Who Was the First Person To Portray Laura Ingalls Wilder?

This summer the new Netflix version of Little House on the Prairie has brought up a lot memories, passions, and thoughts about the legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867 - 1957). Especially memories of the the 1974-1984 NBC TV Series Little House on the Prairie. 

For the Children's Media Archive projects, I have conducted some research into media adaptations of the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder, with a curiosity as to how many actresses have portrayed her, and who may have been the very first. 

The following is a summary of those findings. Readings of Wilder’s books, like the on air storytellers from BBC’s Jackanory series are not included.

21st Century Adaptations

In the 21st century Laura was portrayed by Alice Halsey in the new Netflix series and Kyle Chavarria in the 2005 Disney TV Miniseries. 

1974 - 1984, Melissa Gilbert as Laura on NBC

Without question, Melissa Gilbert is the most well known and beloved Laura in the world, having played the part in the aforementioned NBC series. Now in her sixties, she is still instantly recognizable to generations of fans. 

1975-1976, Kazuko Sugiyama as Laura the Prairie Girl

Debuting just a year after the NBC series was the Japanese Anime Sôgen no shôjô Laura or Laura the Prairie Girl (1975), Laura was voiced by prolific voice actress Kazuko Sugiyama. A mystery to this blogger is whether this series was ever broadcast in the United States. 

1951, Anne Whitfiled as Laura on The Hallmark Playhouse radio anthology series.

For years, in my own research I believed the first person to portray Laura Ingalls Wilder was the late Old Time Radio actress Anne Whitfield (1938 - 2024). The teen actress portrayed young Laura in a half hour adaptation of  "The Long Winter" for the Hallmark Playhouse. This March 15, 1951 broadcast still exists and has been very popular on the Children's Media Archive YouTube channel. The script for this radio play was renacted for the Des Smet Wilder Society in 1955 and 1968. 

Anne Whitfield at 10. From Radio Television Mirror,
 January 1949.
Image from the Media History Digital Library. 

1949, The Long Winter Adaptation For "Stories That Live" - Oregon School of the Air,  serialized January 5 - March 9, 1949. 

Further research has shown that "The Long Winter" was previously adapted in 1949 as a serial for the Stories That Live series. This educational program adapted literature from classic and contemporary works for the Oregon School of the Air, a earlier network of public broadcasting.  The series aired Wednesdays at 2:45pm over stations KBPS for the Portland Public Schools, and KRVM-FM of the Eugene Public Schools and the main Oregon educational station KOAC. 

Illustration for the "Stories That Live" radio series from the Oregon School of the Air 1948-1949 Broadcast Guide. Image from the Media History Digital Library. 

The cast and crew of this adaptation are unknown. It was clearly described as "series of dramatizations, composed of old and new classics in literature", so what was presented was not a reading. Below is what was scheduled to air beginning January 5, 1949 exactly as written in the 1948-1949 broadcast guide.  

January 5, 1949. Make Hay While the Sun Shines. Beginning the true story of the Ingalls family who homesteaded in the Dakota Territory during the blizzardous winter of 1880 and 1881. It’s the fall of the year, harvest season is in full swing. Pa is having his troubles, Laura—his 14-year-old daughter—steps in to help, and there’s an uneasy feeling of hurry-hurry in the air.

January 12, 1949.  An October Blizzard.  The two lost girls are discovered by the Wilder boys. An early frost hurries the harvest. Then, because of the shortage of fresh meat, Pa is forced on a hunting trip which results in his saying, “I don’t like the look of it!” Next morning he knew why.

January 19, 1949. The Indian’s Warning. One afternoon a few men gathered in Harthorn’s store in town. No one heard a footstep until Pa felt that someone was behind him. The men turned, and the sight of an Indian kept them all quiet. The Indian spoke.

January 26, 1949.  Toward the Open Prairie. Safe in town now, Laura and Carrie made ready for school. It’s a happy experience until one day a prairie blizzard sweeps the small town. With no fuel at the schoolhouse, the teacher and pupils are forced into the beating, whirling wind. They are lost in a swirling whiteness and Laura fears when she sees Cap Garland disappear into the cold shadows.

February 2, 1949. The Wheat in the Wall Both Laura and Cap Garland become heroes in their own right. A threeday blizzard beseiges the pioneer town; the supply train is cut off and food is running short. You'll hear who hides the wheat in the wall . . wheat that eventually saves the lives of the Ingalls family.

February 9, 1949. The Antelope Hunt. A real fight for life against the long winter begins. Fuel is made from hay; wheat becomes a flour substitute. An antelope hunt offers a ray of hope short-lived and Pa is faced with the stark reality that his family is soon to be without even wheat to exist on and only six potatoes left in the pantry.

February 16, 1949. Some Must Be Starving. In desperation Pa calls on Almanzo and Royal Wilder. The ceaseless, pounding winter continues and many pioneer families are faced with starvation. Almanzo Wilder ponders a solution. It’s dangerous, risky, but Cap Garland and he make their plans when suddenly—

February 23, 1949. The Search for Wheat. Off to the rescue goes Almanzo Wilder and Cap Garland in search for daily bread. Rumor has it that there’s wheat south of town where a settler is wintering on his claim. Will the boys find the claim on the storm-ridden prairie? Will the settler sell his wheat?

March 2, 1949. -The Last Mile. The boys return. There’s plenty of wheat—but trouble brews. Crafty Loftus, the storekeeper, bargains too high for the poor pioneers. The men are ready to revolt. Then Pa Ingalls engineers a fair deal.

March 9, 1949. Christmas in May. The long winter breaks and the mail comes through. With it comes happiness and Yuletide celebration in the welcomed month of May. Climaxing this true pioneer story is a brief resumé of the other books of the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder published by Harper and Brothers.

1945 and 1947 radio adaptations 

According to various biographies published about Laura Ingalls Wilder there was a 1945 radio adaptation of "The Long Winter" in 1945, with another radio production in 1947. 

A Laura Ingalls Wilder Day was held by a Chicago radio station in 1947. From readings it is not clear if one of her stories was adapted.

The Seattle Public Library also did an adaptation in the 1940s, but details are unknown.

The Mystery Continues 

For now it remains a mystery of who was the first person to portray Laura Ingalls Wilder in a media presentation. There are many questions that only a visit to historical societies and archives will solve. Who was the Portland school drama student who played Laura in 1949? In Wilder’s papers is there a log of radio appearances of her works? Overall it is clear that her books have been an inspiration for media adaptations for several decades.