One of the main underlying themes in LHOP is the trouble caused by jerks and mean people. :mad: I was surprised when I started listing them how many there were! Can you add others? I know there are more!

John Stewart-alcoholic who beat his son Graham
Marshall Anders-tracked and shot the friendly Indian Lame Horse
Ebenezer Sprague-tightwad, grouchy banker
Mr. Applewood-teacher who picked on Laura
Mr. Watson-teacher who picked on young Charles in flashback
The Gallinder brothers-terrorized the town
Seth-picked on the Indian boy, Spotted Eagle
Dr. Logan-took over for Doc Baker and didn't care about anybody
Miss Peel-made Mary's life hell on her first teaching job
Mr. Webb-Sylvia's father and all-around jerk
Larrabee-jerk on barnburner episode
Mr. Harper-drunk who ignored his wife and kids until Charles stepped in
Todd Dortmunder-boy with chip on his shoulder who abused his grandparents
Bart Slater-school bully in the werewolf episode
Coach Ellerbee-tyrant football coach
Murphy-prejudiced jerk on the nitro-glycerine hauling job

Fortunately, a lot of these slobs learned a lesson and became decent!

O'Neill - the owner, and jerk, of the Feed n Seed, at least on that one episode. He took the Ingall's oxen because Charles got hurt and didn't finish stocking the grain by the allotted time, even though when Dr. Baker told him why Charles couldn't finish the job he apparently understood, but then took the ox anyway. He thought he was going to get away with it, because Charles was just one man, until the whole town started to help Charles stock the rest of the grain. Then he got nervous, knowing that all the town(and possible customers) were mad at him for what he did, though he never did help or nothing. Just blubbered to the townsfolk about how he wasn't really going to hold Charles to the rules in light of his accident.

Most of these people were never seen again after one episode! :lol:

There was also Matt Gray, who shut off the irrigation on the land Manly was planning to build a house and raise crops ("Laura Ingalls Wilder: Part I"; Season 7 premiere). Manly had a loan on the land and planned to pay it off with the money he got from the harvest. Obviously, it was part of a scheme to rip him off. Charles ended up punching Gray out at the end of the episode.

-the guys that sell Walnut Grove the tainted meat, knowing it was tainted
-I see Mr. Applewood was mentioned. How bout the older kid who was respsonsible for Miss Beadle's firing in the first place.
-Mr. Thompkins & son - made life a miseable hell for James & Cassandra
-bank robber who shot James, all of the bank robbers in general.
-Various kidnappers: Rose's kidnapper, Nels Oleson & others kidnapper, also the person who held Mary & Laura hostage at the blind school. I believe Laura encountered a similar incident in an episode called Rage in the 9th season?
-the phony Faith healer that stole alot of Rev. Alden's congregation.

and a few that redeemed themselves,

-Olga's father from "Town Party, Country Party", a very early ep.
-Adam's father, intolerant of the blind.

Probably a ton more that I can't think of, at least not right now.

Seth-picked on the Indian boy, Spotted Eagle
Miss Peel-made Mary's life hell on her first teaching job
Larrabee-jerk on barnburner episode
Fortunately, a lot of these slobs learned a lesson and became decent!

Ok, let me add in the indian boy episode, we also had his grandfather be a jerk to him as well. He was embarrassed and prejudiced against his own grandson simply for being an indian. Of course, in the end, he found the love he had for him.

The teaching job episode regarding Mary. Not only was Miss Peel a b*tch to Mary and spreading lies, but we have the father of the family with whom Mary was staying with. He called Mary a liar when she talked abt the invention of the telephone. We also have the father of the boy, I believe his name was Jacob (not sure) who was supposedly blinded by Mary and her "evil doings"...his father accused Mary of putting a hex of some sort on his son.

Larrabee was also a racist bastard who didn't want the black blind children to be in Walnut Grove and attend the new blind school. In a twist of fate, Mrs. Olsen defended the black children and made Larrabee look like the fool that he was.