for now, the only thing we're growing on this farm is kids - not the goat variety

A Find for Ralph Moody (“Little Britches”) Fans

Fellow Ralph Moody fans, you won’t believe what we (actually my sleuthing husband) found! We just finished reading The Fields of Home, the 5th book in Moody’s autobiographical series. At this point in Ralph’s young teen-age years, he goes to spend some time with his abrasive maternal grandfather after getting kicked out of Medford, Massachusetts by the town sheriff. His grandfather lived just outside Lisbon Falls, Maine.

This book is full of trials of a different sort than what we’ve seen in the previous books. Here, Ralph’s trials are primarily relational ones – trials with an old, stubborn, prideful relative. There are lots of golden nuggets within the pages.

So what’s the “find”?

Well, in the book, Ralph helps his grandfather clear much of his rocky fields. Ralph even convinces his technology-shy grandfather to use dynamite to expedite the process. They pile the blasted rocks into rock walls along the edges of the fields.

In the beginning of the book, Ralph recalls his ferry trip from Boston to Bath, then the trip to Lisbon Falls where, just off of Main Street, a road would take him to his grandpa’s farm. We later learn that the farm was on a hill, the highest point for miles around.

Well, putting all these little bits together, Marathon found the farm on Google Maps! The farm is on Gould Road (Gould was the grandfather’s last name!) Once we saw “Gould Road” we were pretty sure we were hot on the trail. Then we saw the high point, and when we looked at the satellite view, we could see the rock walls – piles and piles of rock! A hundred years later, they are still there. I wonder who owns the property now and if they know about the book written about their land.

If you haven’t read any of Moody’s books, do so. You’re in for a treat.

The picture below is a view of the high field. Those white lines are the rock walls. The following picture is a close up of the rocks

125 Comments

  1. Nina

    Thank you so much for posting this! Ralph’s books and family stories are treasured in our home. It’s a treat to see the Gould Farm like this.

  2. Kim

    Thanks,
    Over the past 2 years we have been reading these autobiographies. We would get mad and then fell in love with grandpa. Even my 3 year old likes to listen. Of course we omit the harsh language.

  3. Wardeh @ Such Treasures

    This is so cool!

    I’ve only ever read Little Britches and Family Man. I really enjoyed them both and would like to read more.

    Love, Wardeh

  4. Milkmaid

    Wardeh, you won’t be disappointed with the later books. Oh, just thinking about it makes me want to jump into the the next book, but we’re currently doing a review of Bible history during our family story time. So for now, I’ll have to wait. 🙂

  5. Patrick Garrett

    Thanks so much for your references to Ralph Moody. I have read all of the books in the series and can never seem to learn enough. My journey with Moody’s “Little Britches” began when I was in Fifth Grade in Airway Heights, Washington. Our teacher read the book to us and I was hooked. That was in 1971, while Ralph was still living. Man, if the internet had existed then like it does today, what a difference it would have made. At various times over the years, I’ll get the bug and attempt to dig a little deeper. Just today, I came across a publicity picture of Ralph for a speaking engagement and two letters he wrote to the organizers. I’ve included that link and the one from Littleton, CO, which I’m sure you’ve probably already read. There’s a picture there as well with a couple of his friends from the books. About 5 years ago, I took my two children and wife out to Littleton to see the area Ralph talks about in his books. I just loved it and was ready to stay. Anyway, If; you ever need anyone to bounce ideas off of, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m sure we’d both learn something. Thanks again, Patrick Garrett

    • Steve Murphy

      @Patrick Garret. I too am a Ralph Moody fan. I managed to contact Ralph’s youngest sister, Elizabeth, and received a nice letter from her. I also contacted one of Ralph’s daughters because I was interested in seeing any family photos she might want to share. Unfortunately, she and a brother had had a negative experience with a similar inquiry a number of years earlier and did not want to share anything. Over the years I’ve found a few artifacts from other Moody fans and carefully bookmarked them. If you are interested, I could share with you or anyone else interested.
      — Steve Murphy

      • Cathy

        Hi, Steve –
        I would be interested in any info about Mr. Moody that you could send via email. I’m only 3 books into the series and have fallen in love with them! In a google search, I made the most amazing discovery: there is a Ralph Moody Elementary School in Littleton Colorado! And it’s a School of Excellence. I don’t know if it was built before Mr. Moody died, but what a tribute!
        – Cathy

      • Dave Long

        Have read and enjoyed Ralph’s books for years now. Years ago, I had the pleasure of being in contact with someone who knew him personally when he lived in the California Bay Area and was told some of his characters were real and some figments of his imagination. Either way, very well done and very enjoyable. I have always wondered though as to what happened to his children. If anyone knows, please comment as over the years, I’ve never been able to find anything.
        Thank you

      • Rhoda

        I would be interested in whatever you have found. My 10 year old wants to do his “research” paper on Ralph Moody. It is actually what we call the Faces of History in our writing program. We are finding little information, so anything you can provide us with will be helpful and very interesting to us. He loved the first book in the series and we’ve ordered the second one.

      • Darrel Brooks

        Hello, my family loves this series and would be very interested in any information that you have found. Why didn’t he inherent the farm? Was Lonnie or his family ever found. Thank you. brooks_darrel@yahoo.com

        • Debbie Officer

          I’ve also wondered why he left Grandpa Thomas farm. What a wonderful series! We’ve adopted a large family and have gone through the books many times with each new group of kids.

      • Martina Niggli

        Hi Steve,
        I am a big Ralph Moody fan! I read these books in my age of 12 years, that’s now 33 years ago, in the german language.
        Now 33 later I found these, for me never forgotten books again in the original language. My boys made the same experience like I, they couldn’t stop to read until the whole series was finished and started again to read it.
        We would be so delighted, if we would know more about the Moody family.
        Would you still share your knowledge?
        That would be so nice!
        Thank you very, very much!
        Martina Niggli

      • Heather West

        Hi Steve. I would like to read whatever information you have on Ralph Moody and his family. We fell in love with Ralph’s dad. We are three books into the series and have been greatly touched by the virtues of the people in Ralph’s life.

    • April Thornton

      We just finished reading the 1st book and are going to be in Colorado next month. We want to visit the Moody homesite, but I can’t find any information on it anywhere online. Were you able to locate that?

    • Jeff

      I like you read his book in Jr High. It was Little Britches. I sure would have loved to have met him. I have since read the whole series. Also he wrote other novels as well. I have one The Riders of the Pony Express.

  6. Gregg

    Like Mr. Garrett, I became hooked on the Little Britches series of books when my teacher read two of the books to the class (Little Britches and Man of the Family) when I was in the 3rd grade. That was back in 1965, when Mr. Moody was still living. Since I lived in Maine at the time, I took it upon myself to read Fields of Home, which took place in the next town over (I lived in Topsham and the Gould farm was in Lisbon Falls). Being an industrious little fellow, I decided to send Mr. Moody a letter and invite him to my house in Topsham. Sure enough, within a few weeks I received a reply from Mr. Moody with fond memories of selling potatoes with his grandfather in Topsham, and he even recited a song about “potatoes they grow small in Topsham, and they eat them tops and all in Topsham”. That began a long friendship with Mr. Moody that continued for many years. Although I was never fortunate enough to meet him in person (even though he always promised to stop by on his next visit to the old farm), we corresponded through letters, traded pictures, and sent Christmas cards. It was a wonderful experience for a 9 year old boy, and he was everything and more that he portrayed in the books. I still have all of the correspondence and if anyone is ever interested in seeing any of it, please send my an email at ggreen7@yahoo.com and I will be glad to share it. Ralph Moody was a class act and one of a kind.

    • Veronica

      We are curious to know why he left grandfather’s farm. Do you know?

  7. Dr. Iris St. John

    Thanks so much for the pictures of Gould Farm! I first read Ralph Moody’s books when I was in high school in the 1960s, and have reread them several times over the years. In fact, I’m just finishing the final book in his autobiographical series right now. It’s been a joy to read them again.

