‘Little House on the Prairie:’ Who Is Mr. Edwards?
The Ingalls weren’t alone in Walnut Grove. There was the Olsen family, who owned a general store. There was also Isaiah Edwards, known as “Mr. Edwards,” one of the closest friends of Charles Ingalls and his family.
Here’s what we know about the Little House on the Prairie character, Mr. Edwards and the actor who portrayed him for nine seasons, Victor French.
Who played Mr. Edwards on ‘Little House on the Prairie’?
French portrayed the Walnut Grove resident, Mr. Edwards, becoming a character regular of the series. Aside from Little House on the Prairie, this actor starred in shows like Gunsmoke, The Virginian, and Bonanza.
As a real-life best friend of Michael Landon, the actor behind Charles Ingalls, French joined the cast of this 1970s western series. According to AllVipp, this actor even had a role in writing several Little House on the Prairie episodes.
The actor was even inducted into the Great Western Performers Hall of Fame for “…the traditional Western ideals of honesty, integrity and self-sufficiency in career endeavors over a lifetime in film, television, radio or theatrical stage,” according to the Little House on the Prairie website.
Other cast members on this series included Melissa Gilbert, who portrayed the spunky middle child, Laura, and Melissa Sue Anderson, who portrayed the eldest Ingalls daughter, Mary. Karen Grassle portrayed Caroline Ingalls, the matriarch of the family.
Mr. Edwards was Charles Ingalls’ best friend during the series, ‘Little House on the Prairie’
As a resident of Walnut Grove, Mr. Edwards first met the Ingalls family on their journey to this town. He had some alcohol and gambling problems, but became sober thanks to Charles Ingalls and his family.
Caroline even tried to set him and widow Grace Snider. The two eventually hit it off and got married, later adopting and raising children together. For nine seasons, this character appeared alongside the Ingalls family, helping out and even working with Charles near their home. Mr. Edwards was also a close friend of the Ingalls daughters, comforting Laura after the loss of her horse.
Mr. Ingalls played a large role in the final ‘Little House on the Prairie’ episode
Many members of the Ingalls family left their home in Walnut Grove. That includes Charles and Caroline, who moved after Charles got a job in “the big city.” The last episode of the television series, however, titled “Hello and Goodbye” predominantly follows Mr. Edwards.
In this episode, Matthew, Isaiah’s foster child, is asked to leave Mr. Edwards when his biological father returns. Some characters then return for the 1984 television movie, Little House: The Last Farewell, where the series ended with a bang — literally.
