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Dorothy's South Dakota Roots - Page 2

Page 2

Jun 29, 2001

Just as he had lost Baum’s Bazaar, Baum lost the Pioneer in April, 1891. Many settlers were abandoning South Dakota, and Baum and his family – which now included two more sons – decided to join them. He took a job with the Evening Post in Chicago, and the Baum family left South Dakota forever. Nine years later, Baum went on to publish The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Today, Aberdeen has a population of 25,000. Residents remember Baum’s Aberdeen heritage with a ten-acre Land of Oz theme park featuring Dorothy’s house, Munchkinland, the Wicked Witch’s Castle, and the Emerald City. Nearby Storybook Land features characters and settings from other children’s tales. Each summer since 1997, Aberdeen has also hosted a two-day Oz festival that includes performances, costume contests, and Munchkin appearances.

For more information about the Aberdeen Oz Festival, visit http://www.aberdeenozfest.org/

For general information about Aberdeen, visit the convention and visitors bureau at http://www.aberdeencvb.com/ or the chamber of commerce at http://www.aberdeensd.com/

Sources used in this article include The Annotated Wizard of Oz by Michael Patrick Hearn and L. Frank Baum: Royal Historian of Oz by Angelica Shirley Carpenter and Jean Shirley.

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4. Jul 2, 2001 8:27 AM
In response to message posted by katrinko:

Isn't the Annotated Wizard of Oz amazing? It's so full of information ... and I haven't ...

-- posted by karenbc

3. Jul 1, 2001 8:26 PM
Another fascinating article! L. Frank Baum's history has always been fascinating to me. As you wrote in your article, I read that he was a better storyteller than businessman. He'd tell stories in his ...

-- posted by katrinko

2. Jul 1, 2001 7:34 PM
In response to message posted by AnneWatkins:

Thank you, Anne. I appreciate it. :)

Karen ...

-- posted by karenbc

1. Jun 29, 2001 7:56 AM
I haven't read much about Frank Baum so this was a very fascinating read for me. Looks like I need to check out those links and find out more! Thanks!

Anne

p.s. I'm so very sorry about your swee ...

-- posted by AnneWatkins

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