    There are several questions that are haunting me as I finish the series, and I’ve been unable to find the answers: When Ralph’s father died, why didn’t his mother take the children to live at Gould Farm? Since her own father was alone, it would have seemed a good option. Also, why did Ralph leave Gould Farm? At the end of “The Fields of Home,” he makes it clear that he has come to see the farm as his home. So, what made him leave? If anyone knows the answers, I would be most appreciative to hear them! My e-mail address is: saintiris1@cs.com
    Sincerely, Dr. Iris St. John

    • Michelle

      Did you ever get any answers to your questions? I am curious to know, too. Thank you in advance. Michelle Crippen

      Memheidi@gmail.com

      • Kirsten

        There was a Gould grandson that took over, the house burned down in the ’40s and he rebuilt it…he also authored books about the gould farm. Don’t remember his first name now though, he died in the early 2000’s..born 1905

        • Reidun

          Would this be R. E. Gould, who wrote Yankee Boyhood, Yankee Drummer and Yankee Storekeeper? Totally interested in reading these now!

  8. Don Seeley

    My son was having some “character issues” and I rather than lecturing, I decided to read Little Britches to him (he’s a good reader and reads on his own, but we’ve had a tradition of me reading to him at bedtime since he was in kindergarten). I had my own problems with honesty at his age and this book was instrumental in getting me to rethink some things.

    I wasn’t sure he’d take to it, but he was hooked right away. It also helped him understand my similar background, as I was born in the East and lived on a ranch in the Colorado mountains as an early teen.

    I think we’re now ready to follow Ralph and his family into the next book.

    Thanks for sharing your research!

  9. Gabriel McNair

    I am 7 years old. My dad read all seven of Ralph’s books to me. The books were brought closer to me by seeing the map. Thank you.

  10. Milkmaid

    Hi Gabriel,

    Great to hear from you! You’re a lucky boy to have a dad who reads to you like that, and to have heard these stories at such a young age. Our family is almost done with the series — over half-way through the last book. We’re all hearing these stories for the first time. Boy, Ralph sure had a lot of ups and downs!

    Have you read any of Ralph Moody’s fiction books? We have not, but I bet they are very good.

    Thanks for commenting!

  11. Elizabeth R

    I was so pleased to see others appreciate these books! My mother read the first four of these books to us six kids in the early 1960’s in the evenings with us all sprawled on her bed all over her bedroom. Ralph’s economic troubles, resilience and persistence are somewhat reminiscent of our hard scrapping childhood, too. It is good to know we are not alone in lifes struggles. My Mother’s editions seemed old in the late 1960’s. When were the first editions printed? I really did not know they were so popular and broadly read, since I am only now looking to locate a set to purchase for my grandson to read aloud to him. I am interested in finding more information on the actual location of other establishments in the stories.

    • sergio perez

      Hi!
      I just invested about $120.00 buying the whole series.
      the quality of the print is not the best but it is still a good investment.
      we read some of the books to our five children and now my son is showing interest and since his family is starting to grow with his first child I’m intending to giving them the collection.
      If you google you can find places were you can buy all the books. unfortunately couldn’t find them hard cover.
      Sergio Perez

  12. Mark Kislingbury

    Thank you for your photos and Ralph Moody information.

    I’m sorry to report to all the Ralph Moody fans that the Google photo you have produced was definitely not on the same farm as Ralph’s grandfather, Thomas Gould. For one, it’s on the wrong side of the road, and too far. I visited the farm in the 1990’s when an elderly couple whose last name started with “F” lived there, and the woman invited me in and showed me books and photos proving I was indeed in the same house, and farm, as in the book. She told me the house was rebuilt in the 1930’s after being burned down. But the house matches drawings in the inside covers of early copies of “The Fields of Home.”

    The fields you have located are northwest of the farm, and north of Gould Road. The Gould farm rests on the south side of Gould Road.

    On a different trip, after a lot of searching, I was able to locate the “granite outcropping” on the farm! This was a great find!

    Ralph fans please feel free to contact me. Maybe we can exchange information. I have personally visited a number of sites Ralph mentions in his books.

    Sincerely,

    Mark Kislingbury
    Houston, Texas
    rtexcellence@aol.com

    • Kim

      Do you have any information on his Kansas sights? I drove through the hills a few years ago but never pinned down the actual farms/sights.

  13. Lesly McDevitt

    I did not read these as a child, but I read the whole series to my first 6 kids before internet was prevalent. Now I’m reading them to my last, much-younger son and having just finished Fields of Home I just HAD to look up “Thomas Gould” online. I’m wondering what others have, what happened between Fields of Home & Shaking the Nickel Bush? Why did Ralph leave – did Grandfather die? I’d LOVE to see any pictures. (I often print such & tuck them inside the book – as with Little House books).

    • Joy

      I think Ralph explained it at the beginning of Shaking the Nickel Bush. As far as I can tell, just after Fields of Home ended the War began and Ralph went to enlist but couldn’t. Then he went to work in a war plant and in the end was diagnosed with diabetes. Then he had to move back west to Arizona.

  14. Rozann

    Just recently I was looking up places in Medford, MA that are mentioned in Mary Emma and Company. Thanks for posting this and thanks for all the interesting comments. In Shaking the Nickel Bush, Ralph mentions that he worked in a munitions factory prior to going to Arizona. I don’t know exactly what happened except that he probably wanted/needed to earn more money or responded to the War effort. He was truly a marvelous man. I have read his Little Britches series to my four boys and re-read them for my own pleasure. He wrote many non-fiction works also and they are just as good. He was a talented writer.

  15. Jacob tito

    I am reading a book called “the house that Jacob built” it is all about the Gould farm. I am 99% sure it is the same farm and that John Gould the author is related to Ralph moody…

    • Dawn Michel

      Jacob, I recently discovered the Gould connection between Ralph Moody and John Thomas Gould, who was Ralph’s cousin. Franklin, the son whom Thomas chased off the farm (according to Uncle Levi), was John’s father. John Gould was also an author of some renown (The House that Jacob Built, Europe on Saturday Night, Maine Lingo are a few of his titles). As far as I have discovered, John Gould owned the farm, and he and his wife rebuilt the structure after it burned (n the night his wife gave birth to their first child). I do not know if any Gould descendants still own the farm.

      On another note, another famous Maine author is linked to the Gould family. Stephen King, who attended Lisbon Falls High School, worked for John Gould at the Lisbon Enterprise (newspaper). Interesting!

      • Shannon

        Thank-you!!! This is the most believable explanation I have heard of.

  16. Kate

    Lesly, I’m also wondering why Ralph left the farm–probably because of WWI. The Fields of Home closes with him fifteen years old (c.1913). He applied to the military at the beginning (?) of the war, but was turned down due to his leaky heart and/or the fact that he was supporting his family. During World War One he worked in a munitions factory 80-90 hours a week and developed incipient diabetes. He was sent to the Southwest to improve his health. That’s the setting for Shaking the Nickel Bush, The Dry Divide, and Horse of a Different Color.

  17. Bill Bright

    Ralph Moody & his books have always been special to me. When I was in 6th grade at E.M. Grimmer Elementry School during 1962-1963 in Fremont, California, our teacher Mrs. Tarr would always read his books to us. Mrs. Tarr even had Ralph come into our classroom for us to meet & read to us from one of his books, and he even told us some other stories that weren’t in the book !!! Yes, I have special memories of Ralph Moody [and Mrs. Tarr]. I read his books over & over every chance I get.

    • Deborah Tyler

      Amazing because I went to Tom Maloney Elementary School in Fremont in 1962-1968 and then to Centerville Jr. Hi and then Washington graduating 75. We did not read the books but I wish we had. I found them when homeschooling my 6 kids and read them through twice to them. My husband and I are reading them aloud to each other now for the second time (the kids are grown and gone .) I would love to hear of the other stories Mr Moody told you. Thanks, Deborah Brewton Tyler debbityler@gmail.com.

  18. Alan Beattey

    I read the first three Little Britches books around 1957 when I was in junior high school and some of the later works more recently.

