eyes in regards to Little House asking questions that you have probably answered dozens of times but........

In what years does the show historically take place?

There was never any timeline, so you have to go by the few dates mentioned in the show. People have tried to put a timeline together, and there is even one online, but it's inaccurate. And there are also inconsistencies between episodes, so it's hard to tell.

Well, what comes to my mind is that in one episode Miss Beadel mentions that the Civil War has only been over 11 yrs. The war was from 1861-1865. SO I would think at that point it was 1876. I think Mary was probably around 12.
Its hard to tell, but you can only go by when things were invented or events happend.
Laura saw so many of these changes in her lifetime.

Another episode that mentions a date, I think, is Times Are Changing, or maybe it's one of the season 8 episodes, and I think the date is 1887. Then, in Bless All the Dear Children, Charles mentions the year is 1896. If that were true, then Jenny and Nancy should have been 20 or so in BAtDC. Instead, they were what, 11 or 12? And then there are the episodes where the better part of a year elapses during one episode, such as The Lord Is My Shepherd. The writers just weren't very consistent with this sort of thing. In addition, there are the numerous anachronisms, such as the phonograph and telephones showing up in Walnut Grove when they did, the playing of football in Walnut Grove and Dakota Territory probably long before it spread that far west, and mentions of basketball and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Facinating, thank you all.
The reason I asked was that I recently purchased a book published in 1870 and liked to think that the Ingalls may have had the book in their library. I plan on posting some of the book here, I think some people might find it.....interesting to say the least.

jes9 wrote:

Another episode that mentions a date, I think, is Times Are Changing, or maybe it's one of the season 8 episodes, and I think the date is 1887. Then, in Bless All the Dear Children, Charles mentions the year is 1896. If that were true, then Jenny and Nancy should have been 20 or so in BAtDC. Instead, they were what, 11 or 12? And then there are the episodes where the better part of a year elapses during one episode, such as The Lord Is My Shepherd. The writers just weren't very consistent with this sort of thing. In addition, there are the numerous anachronisms, such as the phonograph and telephones showing up in Walnut Grove when they did, the playing of football in Walnut Grove and Dakota Territory probably long before it spread that far west, and mentions of basketball and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Or the fact that gift wrap wasn't invented yet, but Almanzo managed to wrap Laura's 16th birthday gift in a floral wrapping paper with a curly ribbon? :haha:

bethandmanly wrote:

Or the fact that gift wrap wasn't invented yet, but Almanzo managed to wrap Laura's 16th birthday gift in a floral wrapping paper with a curly ribbon? :haha:

The wrapping paper always bugged me too, especially in A Christmas They Never Forgot. Caroline's present that she got as a girl was wrapped in very bright paper with pink curly ribbon. Do you know when wrapping paper was invented, Cheryl? I've tried finding that out but never came up with anything. I assume it was until after WWII since during that time they were still putting presents on the tree.

Lori wrote:

bethandmanly wrote:

Or the fact that gift wrap wasn't invented yet, but Almanzo managed to wrap Laura's 16th birthday gift in a floral wrapping paper with a curly ribbon? :haha:

The wrapping paper always bugged me too, especially in A Christmas They Never Forgot. Caroline's present that she got as a girl was wrapped in very bright paper with pink curly ribbon. Do you know when wrapping paper was invented, Cheryl? I've tried finding that out but never came up with anything. I assume it was until after WWII since during that time they were still putting presents on the tree.

This site gives a history of gift wrap: http://mymerrychristmas.com/2006/historyofwrap.shtml

The interesting thing is that Scotch tape wasn't invented until 1930, four decades after wrapping paper. Gee, it must have been fun to wrap gifts before that. I can't even wrap gifts now. :haha:

Thanks for the link, Cheryl!

If nothing else, the wrapping paper should have been like that in the song: "brown paper packaging tied up in strings"....that would have made a tad more sense.

Your thread title is too cute, silent partner!

I was looking for a good video clip to post of the movie on Youtube, but there isn't a very good one.

Okay, now I am freaking out because two seconds ago I saw a post by Savannah about "My Favorite Things" and now it's not there.