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September 22, 2007

‘Little House’ event draws huge crowd

By DENISE RAYMO

BURKE — An eclectic mix of people turned out Saturday for the first day of a two-day celebration to honor Almanzo Wilder’s 150th birthday.

The Burke native was made famous by his wife, author Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote about his boyhood remembrances in Northern New York in her book, “Farmer Boy.”

Almanzo Wilder was born at the family homestead on Stacy Road on Feb. 13, 1857, and died at age 92.

He married Laura Ingalls on Aug. 25, 1885.

Scholars, history buffs and fans of the “Little House on the Prairie” books and the television series overwhelmed event organizers who ran out of nearly everything Saturday except excited visitors.

Gone was the stack of the schedule of events handed out as people entered the grounds to the Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder Association bash at the Wilder Family homestead in Burke.

Bottled water sold out within the first hour in the 80-degree heat that was disguised somewhat by a refreshing breeze throughout the day.

And the variety of black-and-white photographs actor/producer Dean Butler brought to autograph were snapped up quickly despite their $10 price tag.

“We expected we might get some people, but we didn’t expect this kind of response and neither did Dean Butler,” said Wilder Association President Kathy Ellis.

He played Almanzo Wilder for five years on the “Little House” series.

“I know people were angry with me when I had to shut down the autographs for a while, but he just couldn’t write anymore,” Ellis said. “He had to stop. He just can’t believe how many people came out.”

Butler signed about 50 autographs in less than an hour, and chatted amiably with each person, asking for the name they wanted inscribed and listening patiently while each told him a story, asked him a question or posed for a candid photo.

Alice Johnson clutched a well-worn copy of “Farmer Boy” as she waited in line, hoping for an autograph.

“I’ve owned this book a long time. I have them all,” she said. “I love the stories, and I watch the series all the time or at least have it on because I know every one by heart.”

She and her son, Darrell, and his friend, Paul, made the trip to the Wilder Homestead from Plattsburgh.

Johnson usually made the trip with her husband, Robert. She said he passed away a month ago, “but he’s still with me.”

Across the compound, re-enactors showed visitors their authentic weapons, clothing and household goods while women dressed in period costumes churned butter or tended wood fires in front of encampment tents.

Some craftsmen and vendors sold wood products while the bookstore and space at the gift shop at the Wilder Farm was standing-room only, and even that was difficult.

In between getting beaned by small apples falling out of the tree she was set up under, illustrator Jody Wheeler spoke with guests and autographed her work featured in three HarperCollins books in the “My First ‘Little House’ Book” series.

Geared toward pre-schoolers as well as first and second graders, the read-along books introduce younger kids to the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Her appearance has been planned for about a year.

“When Sandy Young asked me to be part of it, I thought, ‘I don’t even know where I’m going to be a year from now,’” Wheeler said.

“But when I heard the idea that it was going to be held upstate and in the autumn and at the homestead, I said ‘yes, yes, yes.’”

The artist continued to talk as 2-year-old Sullivan Wescott and his mom, Ellie, waited to approach.

She said the area and the Wilder homestead have changed quite a bit from the initial trip she made north from Ballston Spa for first-hand research several years ago and she was thrilled to see such large crowds.

“This is much more than I expected, and the place has expanded,” she said. “They’ve added some buildings, and even Malone looks more prosperous.”

Activities and demonstrations dotted the land as families strolled the grounds, snacked under the pavilion or caught the performance of an original play written by Curtis Winters called “Manley’s Growing Pains.”

“I’m going into the field in college and I’ve done a lot of musical theater in school, but doing community theater is also nice,” said Paige Dustin, a 16-year-old Franklin Academy High School student who played Almanzo’s older sister, Eliza Jane.

“It’s really nice to see so much going on and so many people,” she said.

William Webber, a 14-year student from Brushton-Moira, said he was glad to be part of the Wilder celebration because he enjoyed reading “Farmer Boy” so much when he first picked it up at his aunt’s house three or four years ago.

“I just love it, and I think it’s really cool that such a big part of history happened right here,” he said. “In my opinion, I think it’s the best book ever written.”



E-mail Denise A. Raymo at:

draymo@pressrepublican.com

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