    An Amazon.com review about one of Ralph’s books lead me to looking for information on John Gould, a writer, and I found his obituary at http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0903/p18s04-hfjg.html . From that it is clear that John Gould is a first cousin to Ralph Moody, the son of Uncle Frank in “Mary Emma and Company”. Once that connection is established the rest of the article fills in a gap or two. Ralph’s grandfather, Thomas Gould lived until 1929.

    Professions sometimes run in families, but it is interesting that two first cousins born 10 years apart were well published writers. It would be interesting to know if any of Mary Emma’s other seven siblings, or their decedents were writers.

  19. Mike Edwards

    Alan, I am a distant cousin to Ralph Moody and the Gould family. Ralph’s cousin, John Gould, was the only one that I had any personal connection to. I have never been to Maine, but there are several other authors in the family that you might find interesting. John was a “teller of tall tales”; many of his stories were based on fact, but with good-natured embellishment. Some of his characters that he mentions are composites of various relatives. Some of the other reading available includes “A Maine Man In The Making”, by Franklin F Gould (John’s dad, Ralph’s uncle)plus 2 books written by Ralph Gould (Frank and Mary Emma’s older brother), “Yankee Storekeeper” and “Yankee Drummer”. Frank’s book is, in my opinion, the best for those who want facts pertaining to the farm and family. As for the farm, the original house burned around 1920, and John and his wife Dottie built a replica of it on the same site in the late 1940’s, it is this house that you see today. The farm remained in the family until 1973…

  20. Mike Edwards

    To answer a few more questions about Ralph and his family; Ralph left the farm and moved back to Medford around 1915-16. His mother, Mary Emma, had found work as a school teacher, but was still having difficulty supporting herself and her children. In addition, her brother Frank and his family had moved to Freeport, Maine, and so were no longer nearby to help her. Ralph needed to make more money than he could on the farm, even though he worked some odd jobs around Lisbon Falls (including driving a hearse for Fred Crosman, the local undertaker). Tom Gould lived alone on the farm then until his death in 1929. In his will, he left the farm in equal shares to his grandsons, with the hope that one of them would buy it; Frank’s oldest son, John, bought out the other grandsons. The house had burned (flu fire) around 1920, but John built a nearly exact replica of it on the original footprint. (After his house burned, Tom built a small log house next to the ruin). He and his wife lived here until they retired in the early 70’s, when they sold it to a family that still owns it today. Ralph moved back to Massachusets after his wife, Edna, died in the early 70’s. His mother, Mary Emma, was still living then, and she passed in ’74 at the age of 102. Ralph then lived with his younger sister, Elizabeth, in Shirley, MA, until his death in June of ’82.

  21. Mike Edwards

    I meant to include this on my last post; it is a link to an aerial map of the Gould Farm near Lisbon Falls. From this, you can see that, sadly, the forest has reclaimed most of the fields. However, if you pan down and to the right, you can still see the stone field-walls snaking among the trees.

    http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=rb3ppq94vhcw&lvl=18.476127079301044&dir=10.781010067956685&sty=b&where1=51%20Gould%20Rd%2C%20Lisbon%20Falls%2C%20ME%2004252&form=LMLTCC

    • JulieFullmer

      Thank you so much Mr. Edwards for your information. We have spent many hours laughing and crying with the books!

  22. Patrick Garrett

    I’ve provided an updated link to the one I shared before.

    I would be interested in learning more information about Ralph and his life and family. Several years ago, I devoted quite a bit of time to researching about Ralph and where his father Charlie was buried in Denver. I also searched for a grave for Ralph and while unsubstantiated, came to the conclusion that Ralph was cremated and his ashes scattered or held privately.

    I did find and talk to his youngest sister Elizabeth in Massachusetts, where he lived until his death. She was elderly and I believe has since passed on. I simply thanked her for her brother’s work and saluted her family whom I felt like I knew.

    Here’s an idea for a young fan of Ralph Moody (or young at heart). I’d be willing to help if I can. How about creating an internet tour of Ralph’s books using maps and whatever other information is available online?

    I’ve learned via this blog about where the Gould Farm was in Maine via Google Maps, albeit it was actually across the road according to someone who has been there. I’d love to see photos of these places.

    What I’d really love to see (and own if ever given the chance) is one of the plaster sculptures/busts that Ralph created in Shaking the Nickel Bush.

    If anyone would ever like to cooperate on something like this, shoot me an email to pggarrett@hotmail.com.

    Thanks,
    Patrick Garrett

  23. Kim Beckham

    I am hoping someone here can help with this question. I grew up on these books, loved them. Loved the resourcefulness and that feeling I’d come home when I read them. I grew up in Ohio, but now live in Massachusetts. I have read that Ralph Moody lived in nearby Shirley until his death in 1982, but cannot find where he is buried. Shirley Historical Society tells me he is not buried in Shirley. Does anyone know where?

    Thank you
    Kim

    • R. Low and P. Low

      My husband loved Ralph Moody too. A recent trip to Maine (a bucket list item for him bc of the books) had me researching places to visit.
      We made a trip to Lisbon Falls and hunted for the old homesite and rock walls. I wish I had found all of this before we left!
      We did visit the Hillside Cemetery in Lisbon Falls and found the family burial plots and a precious reminder of this family that means so much to all of us.
      Thomas’s memorial: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43220650/thomas-jordan-gould)
      Jacob’s memorial:
      https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43220604/jacob-gould

      I have looked in several places trying to find Ralph’s final resting place. But it was so heartwarming to pay our respects and to visit the area.

      Of course, I will dig deeper now that I have more clues. I’m so happy to have found this website and the comments.

    • David

      I am late to this, but the find a grave website shows him being buried at Union Cemetery in Claremont , New Hampshire.

      The listing includes his newspaper obituary, and listings of burial information other family members

  24. mary

    My 5th grade teacher read Ralph Moody’s book to the class and we were fortunate enough to have him come visit us. That is Still one of my favorite memories of school; over 40 years ago.

    • Kieran L Rich

      Hi Mary,
      Did you, by chance, go to Littleton Public Schools in Littleton, CO?

      If so, was Mrs. Lois Barton that 5th grade teacher who read to your class?

      I know this is a long shot; but, I had to ask. My 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Barton, at LPS’ South Elementary school, read those books to my class.

      South Elementary is now called Ralph Moody Elementary.

      I hope you eventually read this. Again, a long shot, since your original post was written nearly a decade ago.

  25. Elizabeth

    I just love reading Ralph’s books and I decided last night that I wanted to visit his home in Colorado sometime, but then I figured that it was all torn down. Well, this is close to it! I’m so excited! I wish I could just fly out there and visit it. I think Ralph is my favorite author, and I like a lot of authors! Thanks!

  26. JMo

    Wow, your find gave me chill bumps. Thank you so much for sharing with us!! I love all of Moody’s stories, but I think my all time favorite will always be Little Britches, it still clinches my heart when I think of or re-read it, the last two paragraphs get me every time. “That first supper was the most memorable meal of my life… Father had always said grace before meals; always the same twenty-five words, and the ritual was always the same. Mother would look around the table to see that everything was in readiness; then she would nod to Father. That night she nodded to me, and I became a man.” The coming of age is how I always describe this book to people followed by you must read it; the unity, love, and devotion of family, perseverance and integrity from this book is something every needs to connect with. Thank you again for sharing your find of the old Gould farm, you put a smile on my face.

  27. Alexandra

    Like all of you, as a Ralph Moody fan, I just can’t help but want to find out more about his life and visit one of the places he mentions in his books. My 6.5 and 8.5 y/o’s are just as enthusiastic as I am about his stories and life. And we live only 10 minutes from Shirley, MA! I would love to know where he last lived, if anything just to take a drive over and show the kids. And to pay our respects to where his final resting place…but I guess we don’t have that info. If anyone know’s his younger sister’s married name, I might be able to research it. To me, Ralph Moody was an American hero and I wish they would read his books in the public schools today.

