| Joe Kagan | |
|---|---|
| |
| Personal Information | |
| Sex/Gender: | Male |
| Born: | ???? |
| Died: | ???? |
| Family/Relatives: | Tim Kagan (Son) |
| Spouse (s): | Janie Kagan (deceased, presumably) |
| Romances/Domestic partners: | Hester-Sue Terhune |
| Height | 6'1" |
| Weight | ???? |
| Hair Color: | Black |
| Eye Color: | Dark Brown |
| Job/Career: | Prizefighter, Miller, Janitor |
| Series Information | |
| Played by: | Moses Gunn |
| Appeared on/in: | Little House on the Prairie (TV series) |
| No. of episode apperances: |
5 in Seasons 4-7 |
| First episode appearance: | "The Fighter" (Season 4) |
Joseph "Joe" Kagan was one of the very few African-American residents of Walnut Grove. Kagan was a champion prizefighter until illness eventually all but ended his career. His obsession with winning one more bout cost him his marriage and his family. He moved to Walnut Grove to put up a challenge for one final fight but became exhausted and near-suicidal.
Charles Ingalls looked after Kagan for a few short months to set him straight and get his strength back by working for Mr. Hanson's mill. When Kagan finally regained his strength, he traveled to Springfield to secure a loan on a Walnut Grove property, only to find his own grown son Tim had followed in his father's footsteps. Joe faced Tim in a boxing match, defeating him. Kagan then retired from boxing forever. In the remaining years of his life he worked as a janitor for the blind schools in Mankato and Sleepy Eye.
Joe Kagan also had a fond relationship and friendship with Hester-Sue Terhune. The two of them together played an integral role in strengthening the diversity of Walnut Grove and breaking down racial barriers that previously existed with other townspeople (such as Harriet Oleson).
Behind the scenes[]
Joe was portrayed by Moses Gunn in all of his appearances on the NBC Little House on the Prairie television series.
Episode appearances[]
"The Fighter" (episode #10)
"Blind Journey (Part 1)" (episode #12) "Blind Journey (Part 2)" (episode #13) "Barn Burner" (episode #20)
"Make a Joyful Noise" (episode #15)