Little House on the Prairie may have been set in the 1870s, but plenty of modern elements sneaked their way into the show. From visible bras (which weren’t invented until 1912) to 1970s-style perms, the costume department didn’t always stick to historical accuracy. Even the men’s clean-shaven faces were unrealistic for the time period when beards were the norm.
Some of the most amusing mistakes involve reused props, like the traveling quilt that mysteriously appeared in multiple characters’ homes. The school route the Ingalls children took also seemed to change randomly between episodes – one day passing the sawmill, the next appearing behind it without explanation.
Behind the scenes, the cast had their share of drama too. Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary) was known for being distant on set, while Alison Arngrim (Nellie) and Melissa Gilbert (Laura) became close friends despite their characters’ rivalry. And who could forget the time Michael Landon would scare cast members by putting frogs in his mouth during breaks?