  28. Juana Mikels

    Ralph Moody’s books (esp. Little Britches) brings tears to my eyes for the memories it gave our family of studying the days of yesteryear piled up high on our king-sized bed, night after night of our boys begging for one more chapter (and girls) This summer I’m reading it to our blind daughter who missed the first time, and we will conclude it this week! Thank you, Ralph for taking a stab at writing at 50! What a legacy you left all of us! Hi to all the Ralph Moody fans. I’ll be blogging about Little Britches as soon as we finish or just before. I might be too teary afterward!

  29. David Paul

    Great stuff! Great Book. Question: In Wagon Wheels West Moody describes sculpting busts of bank presidents to finance his trip west with the cowboy. Do any of the pieces of art survive?

    • Kristy

      I would love to know the answer to this, too, since I am from this part of Arizona!!

  30. Julie Wenger

    My husband grew up on Ralph Moody’s books, and is now sharing them with me. We are just finishing Horse of a Different Color. I have been researching the internet for info to fill in the gaps between books, and other unanswered questions. So thankful to have great answers here!

  31. Elizabeth Howard Poe

    I am thrilled to find this site. So far I have only read Fields of Home (several times). I live on a farm in Michigan and remember my dad discussing the Yeller Colt with a neighbor who had also had draft horses. I love Ralph Moody and the Goulds and am also a fan of Gladys Hasty Carroll who was born in 1904 and grew up in York County, Maine and has written extensively about Maine farm life during the same period that Ralph was living there. Her grandfather was also frugal. I wonder if they ever met each other or if any of you have also read any of her books. Elizabeth Howard Poe

  32. Adolfo Perez

    Que gusto de encontrar este sitio web. Yo he leido los libros de Ralph Moody en los 60s. Existe una versión en español, editado en Argentina en 1957 y de allí pasó a Bolivia (donde yo vivo)y fue como un tesoro familiar.

    La versión en español es “La tierra Heredada” (The Fields of Home) y aparece como “Rodolfo Moody”. En esta versión muchos de los nombres están cambiados: Rodolfo Moody o “Rolfito” es Ralph Moody; Tomás Gould, es Tom Gould; Maruja Durkin, es la ama de casa; Anita Littlehale es la vecina y novia de Rolfito, y finalmente el tio Leví, el tio bueno de 64 años.

    Tambien es interesante el potro Bayo y Sabela, la perra del abuelo.

    Es una obra encantadora, se ha convertido en una especie de referente en mi vida de adolescente. Ahora soy arqueólogo y me encantaría conocer todos los lugares que se menciona en el libro. Agradezco sinceramente por esta investigación de la ubicación de la granja, y espero de todo corazón que realmente sea exacta, y si no lo es, que importa, sabemos que ha existido en algún punto entre Lisbon Falls y el río Androscoggin.

    Quiero pedirles un favor, ¿alguien puede enviarme un link o el libro original en ingles The Fields of Home?

    Muchas gracias, realmente estoy feliz porque existen personas como ustedes seguidores de la obra de R. Moody.

    • Robin Morales Cabral

      Gracias Adolfo!
      Mi mama fue Edna Moody Morales, la hija de Ralph. Pocos personas saben que el pudo leer y escribir en Español tambien 🙂

      • Adolfo Pérez

        Estimado Robin:
        ¿En serio? ¿Podría contarme un poco sobre ese detalle? No tenía la mínima idea sobre ese aspecto.

        • Robin Morales Cabral

          Yes, Grandpa realized a personal goal to learn Spanish. His library reflected literature in that language and I learned the hard way Mom had way more comprehension than she ever let on 🙂 p.s. Tengo copias del libro.

          • Laura Rodriguez Wall

            Hola Robin, dices que tienes el libro en español de “La Tierra Heredada”? Yo he traducido casi todo el libro de “Little Britches” mientras lo leo a mis niños. Es muy buen libro, y como tengo 4 hijos chiquitos, les fascina la vida de Ralph. Hay manera para conseguir copias aquí en los Estados Unidos? Saludos y gracias.

          • Nancy

            A nuestra familia nos encanta leer los libros de Ralph Moody. Los tenemos en inglés, pero me gustaría compartirlos en español con mis chiquitos. ¿Dónde los puedo conseguir en español?

          • Robin Morales Cabral

            I am so sorry. I lost track of this site and left comments unresponded. I’ll follow up soon regarding available translations, etc. in the event there is still interest.

          • Adolfo Perez

            Estimado Robin, por supuesto que mantenemos el interes y le agradeceria que me de noticias de traducciones. En estos dias de cuarentena estoy volviendo a leer mi libro favorito “La tierra heredada” (The Fields of Home) y siempre lo encuentro fascinante. Muchas gracias por comartir informacion.

          • Laura Linnell

            Hi Robin. I just found this site for fans of your grandfather’s books, and I’m so excited that there are people who know of him and love his books as much as I do. I see it’s been a long time since you posted, but I’m hoping that somehow you’ll see this and jump back in to the conversation. I’m so curious about what happened to the rest of the family, how they weathered the flu epidemic of 1918, and is there any information at all about Ralph’s father’s family. He mentioned in one of his books that his dad’s parents were deaf and mute, but no mention of siblings. And I wonder if Charles’ parents knew he had died in Colorado, or maybe they were already deceased? So many questions! Thanks for any info you can share.

      • R and P Low

        What a pleasure it is to see your comments here!
        Your family means so much to so many strangers.
        We were reading the comments here and my husband remembered Ralph learning Spanish to be able to talk to his friend Paco.

  33. Carin Buckel

    I’m thrilled to find others who love Mr. Moody’s books as much as I do! My dad once mentioned that the Little Britches bookseller were his favorite so I sought them out and have read them again and again. I think they should be required reading for all young people. Few nowadays understand his admirable work ethic, and whenever I feel lazy I try to remember his father’s words.

  34. Ellen Fiskum Martwick

    Delighted to find this site. It has answered many of my questions about Mr Moody’s life after his marriage. My mother read these books to my brothers and I in the late 50’s. I just finished “Horse of a Different Color”. Mr Moody is one of my favorite authors and am so grateful for the values he exemplified.

  35. Barb

    Read the summary of Ralph Moody’s life on the town of LIttleton’s page. It fills in some gaps.

    https://www.littletongov.org/index.aspx?page=319

    • Toni

      link is not longer viable

  36. Stephen Long

    My first experience with Ralph Moody was when my mother offered “Little Britches” to me at about 10 years of age in 1960. I was pretty selective about my reading choices but when I started reading about a young man and seeing the world from the perspective of someone close to my age it captivated me. It still does today.
    The “Fields of Home ” will always be my favorite book even as Ralph Moody remains my favorite author to this day.

  37. Bfamx

    Thank you all so much for your posts. My husband grew up on the Little Britches series, and had passed his love for the books on to me and our two (now teenaged) children. We live in Colorado and have visited Ralph Moody sites there and in Cedar Bluffs Kansas. We are currently visiting Maine and, thanks to these posts, tracked down the Gould farm in Lisbon Falls! We talked to the current owner (the son-in-law of the couple who bought it from John Gould). He was very nice and let us walk back to one of the stone walls. We tried, based on his directions, to find the granite outcrop, but it was really overgrown and we weren’t able to. It is very dense and wooded, it gave us great appreciation for what it must have taken to clear and farm this land. We found a whole bunch of strawberries in the undergrowth and wondered if we were walking across the field where grandfather and Ralph planted strawberries. This was a great stop for our family, and inspired us to download Fields of Home from iTunes to listen to as we travel through Maine!

