Isaiah Edwards

Isaiah Edwards
Personal Information
Sex/Gender:	Male
Job/Career:	Miller, Miner, etc.
Series Information
Played by:	Victor French

Isaiah Edwards (also known as "Mr. Edwards") is a mountain man who first met the Ingalls family while they were living on the open prairies of Kansas. He helped them build their house and taught Laura, with whom he always had a special bond, how to spit, much to the displeasure of Caroline. When the Ingalls had to leave Kansas, they gave Isaiah the livestock that they couldn't take with them to Plum Creek, Walnut Grove.

The family settled in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Shortly after their arrival, Charles was picking up some merchandise for Nels Oleson when he found Isaiah drunk in a saloon. Persuaded to come to Walnut Grove, Isaiah stayed with the Ingalls for a little while but eventually got his own place. During this time, he met Grace Snider, his future wife. Prior to meeting Grace and the Ingalls, a disease killed both his wife and daughter, as he told Charles.

This tragedy led him to become an alcoholic, an addiction that would haunt him several times throughout his life.

Right after marrying Grace, the two adopted John Jr., Alicia, and Carl Sanderson, the three children of Julia Sanderson. The Edwards family shared many happy and tragic times. At one point, they moved to gold country with the Ingalls, but left after watching as greed destroyed the neighboring families.

The Edwards family left Walnut Grove after gold country, and Isaiah later owned a profitable logging empire. One day, when Alicia brought him lunch, she was nearly crushed by a falling log; Isaiah saved her but his legs were crushed.

Isaiah soon gave up on life, and Grace wrote the Ingalls for help. Charles and Laura came to visit him, but were at first unable to bring him out of his depression: Charles had to prevent his friend from committing suicide on two separate occasions. In order to snap him out of this state, Charles pretended to have a injury from a gun accident and Isaiah has to go for help.

Soon after this, Mr. Edwards was back to his normal self.

Pilot Movie

Mr. Edwards teaches Laura how to spit.

The Ingalls family first met Mr. Edwards when they settled in Kansas and Edwards was their closest neighbour. Edwards helped Charles build their house and formed a close bond with Laura, teaching her how to spit (much to the horror of Caroline, who didn't trust him.)

A teary Edwards farewells Laura after the Ingalls are forced to leave Kansas.

Edwards later risked his life by delivering Christmas presents to the Ingalls during a blizzard with nothing but his long-johns on. This made Caroline trust and respect him. When the Ingalls were forced by the government to leave Kansas a teary Edwards said goodbye to a deeply upset Laura while Charles and Caroline thanked him and gave him a few of their unneeded possessions (such as a cow).

Season 1

Mr. Edwards reunites with the Ingalls family at their new home.

While Charles was in Mankato picking up things for Mr. Oleson he bumped into a drunken Edwards in a saloon. After sobering him up Charles convinced him to come to Walnut Grove and visit the family. Edwards then promised Laura that he would stay in Walnut Grove and Charles helped him get a job at Hanson's Mill and Edwards lived with the family for a while.

Caroline tried to set him and widow Grace Snider up together however he was able to charm her all by himself. A major problem in him and Grace's relationship however was that Edwards didn't believe in God. Caroline found out this is because he was deeply depressed because he thought God let his wife and child,Alice die of Smallpox. However he came to ignore this and went to Church with Grace.

Mr. Edwards searches for Laura with Charles after she runs away.

A while later Mr. Edwards took care of Mary, Laura and Carrie when Caroline went with Charles to Mankato. Edwards told the children many tall tales and fed them the most oddest of foods (such as a rattlesnake stew).

Charles tends to Edwards after he is struck with typhus.

Season 2

Mr Edwards marries Grace.

Mountain Fever

Mr. Edwards has had two encounters with Mountain Fever, the first time it took the lives of his wife and daughter. The second time his daughter lived with the help of Laura Ingalls (she thought she caught it after having spots on her. It turned out to be poison ivy).

A possibility of how Edwards brought this to Alicia could be because he drank out of the same bottle that belonged a man with the fever, but this is just speculation.

In an attempt to bond with his oldest adopted son, Mr. Edwards buys an expensive Winchester rifle for the boy's birthday, thinking that the best way to bond would be upon common ground. Edwards thought that they should go hunting in the woods, but John Jr., who dislikes hunting, gives Edwards a note explaining his feelings. Unfortunately, Edwards can't read, but he pretends he can, then carries on with the hunting trip despite John Jr.'s apparent dismay. Edwards is soon attacked by a bear, and John Jr. is paralyzed with shock, unable to do what Edwards requested before he's able to run off to get help at Edwards' anguished request. Edwards recovers from the attack, and after John Jr. finds out his adoptive father can't read, the two bond.

Mr Edwards buys John. Jr a rifle in an attempt to bond with him.

Edwards is shocked after Charles tells him of the damage done to their farm.

Season 6

Mr Edwards makes a guest appearance on the 8th episode of this season in the episode called "The Return of Mr. Edwards" in which Mr Edwards is hurt by a falling tree and

*SPOILER* attempts to kill himself.

Season 9

After his falling out with Grace, Mr. Edwards returns to Walnut Grove and begins living there again on his own until the episode of the "Wild Boy" where he, Laura, Almanzo and Jenny Wilder meet a mute boy named Matthew Rogers. He was put on show as a Wild Boy and Jenny convinces them not to turn Matthew in after he escapes. Mr. Edwards takes Matthew to his house, cleans him up and Laura teaches them sign language because Matthew can't talk with his voice. When Matthew's "guardian" comes back to claim Matthew, Mr. Edwards fights for custody and wins in the end. (Episode 906: The Wild Boy (Part 1), (Episode 907: The Wild Boy (Part 2)

Matthew lives with Isaiah up until the last episode. Matthew becomes like another son to him-even though we don't really see Matthew until the last episode again, but it is said that Matthew appears in the two part episode "Home Again."

Edwards and Matthew Rogers

Matthew's biological father appears looking for him and wants to take him home. Matthew is hostile to his father and wants to stay with Isaiah but after a while, Matthew starts wondering about his dad after he drops by and gives him his mother's bible. Matthew then chooses to leave with his father and Mr. Edwards moves in the boarding house Laura and Almanzo run. (Episode 922: Hello and Goodbye)