8.8/10473 votesLoading...#1 - The Richest Man in Walnut Grove
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 9/10/1975
After the mill closes, Charles is unable to pay off his debt at the mercantile. Mr. Hanson is forced to close the mill after one of his big customers declares bankruptcy. This was after Hanson had already shipped them a bunch of lumber. Charles had been expecting two months worth of wages before Hanson was forced to close down. Charles must taken on several jobs at the same time. Mary gets a job to help the family, while Laura does the chores at home. When the bill finally gets paid, Nels tells Charles that he thinks Charles is the richest man in Walnut Grove, since he has a very loving family.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: N/A
8.7/10436 votesLoading...#2 - I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away (2)
Season 4 Episode 22 - Aired 3/12/1978
Charles and Caroline sign Mary up for the blind school in Iowa. At first, Mary is very reluctant to learn anything at the school. However, after being with her teacher, Adam Kendall, for a while, she turns her outlook on life around. Mary is such a great student that Adam asks her to help her teach at a blind school with him.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.7/10361 votesLoading...#3 - Sweet Sixteen
Season 6 Episode 22 - Aired 2/24/1980
The school district's superintendent comes to Walnut Grove, looking for someone who can replace a teacher who has fallen and broken her leg. Eliza Jane recommends Laura. Almanzo thinks he has no chance of Laura falling in love with him.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: Michael Landon
8.7/10357 votesLoading...#4 - He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (2)
Season 6 Episode 24 - Aired 5/11/1980
Laura helps Adam and Mary set up a new blind school in Sleepy Eye to try to get her mind off of Almanzo. Almanzo gets very sick.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: N/A
8.6/10582 votesLoading...#5 - Country Girls
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/1974
Laura and Mary start school for the first time. That is where they meet Nellie Oleson. Since Laura hasn't been to school before, she tries especially hard with her schoolwork. The students have to write an essay to present in front of the class. Laura recites what she would have written on the paper if she could have, instead of what was actually written on it.
Director: N/A
Writer: Juanita Bartlett
8.6/10412 votesLoading...#6 - Remember Me (2)
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 11/12/1975
After Julia Sanderson's death, her three children stay with Grace, with help from Mr. Edwards. When Charles is unable to find someone to adopt all three children, he has to make the difficult decision to place them in separate homes. At the very last minute, Mr. Edwards makes a monumental decision: he marries Grace - and they take on all three children.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: Michael Landon
8.6/10457 votesLoading...#7 - Blizzard
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 12/27/1976
The day before Christmas vacation started, Miss Beadle lets the children out early when she notices that a snowstorm is beginning. The children aren't able to make it home before the storm starts. The men of Walnut Grove search for the children while Doc Baker takes care of the frostbitten children that show up at the school.
Director: N/A
Writer: Paul W. Cooper
8.6/10340 votesLoading...#8 - He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (1)
Season 6 Episode 23 - Aired 5/4/1980
Almanzo asks for Laura's hand in marriage. Mr. Ingalls tells Almanzo to wait until Laura was eighteen. Not wanting to wait, Almanzo forces Laura to choose him or respect her father. Laura respects her father's wishes. Almanzo leaves town and causes Laura a lot of heartache. Harriet hires Percival Dalton to help her in the restaurant. Nellie and Percival fall in love and eventually Percival asks Nellie to marry him. Adam's father dies, which means that a new blind school wouldn't be built in Walnut Grove.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: N/A
8.5/10685 votesLoading...#9 - A Harvest of Friends
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/11/1974
The Ingalls settle on the banks of Plum Creek in Walnut Grove. To get the farm set up, Charles must take on several jobs at once. He promises one person that if he didn't get the job done in the specified time, the person could have his oxen.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: N/A
8.5/10514 votesLoading...#10 - Town Party, Country Party
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 10/30/1974
Laura connects with a sweet, shy classmate named Olga Nordstrom, who happens to have been born with a short leg. Charles has an idea that can change Olga’s entire life, but the challenge will be convincing the child’s stubborn widowed father.
Director: Alf Kjellin
Writer: N/A
8.5/10517 votesLoading...#11 - The Lord is My Shepherd (2)
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 12/18/1974
Believing that her jealousy was responsible for her infant brother's death and that her parents would rather have a son than a spare daughter, Laura climbs the highest hill she can find, hoping to get as close to God as possible to ask Him to take her instead and return the baby boy to the family. While Charles and Mr. Edwards desperately search for her, Laura meets Jonathan, a mystical mountain man who seems to have been sent purposely to guide her through this life-changing experience.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: N/A
8.5/10477 votesLoading...#12 - Christmas At Plum Creek
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 12/25/1974
The Christmas holiday is approaching and the members of the Ingalls family go about their holiday shopping in secrecy. Laura is able to buy her mom a stove that she wanted after she sells her horse to Mr. Oleson.
Director: N/A
Writer: Arthur Heinemann
8.5/10433 votesLoading...#13 - Plague
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 1/29/1975
Several people in Walnut Grove get very sick. A quarantine is set up in the church while the source of the illness is being sought.