  38. Dan Suthers of Gould Rd Lisbon Falls Maine

    I grow up just down the road from the Gould farm that Ralph Moody writes about in Fields of Home. In fact the piece of property my parents own borders the old Gould Farm starting from the Gould Rd and going back to the southern boundaries of both parcels . I have heard about the Moody book but have not read it (I soon will), however I am familiar with the setting and some of the stories. Having not read the book I don’t know specific descriptions of the landscape that were given but I do know the satellite images of the rock walls posted on this site are NOT part of the old Gould Farm. The Gould Farm is not the highest point in the area, and the satellite images of the rock walls are not even from a farm on the Gould Rd, but rather the Ridge Rd. On the first image at the top of the page the Gould Farm can be found by going from Route 9 following the Gould Rd east (right), at the curve/bend in the road the old Gould Farm is the first clearing starting at that curve and to the South (or under side) of the Gould Rd. Upon closer examination one will see the clearing consists of an old apple orchard close to the road and a field behind that. These are the only remaining fields left on the farm. Although the elevation of this property is not as high as the Ridge Rd farm there still is plenty of ledge on the property, and many moderately high( approx 3 ft) stone walls do exist on the property, but are hidden from satellite view by the forest that has grown up. I know the specific area very well as I spent a great deal of time in those woods as I was growing up. If this site is still being viewed I would be happy to answer and questions about the lay of the land.

    • Jennifer Grant

      I’ve always wished to know what happened to Ralph’s siblings, especially Grace.

      • Carol Simpson

        Me too! In fact, I ended up at this page because I was trying to find out whatever happened to Ralph’s siblings. I read all the books to the youngest of my seven kids, all homeschooled, and wished I had read them to the others. I gave the set to that son for his 12th birthday. (We had only read 1 or 2 of them at that point.) He snatched them up and hugged them and burst into tears, he was happy! That’s the impact that these books had on a young man’s heart.

      • Joy

        Same here!
        I don’t know what happened in the middle of her life, I do know she eventually married a man called Philip Bemis, a cousin of Ed Bemis mentioned in Man of the Family.
        She also lived to be 101, which is really cool!

    • Gretchen

      Our family is currently vacationing in Maine (near Acadia), and reading The Fields of Home again for the umpteenth time : ) We are huge Ralph Moody fans, and I thought it would be fun to try to sniff out where the farm is on our way home this Saturday. I went searching online and soon found myself on this site! Thank you Harrison Farm for posting this, thanks to everyone who chimed in down here in the comments, and thank you Dan Suthers for the correction on the exact location. Looking forward to checking it out! (Also have family roots in the area, as my mother’s grandparents had a farm not too many miles away at about the same time period.)

  39. Richard

    I was introduced to Ralph Moody in the early 60s and have read them numerous time. Have read most of them to my three children when they were little and re-read them for myself every few years. I stared collecting 1st editions of his series back in the 80’s (before the internet) and was fortunate to have found one of each of his Little Britches series. I plan on purchasing a copy of the new publication series for each of my children’s families so they can read them aloud the my grand children.
    They are an American treasure as is Raplh Moody!

  40. Richard

    I was introduced to Ralph Moody in the early 60s and have read them numerous time. Have read most of them to my three children when they were little and re-read them for myself every few years. I started collecting 1st editions of his series back in the 80’s (before the internet) and was fortunate to have found one of each of his Little Britches series. I plan on purchasing a copy of the new publication series for each of my children’s families so they can read them aloud the my grand children.
    They are an American treasure as is Raplh Moody!

  41. Tim

    I am also wondering…What did happen with the other kids?

    Thanks!

  42. christy

    Thank you- This was indeed a find! We just finished the last book and are wandering around the house, wishing there was more about his raising his 3 kids in Kansas City, and living his older hears in such different times- he died in 1982.

  43. Drew

    It has been several years since you posted this, and I just wanted to say thank you. I just finished the Fields of Home. The satellite map on Google Maps has changed since you posted. There is now a lot of folliage (trees/bushes) growing on the rock walls, but if you look at it in GoogleMaps’s terrain view (it shows elevation), you can see the rock walls clear as day. No other farm in the area has walls dense enough to see in the terrain view. Also, if you follow Ralph’s instructions at the beginning of the book, “Mother had told me that the easiest way to find Grandfather’s farm was to go up the main street, follow straight ahead for three miles, then turn up the hill road when I came to a big three story brick house.” Now, it seems to me that writing this as an adult, he may have exaggerated numbers (or his mom did), since Gould Road is two miles up the main street from the train tracks in Lisbon Falls. Or their could have been some dirt roads that are no longer in existence. If you use google’s street view you can find a a 2 story brick house (which looks old enough) another quarter of a mile up main street from the Gould Road intersection. Even if you go all the way up Main Street the full three miles, the farm with the rock walls is straight west of there.

  44. Drew

    Here is a link to Grandpa Gould’s gravesite.
    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=43220650&PIpi=22512552

    • marathon

      Thanks for that!

    • KURT WREBEL

      Thank you so much for posting this link. I never thought I’d ever get to see a photograph of Ralph’s grandfather, Thomas Gould. Even his suit looks a little too big for him as described in the book.

  45. Peggy from Porcupine

    Thank you for this post. It is so nice to find something ‘different’ about Mr. Moody. He & I corresponded off and on for years until just before died. I have one of the series in my library sent to me and autographed by him and a lovely piece of jewellery he sent me as a wedding gift. I often wonder about his family – are his children still alive? When did Edna die? etc.

  46. Ken Smucker

    We read the Ralph Moody books to our kids as they were growing up, but we have often found ourselves rereading them when they visit us as now-grown adults. A lady in our Sunday School class (a ‘kindred spirit’) recalls meeting with Ralph Moody in a nursing home in California. Two of our daughters live in the Denver area. On one visit there, we took a picture of Charlie and Mary Moody’s headstone in a local cemetery. Another nice treat of that visit was to drink tea in the main room of the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.

    • Abigail Smucker

      Charles and Mary Moody are laid to rest at the Fairmount Cemetery in Aurora, Colorado. It is located on S. Quebec Street near Alameda Avenue. If you go to the office and ask for plot directions, they will give you a map and highlight the plot you are looking for. We did not know Mary was buried next to Charles until we looked up his grave site, because at the time we were reading the books (1980’s), she was still alive!

  47. Sue Burney

    Does anyone know if Ralph ever saw Hi again after they left Colorado?

    • Lisa Rohrer Sawyer

      When I was 15 years old Ralph Moody’s legacy was still with me and my family growing up in Morrison, Colorado. I guess I felt the need to tell him that and wrote him three times in the spring of 1978 and he wrote me back! Since I am unable to copy and paste in this forum I will share what he wrote in the first letter.

      Dear Lisa,
      The good letter that you wrote me on January 28 and mailed in care of W.W. Norton Company, has just caught up with me here in California.

      If you’d written that letter to me last year instead of this, I’d have looked you up when I was in Morrison last August.

      My youngest sister, Elizabeth (not yet born when we lived on the Morrsion Road west of Fort Logan) came from Boston and met me in Littleton for the annual “Homecoming Celebration”. Then we spent several days in driving around to the places that I used to know so well when I was a boy — but which she had never seen. Among other things, I took her to what is now Red Rocks Park, but was then just the Red Rocks – but even more beautiful then than now. Then we drove up Bear Creek Canyon to Evergreen, and then up through Deer Creek and Turkey Creek canyons.

      Of course, the mountains haven’t changed a bit since I was a boy, but the modern roads have changed the looks of the canyons a great deal. When we lived on the ranch, my father and I used to drive up nearly to Evergreen to cut trees for fence posts. There was then only a one track dirt road (or rather, rock) road up Bear Creek Canyon. And some of the grades were so steep that we had to chain and drag the wagon wheels to hold the load back coming down. About every quarter of a mile there was a “turnout”, When two teams met on a single stretch, one of them had to back up to the nearest “turnout,” so as to let the other pass by.

      The name of the book I wrote was really “Little Britches, but they put “The Wild Country” on some of the paperbacks until I stopped them from doing it. You say you have lots of unanswered questions; write and ask them and I’ll do the best I can to answer.

      P.S. I didn’t know about the Two-Dog Trail, but am sure it must have been for my old friend Two Dog. Thanks for telling me about that. (There is a Two-Dog Trail on Mount Falcon just outside of Morrison)

      Your friend,
      Ralph Moody

      There are two more letters like this that he sent me in 1978. I was so thrill to be corresponding with him! I obviously kept those letters and cherish them still.

      • Kim Morales

        I just saw this site.My sister and my cousins were very fortunate growing up,
        in that there was always a very tangible sense of roots,history,and a road home.In my darkest hours,I could open ‘Shaking the Nickel Bush,’ dedicated
        to my late uncle and in addition to prayer,find comfort in the obstacles facing
        a young Ralph,knowing that he lived to be 82.His passing was not June 28th,
        1982,as Googled,but Sunday,Father’s Day,June 20th,1982,at Elizabeth’s home in Shirley.His wishes.

        • Ellen Pearson

          Kim and Robin,
          You are granddaughters of Ralph (?). So nice to find this website and also get to see a comment from each of you! I would love to know more of your mother and her life growing up with these good people as parents. Did your mother share many stories of her childhood with you?
          Robin, I am glad I learned Spanish so I could understand that communication between yourself and Adolfo. Like him, my family and I have been blessed by the Little Britches series. The life lessons taught by Charles and Mary Emma Gould Moody as shared by their son are still teaching me what it is to be truly good.

        • David Goodwin

          Hi Kim, my family and I have derived such pleasure reading your grandfather’s wonderful books. He must have been a very special man. My mother discovered his books when I was a child and she wrote to him, and was delighted that he wrote back. I have his thoughtful, neatly typewritten note on letterhead from his Walnut Creek address on July 7, 1981:

          Dear Mrs. Goodwin:
          Your good letter of June 23rd came to me from the present owners of the house in Burlingame fom which we moved when we came to Rossmoor (an old folks’ home) nearly fifteen years ago, and also from my New York agent. I was delighted to have it, and I think you may have stirred up something with your suggestion for a set of packaged paper-backs.

          You write that ou’ve wondered about Grace and the others of the Tribe of Moody. The only thing to wonder about is the toughness of the breed. Our mother lived to within a few months of a hundred and two. Grace is in fine mental and physical health at 84, I’m getting along okay at 82, and Muriel passed the 81 mark with flying colors last May. Phillip will be 80 in November, and still carries on his construction business – working full days with his men. Hal, still in robust health, will be 77 next month. And Elizabeth, the baby of the family, will be 71 a few days later. All but Phillip have lost our spouses, but we have a flock of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that we are mighty proud of.

          No, I never heard from Lonnie after he left me in the theater at Kansas City, but I don’t believe he got the money; When he found that he’d taken the wrong pair of Levi’s, and that the wouldn’t go around himi by six inches, the chances are about ten to one that he traded them off for a gallon of gasoline or a packet of Bull Durham. Strangely, he’s one of the very few that I’ve written about who hasn’t got in touch with me – usually through the publishers.

          I haven’t written since I reached seventy, for there have been very few authors who have writen well after that age. Edna, my wife of fifty-eight years and I felt that I shoud quit while I was ahead.

          Again, it was good to hear from you, and I do thak you for your kind words.

          Sincerely, Ralph Moody

          If you or any of the readers would like a copy of this, I would be happy to email it to you. dwgoodwin@roadrunner.com

      • JulieFullmer

        I would love to know if he answered any more questions in the other letters?
        So great you were able to write to Him!

        Julie

      • Corey L Guenther

        I would love to know what he said in the other letters.

        • marathon

          Thanks for the nudge, Corey. She sent them to me and I’ve just put them up in a new post. Enjoy!

      • Laura Linnell

        Hi Lisa. I loved reading this letter to you from Ralph Moody. Thank you so much for sharing it. Would you be willing to share the other 2?
        There’s so much more I’ve always wanted to know about Ralph and the whole family, mostly why did he leave grandfather’s farm? But also, how did life go for his mother? Did she ever become financially secure? I do know she lived to 102!

        • Lisa Rohrer Sawyer

          June 26, 2023 —I apologize for not coming back to this site and reading the comments. Here is the second letter Ralph Moody wrote to me March 18, 1978. Ralph mentioned going up Turkey Creek Canyon and so I asked if he knew of the Sanger homestead at the mouth of the canyon. That homestead is still in the Sanger family.

          Dear Lisa,

          Yes, Lisa, I remember the Sanger name well, and I think I remember the buildings on the Sanger homestead, but I can’t be real sure I have the right ones in mind. I don’t remember the people near Soda Lakes that you mentioned. (I asked Ralph if he knew the ranching family Pallaoro’s).

          When I was a boy there was no golf course nearer Morrison that the little one at City Park. (I was told as a child that the field where you park to hike Mt. Falcon was used as a golf course years ago.)

          No, I didn’t start the Little Britches Rodeo. As you may have read in “Little Britches”, I used to ride in the Littleton Fourth of July and Labor Day roundups. But they were discontinued during WWI, and never started again because so many of the Littleton riders were lost in the war. Then when “Little Britches” was published, the people of Littleton decided to have the roundups again, but to make them for riders under 18 and I was very proud when they decided to call it Little Britches Rodeo.

          No, my family didn’t come to the Littleton Homecoming this year, just my youngest sister, Elizabeth, and I.

          I was glad to have you write that you had the time of your life working an a farm last summer, herding and milking cows, etc. It’s been many a year now since I milked a cow, but I sure milked plenty of them when I was your age.

          Thanks for writing, and all the best in the world to you always.

          Your friend,
          Ralph Moody

    • Karen Kassy

      HI Sue & Everyone, when I was 11 or 12, in the 1970s, I read “Little Britches.” I was so excited when I read they moved to Littleton, Colorado — where I’d lived since a baby. My mom noticed in the newspaper that Ralph Moody was going to give a talk at our local Bemis Library. Houston Waring, a wonderful newspaper man who gave much to early Littleton, introduced Ralph. Although older, Ralph was fit and sat on a table and swung his legs. He answered questions. I asked him about “Blue” his horse that Hi (Hiram the cowboy) helped him break. He said he went back after the war to see Blue, but didn’t say anything about Hi. I still have the little paperback copy of Little Britches that Ralph autographed to me as a child.

  48. Renee

    Our family was blessed when a friend, who grew up on a ranch introduced the series to us. The kids are grown up enough to be unaffected by the bliss l still experience when diving into Ralph’s world. I needed more. I found a couple of titles of his at the library and realized two things. One is that he had a high tolerance for digging and finding tidbits of factual information, and painstakingly arranging it into book form. The other is that it is much more delightful reading about his own life story than how modern highway systems came about, or the in-depth history of transportation and shipping via the stagecoach industry. Make no mistake, l can’t think of another writer who could tie together such mundane statistics as to the months and days of mail deliveries to which towns, and by whom, as well as how much money the government awarded to the recipients of the mail/express contracts. From Moody’s childhood stories, you can trust his knowledge of the best and fastest mules and horse breeds for the industry. The colorful cast of characters from the old west transportation beginnings was an eyeful. Moody exposes graph and greed and swindlers, as well as honest captains of industry who through vision, big dreams, and a lot of capital, bridged the gap between the remote and civilized regions of the west. He details, and l think fairly, raids on the stagecoach lines by various Native American tribes, and the loss of supplies, which was astronomical. He also exposes the same behaviors between competing stagecoach companies. The information he’s uncovered is endless, and because there is not much variance in the telling, the book on the stagecoach industry is hard for me to slog through. The book is large, and the bibliography is massive. He did his research. All in all, l cherish anything Ralph Moody produced, knowing from his childhood what an astounding human being he was. So venture forth and find out what else he knew. Keep the inspiration going.

  49. Lauri hazelton

    I lived very close to ralph moody elementary in littleton. I never gave a thought to the school name. I am wondering if anyone knows, we’re the moodys ever in Brighton, Colorado? I cared for a couple there, and am curious.

  50. Christopher

    Just curious, but does anybody here know whether the barn that was built at the end of Fields of Home is still standing?

    • Amy

      I have “googled earth” the area. There are a couple of barns standing and you can tell they are quite old. I would love to know too, if one of these barns was the one they built!