Director: N/A
Writer: Michael Landon
8.5/10445 votesLoading...#14 - Remember Me (1)
Season 2 Episode 7 - Aired 11/5/1975
A widowed mother named Julia Sanderson (Patricia Neal) learns she has a terminal illness and, with no close relatives to care for her three children, John Jr., Carl and Alicia, she gets Charles to promise to find the children a new home after she dies. Meanwhile, Laura and Mary rescue some abandoned puppies, and the relationship between Mr. Edwards and Grace Snider begins to blossom.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: N/A
8.5/10461 votesLoading...#15 - The Collection
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/27/1976
Reverend Alden gets sick while collecting donations. Caleb Hodgekiss, an ex-convict, helps the Reverend by giving him a place to stay and volunteering to get the donations from Walnut Grove. Caleb poses as a friend of the Reverend so that he might get donations which he initially planned to keep for himself.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: Arthur Heinemann
- 8.5/10430 votesLoading...
#16 - I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away (1)
Season 4 Episode 21 - Aired 3/5/1978
Mary falls in love with Seth. When Mary's eyesight starts to get worse, Charles takes her to a specialist. He is devastated when the specialist tells him that Mary will lose her sight. Charles is unable to tell Mary for a while that she is going blind. When Mary does go blind, the whole family suffers.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.4/10457 votesLoading...#17 - School Mom
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/13/1974
After Ms. Beadle sprains her ankle, Caroline becomes the substitute teacher. Caroline takes a special interest in helping an older student, Abel, learn to read. One day Mrs. Oleson shows up and causes Abel to quit school. Because of this Caroline quits, but returns after she convinces Abel to give school another chance.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.4/10482 votesLoading...#18 - The Lord is My Shepherd (1)
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 12/18/1974
Caroline becomes pregnant. Shortly after the baby is born, he becomes ill.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: Michael Landon
8.4/10414 votesLoading...#19 - Ebenezer Sprague
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 9/24/1975
Charles and Hansen build a bank in Walnut Grove. The banker is Mr. Sprague, a cold and heartless man. Laura becomes friends with Mr. Sprague without knowing who he really was. Mr. Sprague believes that Charles sent Laura to him to try to persuade Mr. Sprague to give a loan to Mr. Ingalls.
Director: Victor French
Writer: N/A
8.4/10386 votesLoading...#20 - Bunny
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 10/4/1976
Nellie falls off of Bunny and pretends to be paralyzed. Mrs. Oleson blames Laura for this and wants to destroy Bunny.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: Michael Landon
8.4/10389 votesLoading...#21 - The Bully Boys
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 12/6/1976
Rev. Alden's pleas to ""turn the other cheek"" is put to the test when a family of ruffians move to Walnut Grove and cause trouble.
Director: Victor French
Writer: N/A
8.4/10359 votesLoading...#22 - Back to School (1)
Season 6 Episode 1 - Aired 9/16/1979
The school's new teacher is Ms. Wilder. Laura falls in love with Ms. Wilder's brother Almanzo. Laura is crushed when Nellie invites Almanzo over for dinner. Laura gets even with Nellie by volunteering to cook dinner for them. Laura adds some hot spices to the chicken and since Nellie had said that she had cooked the meal, Almanzo stays away from Nellie.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: Michael Landon
8.4/10340 votesLoading...#23 - Back to School (2)
Season 6 Episode 2 - Aired 9/23/1979
When Laura and Nellie get in a fight about the graduation test, Almanzo separates them and takes Laura home with him. When Charles finds out that Almanzo took Laura home with him, Charles goes to Almanzo's place and punches Almanzo because he fears his daughter was being taken advantage of. Laura yells at the fighting pair and tells them that she is no longer a child.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: Michael Landon
8.4/10403 votesLoading...#24 - Sylvia (1)
Season 7 Episode 17 - Aired 2/9/1981
A schoolyard escapade involving Albert brands 15-year-old girl Sylvia a tease. The two fall in love, but Albert is unaware of a number of circumstances which have thrown Sylvia's life into a frightening tailspin - getting raped by an unknown assailant and the girl's domineering father.
Director: Michael Landon
Writer: Michael Landon
8.3/10550 votesLoading...#25 - 100 Mile Walk
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 9/25/1974
In the beginning, things look very good for the Ingalls until a bad hailstorm ruins their crops. Charles and some other farmers must leave to look for work. They end up working in a quarry. While Charles is away, Caroline is able to get the women of Walnut Grove to join together to harvest the remaining crops.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of Little House on the Prairie
Every episode of Little House on the Prairie ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Little House on the Prairie!
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, and Karen Grassle, about a family living on...
Genres:WesternDramaFamily
Network:NBC
Best Episodes Summary
"The Richest Man in Walnut Grove" is the best rated episode of "Little House on the Prairie". It scored 8.8/10 based on 473 votes. Directed by Michael Landon and written by N/A, it aired on 9/10/1975. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away (2)".