  51. Susan Stanich

    The link below has substantial information for Ralph Moody fans, plus photos of Grandpa and Uncle Levi.
    I’m currently reading John Gould’s “The House that Jacob Built,” which was published eight years before “Fields of Home.” John was Ralph’s younger first cousin and the son of “Uncle Frank.” For those who haven’t read John’s book, you must do so! It’s a fine companion piece to Ralph’s book.

    The two photos didn’t upload, but they are available at the civil war website link listed at the bottom of this comment.
    The additions in parentheses are mine..

    Thomas Jordan Gould
    Birthdate: April 10, 1841 (88)
    Birthplace: Lisbon, Androscoggin, Maine, United States
    Death: July 8, 1929 (88)
    Lisbon, Androscoggin, Maine, United States
    Place of Burial: Lisbon, Androscoggin, Maine, United States
    Immediate Family: Son of Jacob (Jake) Gould and Rebecca Gould
    Husband of Hannah Elizabeth Gould

    Children:
    Ralph Ernest Gould (1870 – 1954)*
    Mary Emma Gould Moody (1872 – 1974)* (Ralph Moody’s mom)
    Louise Hinkley Gould (1876 – 1902)*
    Franklin Farrar Gould (1878 – 1966)* (Ralph’s family lived with Frank and his family when the Moodys moved from Colorado to Medford, Mass, described in “Mary Emma and Company.” One of Frank’s children was John Gould, author and Ralph’s younger first cousin by 10 years. John, who died in 2003, became owner of Grandpa’s farm. He wrote “The House That Jacob Built,” which was published eight years before the publication of Ralph’s “Fields of Home.” )
    Lillian Wallace Gould (1881 – 1964)*
    Helen Shaw Gould (1883 – 1904)*
    Edgar Winfield Gould (1885 – 1913)*

    Siblings:
    Levi Coombs Gould, full brother.
    Also 11 half siblings (from Jacob’s first wife Molly): Stephen Gould; Jacob Gould 1 and 2; Nancy Gould; Niah Gould 1 and 2; Eunice Gould; Harriet; first Thomas Jordan (farm grandpa is the second); Joseph and Jerusha

    About Sgt. Thomas Jordan Gould (USA)
    Soldier and Farmer who succeeded his farther on his return from his country’s service and by his industry, resolution and self denial, transformed this rocky hillside into a fertile farm.
    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Gould&GSfn=thomas&GSiman=1&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=23&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=43220650&df=all&
    Lisbon Maine, The History of a Small Maine Town: pg. 21: “Jacob Gould, mentioned briefly in an earlier section, was born in 1768 and died in 1862 and was one of the pioneers who settled in this town and helped restore it from the wilderness. He was nineteen years of age at the time. His son THOMAS J. GOULD who was born in 1841 and died in 1929, succeeded his father upon his return from the Civil War. Through hard work and self denial he transformed the rocky hillside into a fertile farm. Sadly enough the farm burned flat at midnight in July of 1919. The deed to the farm was granted by Governor Bowdoin to Jacob Gould who built the first frame house on it in 1810.”
    http://capecodhistory.us/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I24700&tree=Nauset

    Levi Coombs Gould (Uncle Levi)

    [most of the above is from]:
    https://www.geni.com/people/Sgt-Thomas-Jordan-Gould-USA/6000000023709450225

    • marathon

      Thank you, Susan. Good find!

  52. Lauren

    I so enjoyed all the information shared here! Just to add some more details… I found this obituary for one of Ralph Moody’s sons, here: https://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/obituary/2847317?fh_id=13705

    Andrew Gould Moody | 1932 – 2014 | Obituary

    Andrew Gould Moody
    Andrew Gould Moody
    September 10, 1932 – November 28, 2014

    Andrew Gould Moody died on November 28, 2014 in Wichita, Kansas. He was 82. Andy was born on September 10, 1932 in Evanston, Illinois to Ralph O. Moody and Edna L. Hudgins. He served as a radar specialist in the Army between 1950-1953. Andy particularly enjoyed time stationed in Germany near his brother Chuck, with whom he was very close. He graduated with a degree in History from the University of California at Berkeley. Andy was also a craftsman. He enjoyed many years and projects at his home in El Cerrito, California and helped build his brother’s house in Carmel. Andy worked for Sylvania before becoming a Letter Carrier. He retained his love of walking outdoors long after retirement from the Post Office, and put everyone younger to shame anytime we had to ‘hoof it’. Andy was a devoted brother to his siblings, Charles O. Moody and Edna M. Morales. He loved and cared for each and every one of their children as his own. Upon birth, all of his nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews and great grand niece were given really soft and special stuffed animals to comfort them through life. Andy loved to read history and listen to opera, insatiably. He also loved to discuss weighty issues, preferably over pool, cribbage, or gin rummy… with Cheez-Its. Andy is remembered for his gracious nature, humor and life-affirming laugh; the kind that just made you proud to make him laugh. He will be deeply missed. Andy fulfilled his father’s final wish to take care of his sister. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Jean Moody; nephews, Douglas Moody and David Moody; nieces, Lisa Moody, Kate Moody, Kimberly Morales and Robin Morales Cabral; nine grand nieces and nephews; two great grand nephews, and a great grandniece. He is preceded in death by his parents, brother and sister. A memorial for Andy will be planned for 2015 in his home state of California.

  53. Dotty Hellman

    I enjoy reading biographies. While browsing in the 92 section in the library of the small town of Derby, Kansas a title caught my eye. “A Horse of a Different Color.” The subtitle really made me want to read the book because I am into Kansas history. (“Reminiscences of a Kansas Drover.” ) After that I knew I had to read more. First ” Little Britches” then “Man of the Family” and now, ” Mary Emma and Company”.
    My 6 children have all read the Little House Books, but we had NEVER heard of Ralph Moody. I am now 69 years old! I’m spreading the word about these amazing stories. They are so uplifting and have so many nuggets of wisdom and humor.

  54. Corey L Guenther

    I stopped in Beaver Creek, KS years ago on my way through in the semi. It was pretty cool to be there, but I didn’t exactly know what I was looking for. Nor did I take the opportunity to explore. Afterwards, I stopped in Oberlin at the Chamber of Commerce or something and they had a historical society. I asked them if the name Ralph Moody meant anything to them and they said yes. They had some pictures and information relating to the stories. I haven’t had the opportunity to return, but fully intend to. Along with exploring Littleton. My daughter-to-be lives in Denver and a road trip is pending. If anyone has any other information, please keep it coming.

  55. John Madden

    What a treat to find this site.

    My mother and father were divorced when I was 6yrs old and I lacked a father figure. At around 7 yrs of age we began reading this and an eight year old boy, along with his own father, filled that hole in my life. I never cried so hard when Father died and “so long partner” still brings the feeling of loss to my soul.
    I’m 65 yrs old now. At in 1982, while reading to my own sons the longing to tell Mr Moody what he’d meant to my life grew strong enough to attempt to reach him – when I did I found he’d recently past. I was devastated for having waited too long. Now I read with my grandchildren. Also, since retirement I have met dozens of men in the shooting world with whom I shoot and I’ve shared Mr Moody’s series with many of them, there appreciation is great though I can’t imagine the hooks going so deep as they do in my own life. I consider him a gift and a treasure. The decency that exudes from every page of his series is a decency I strive for, too often failing, in my own life. I loved that man and his family without ever knowing them. John

    • Laura Linnell

      Hi John. I just recently found this site. I feel the same way you do about Ralph and the whole family. Though having never met them, I love them. I first found his books in the early 1980s and could not fathom how I hadn’t heard of them before. I’ve read them all multiple times and recently read them all again, and I find that they mean more to me the older I get, and I see things in them that I missed in my younger days, mostly things between the lines and questions that come up that I hadn’t thought of before. That’s such a dear thing that Ralph was there for you as a small and wounded boy. He’s been there for me so many times over the years and I’m so grateful that he wrote it all down so that I could know him. He’s added so much to my life.

    • Laura Linnell

      My heart goes out to you in the loss of your father through divorce, and then, after finding a father/son relationship through Ralph and his dad, you lost that father, too. I can’t imagine the pain . . . I’m so sorry.
      Ralph and his family have been such a comfort and influence in my life. And yes, their decency. And the unshakable love and commitment to eachother, to the functioning and success of the family. I love that family, and they’ve been such a help to me over the years. I find that every time I re-read one of his books I see things I missed before, because my perspective changes as I get older. I recently reread The Dry Divide, and it struck me how Ralph made life better for those around him wherever he went, and did so in this book when he thought he only had 6 months to live. I wish I knew more about the whole family, and am especially curious about why Ralph left his grandfather’s farm. It seemed they had adjusted to eachother by the end of the book, and had some reliable income coming in (Ralph again improving life for those around him). So, why did he leave?

  56. Jorge Adalberto Duque O.

    Acabo de traducir al español con ayuda de Deepl los 8 libros de la serie Little Britches. Si alguien está interesado en ayudarme a corregir (traduccción con errores de género y otros) y maquetar los libros preferiblemente a epub, puede contactarse conmigo.
    Mi interés no es económico, es con el ánimo de dar a conocer a la comunidad latina que no habla inglés, estos maravillosos libros.
    Mi correo para los interesados: jorgeadalbertoocampo@hotmail.com
    Con mucho afecto
    Jorge Adalberto Duque O.

  57. Karen P.

    Count our family in the growing number of fans who cherish the Little Britches books – we have only read the first two, but we have now ordered all of the rest. Glad to have found some specific sites are known, such as Charles Moody’s grave in the Fairmount cemetery in Denver, and Mr. Nutting’s house where Ralph cleared dandelions in Man of the House. And we have had several input as to the Gould farm in Maine. Do we have locations for these other sites?:
    – The Moody farm on the Morrison Road west of Fort Logan?
    – The Cooper ranch/Y-B spread
    – The rented home in Littleton
    If there are other sites that are known, please share.

    Questions (maybe some of these are answered in the other books):
    What became of Grace, the sister?
    Did Mary Emma (mother) remarry?
    Did Ralph ever see Hi again?

    • Amy Florence

      Karen-It has been two years since you wrote this but I wanted to answer one of your questions. Last October my brother in law took us on a “Ralph Moody” tour. We saw he thought was the site of the original Moody ranch which is now occupied by LifeSource Adventist Fellowship on West Hampden Blvd. From there you can see Lorreto Heights where the sun would come up and the mountains where Turkey Creek Canyon is. We also visited the site of the tragic accident that led to Charles’ death-the gates of Fort Logan, as well as one of the likely locations of the saloon where Ralph went to find the sheriff. We also visited Bear Creek and downtown Littleton. It was a delightful excursion.

    • David Goodwin

      Hi Karen, as a fan of the Ralph Moody and the Gould books, I’ve learned all I can about these families and their histories. Can you please share the location of Mr. Nutting’s home?

      This link gives directions to the location of the Moody farm (now a church) and the homes the family rented in town.
      https://www.museum.littletonco.gov/Research/Littleton-History/Biographies/Moody

  58. Carol Schmidt

    I attended Evergreen Elementary School in Evergreen, CO. Following afternoon recess, my fifth grade (1955-56) teacher turned off the classroom light and had us put our heads on our desks while she read Little Britches and Man of the Family. I was intrigued with the stories and wondered exactly where the Moody house was located. Driving with my dad down Morrison Road from Evergreen, through Kittredge, and beyond toward Fort Logan, I would always look off to the right, onto the distant hills and imagined that an old house I saw had been theirs. I have maintained that fantasy to this day. Now at age 75, in reading Little Britches to my nine year-old grandson, I remarked that the Moody family lived close to Evergreen where I lived. After only reading one chapter, he is hooked.

  59. David Yarnall

    Has anyone come across information or a photo of any of the plaster busts that Ralph created in “Shaking the Nickel Bush”? It would be so cool to show my son one of them.

  60. Debra L.

    Oh wow, my fellow fans of Ralph Moody’s books will appreciate my find today: photos of the Moody family! Someone has been updating the Find A Grave Memorial pages for the Moodys and there is more information to be found than ever before. (A huge thank-you to them!). Here you go… Enjoy!

    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58746595/mary-emma-moody

  61. DT

    Did Ralph ever see Hiram or Blue again?

    Any links or pics of Ralph or newspaper article as a kid when he competed in the Rodeo with Hiram?

    Thanks!
    DT

  62. Reidun

    Awesome! So cool to see that I am not the only one who sleuths for stuff like this on Google Earth! There is some pretty cool stuff on there if you take the time to look for it. Thanks for posting!

  63. Maggie R. Jones

    This is a fascinating site for me as a direct descendent of Thomas Gould. He was my great-great grandfather; F.F. Gould my great grandfather; and John Gould my mother’s uncle (my mother’s mother was Louise C. (Gould) Grant). The missing piece in some of the questions I see above is Ralph Moody’s grandmother, Hannah Elizabeth (Foster) Gould. She was a nurse and the author of “The Science of Feeding Babies.” (https://www.collectionbooks.net/pdf/science-of-feeding-babies-and-normal-care-of-the-growing-child-for-nursing-mother-and-infants-nurses.) She was an expert in creating formulas for infants who didn’t “thrive” on their mother’s milk. Although I haven’t yet found a lot of documentary evidence on this, family belief indicates that she is responsible for saving the lives of untold numbers of babies in the Portland/Midcoast area. She is buried in Lisbon Falls.

    One interesting tidbit that I think is omitted by the “menfolk” in their writings is that Hannah divorced Thomas on the basis of cruel treatment. At a time when divorce was a rare event, this was of course a bit of a scandal. She worked hard to get custody of the children, but I think the boys were maybe treated with a bit less harshness by Thomas, or at least the prevailing assumptions was that they could withstand it better. F.F.’s book covers growing up on the farm (“Maine Man in the Making”), but I expect that Ralph might have had to escape after his short stay there. Thomas was a hard man, I think compounded by his Civil War service under Chamberlain. The modern belief among family is that he probably suffered from PTSD.

    Frank Gould Jr. (John and Louise’s younger brother) self-published a book on H.E. Gould called “A Woman’s Right” (ISBN 0595342868). It’s not great–I tried reading it, and he attempted to fictionalize pieces of the story in a way that’s a little cringeworthy. But much of it is based on letters from H.E. Gould and her children that still survive, including Mary Emma. I have custody of letters between H.E. and her daughters Lillian and Helen that I plan to transcribe. It’s a little odd having a family with such interesting characters who left behind a wealth of material that should be properly archived, but the next generation is too busy themselves to deal with it!

  64. Sandra Kammerzell

    No idea if this is still an active site, but I just stumbled upon it while trying to Google search some of the neighbors and friends from Little Britches. Love all these comments. I’ve just re-read the series for the umpteenth time and can only agree with all the comments about how important these books were to me growing up and now to my own kids. Thank you for posting this and I hope the Ralph Moody stream continues.

  65. David Nelson

    I too am honored to have found this site because hearing my wife read Ralph’s depictions of Hi Beckman, my very first feeling was a strong one of wanting to find and visit his grave to pay homage.

  66. Windy

    For all of us who love Ralph’s books and family, I have a treat for you. After recently reading “The Woman’s Right” (A story of my Maine grandmother) by Franklin F. Gould, Jr. (Ralph’s cousin) I pulled out all of my Moody/Gould books and decided to try again to find more info on the web about his family. I typed “Mary Emma Gould Moody” into the search browser and a blog photo popped up. It was Mary Emma. The blog is written by Ralph’s niece, Jessie May Kessler, daughter of Elizabeth Moody. Here is a direct link to her blog posts. There are wonderful photos and more information about Ralph and family. I enjoyed hours of reading through her well written posts!
    https://mylittlebirdbyjmk.store/2019/03/15/out-of-the-blue/

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